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Commemoration in Aschaffenburg: Remembrance of the knife attack in 2022
Commemorations in Aschaffenburg commemorate the bloody knife attack in 2022 and address political instrumentalization.
Commemoration in Aschaffenburg: Remembrance of the knife attack in 2022
On January 22, 2022, there was a tragic knife attack in Aschaffenburg's Schöntal Park that shocked Germany. A 28-year-old Afghan man attacked a daycare group with five children and two teachers. Two people were killed and three others were injured, some seriously. The community now faces the challenge of dealing with the grief and political exploitation of the crime.
A memorial service for the victims will take place in the Protestant Christ Church on January 22, 2023, which will be broadcast live on YouTube. Mayor Jürgen Herzing (SPD) emphasizes the need for a joint process of coming to terms with the situation and speaks of a return to normality in the city. The city is also planning a memorial site in Schöntal Park to commemorate the tragic events.
A moving collective sign
In the summer of 2022, a family picnic was organized in Schöntal Park, which was dedicated to the victims of the crime and sent a strong signal for peaceful coexistence. This was not only a way to remember the victims, but also a message to the community that such violence must not be allowed to break our cohesion.
The commemoration on January 22, 2023 will be accompanied by various local representatives and clergy who urge not to abuse the event for political purposes. Meanwhile, extreme right-wing groups have already announced that they will demonstrate near the celebrations, further inflaming the emotional situation. Herzing and the Imam Zischan Mehmood appeal to civil society to keep remembrance in the foreground.
The circumstances of the crime and its consequences
The perpetrator, a mentally ill asylum seeker, had been required to leave the country for a long time. In December 2021 he announced his voluntary departure, but deportation was not forced. As a result, the question arises as to whether such serious acts of violence were preventable, especially since the man was known to be violent and mentally ill.
In October 2022, the Aschaffenburg regional court decided that he must be permanently housed in a psychiatric facility. This reflects the dilemma facing society: how to deal with people who pose a danger to others but are still in need of protection?
Additional attention from a second tragedy
On January 24, 2025, another knife attack occurred in Aschaffenburg, in which a two-year-old boy and a 41-year-old man were killed. Here, too, the debate about migration policy and security was reignited because the perpetrator was once again a mentally ill Afghan. These incidents have increased public attention on the issue of migration and integration, as Bavaria's Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) and Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) emphasized when laying wreaths at the crime scene.
Funeral prayers were held for the injured child in a Frankfurt mosque with around 1,000 mourners. The Imam praised the moral courage of a father of two, who is considered a hero because he tried to save the children in the daycare situation. His efforts will not only remain in the hearts of those who remember him, but will also be highlighted as an example of unwavering courage.
These two tragic incidents mark an eventful period in Aschaffenburg's history, which brings with it both sadness and the challenge of social and political reflection. On January 22, 2023 and in the coming commemorations, the city will come together to remember the victims and counteract the risk of political instrumentalization.