Shooting spree in Dortmund: tragedy on June 14, 2000 again in memory

Shooting spree in Dortmund: tragedy on June 14, 2000 again in memory

Today, June 14, 2025, we look back at some of the key historical events that took place on this date. A look at history reveals that June 14th not only holds name days for Eppo and Gottschalk, but is also filled with significant moments. Over the last 125 years, a number of drastic events have occurred that have shaped the political and social climate in Germany. If you're wondering what else is happening on this date, you've come to the right place!

Among the painful memories of modern times, the shooting spree in Dortmund and Waltrop in 2000 stands out, in which three police officers lost their lives. The attack on a hospital in Budyonnovsk in 1995, where around 120 people died, is also a dark reminder of the brutality that people are subjected to in times of crisis.

Artistic movements in focus

Today we also celebrate the memory of one of the defining art movements of the Weimar Republic: the New objectivity. This movement, which developed in the 1920s, brought a breath of fresh air to the art scene and focused on the world of the visible. Important artists such as George Grosz and Otto Dix gave their critical perspective on society a completely different perspective: in their grotesque pictures they addressed the “demimondes” of crime and prostitution and sharply criticized social injustices.

The movement, which was characterized by clear image concepts and objectifying work, found expression in various genres, including portraits, still lifes and cityscapes. It was important not only in Germany, but also in Austria, Switzerland and the Netherlands. The Mannheim Art Gallery In 1925, it was the venue for the important exhibition "New Objectivity. German Painting since Expressionism", which was organized by Gustav Friedrich Hartlaub and was the only large gathering of its kind in Germany.

A look at the artists

Within this movement, the artists and their styles vary considerably. While Grosz and Dix pursued a politically left-wing course, Georg Schrimpf and Alexander Kanoldt stood for a more classicist, idealizing direction that documented the longing for an idyll in the Weimar Republic. The themes of advertising pillars, billboards and new technologies were captured in the colorful images of New Objectivity. The movement shows that art is not only an expression of aesthetics, but also a mirror of social conditions.

In summary, June 14th shows us that it serves not only as a date, but also as a place of remembrance for those who have left us, such as the actor Helmut Fischer, who died in 1997, and a celebration of that particular art movement that influenced society in a turbulent decade.

We are excited about the further developments and experiences that the future will bring us and hope that creative diversity will continue to find its place in our society!