Norway Opens National Monument to 2011 Attacks

In Oslo, Norway, the National 22 July Monument opened today to commemorate the victims of the 2011 terrorist attacks carried out by Anders Breivik. Fifteen years ago, Breivik killed 77 people in Oslo and on the island of Utøya, marking the deadliest act of terror in modern Norwegian history. The monument is located in the rebuilt government quarter of Oslo, near the site of the bombing that killed eight.

Following the Oslo bombing, Breivik travelled to Utøya, where he murdered 69 people, many of whom were teenagers attending a youth camp. Norwegian officials intentionally avoid mentioning Breivik’s name during commemorations to focus on the victims, survivors, and the democratic values he attacked. The government complex, heavily damaged in the attack, only reopened in April of this year.

Artist Matias Faldbakken designed the monument, a steel construction inspired by a temporary support structure used during the rebuilding process. Approximately 2,000 people, including survivors and relatives of victims, contributed to the artwork by placing stones in a mosaic depicting a small wading bird found on Utøya. The monument aims to connect the two locations of the attacks and serve as a bulwark against similar events.