Remembering for the future: Flood stories” in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler

Remembering for the future: Flood stories” in Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler

What's going on in Bad Neuenahr? The parish of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler is preparing for an important memorial event. On July 14, 2025, the devastating flood event that affected large parts of the region will be commemorated for the fourth time. A central memorial service is planned in the Bad Neuenahr spa gardens, which is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m. At 9 p.m., to honor the victims, the bells of all churches in the Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler pastoral care area will ring for 15 minutes to set a sign of community and commemorate what happened.

A central element of the commemoration will be the “Flood Stories” project. This is a parish initiative to capture people's thoughts, memories and emotions about the flood. Until July 21st, memorial books will be displayed in every church in the parish in which citizens can write down their personal experiences, thoughts, prayers or stories about the time of the flood. These memory books are intended not only to be a testimony to the past, but also to serve as a source of hope for the future. For all those who cannot write in person, there is the option of sending contributions by email pfarrei-bnaw@bistum-trier.de to send.

A place of remembrance and community

In order to offer people a protected space for memories and communal commemoration, open discussions will take place at several churches in the pastoral care area on July 14th between 8:00 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. The places of discussion include the Josef Church in Walporzheim, the Laurentius Church in Ahrweiler and the Rosary Church in Bad Neuenahr. Anyone who wants to can share their experiences and exchange ideas here.

The wide range of activities is not only a sign of compassion, but also reflects the importance of the culture of remembrance. As the Federal Agency for Civic Education emphasizes, it is essential to learn from history and, in particular, to anchor painful events in collective memory. Remembering should help to sensitize future generations and give them the tools to learn from the past. The flood disaster in particular has shown how quickly life can change and how strongly communities are connected to one another.

Additional information and queries can be directed to the Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler parish office. Anyone interested can contact the parish on 02641 34737 or by email at nadine.kreuser@bistum-trier.de.

With these measures, the parish will not only remember the horrors of the flood, but also send a sign of hope. Because remembering can heal and connect people - and that's exactly what's important this summer.

If you would like to find out more about the Flood Stories project, you can read the full details on the parish website: bistum-trier.de and also about the memorial events below pastoraler-raum-bad-neuenahr-ahrweiler.de.

Let us strengthen remembrance together and keep the memories alive. Because what happened should never be forgotten.