Germany Marks First Anniversary Of Deadly Magdeburg Christmas Market Attack

by Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Europe Bureau Chief

MAGDEBURG, GERMANY (Worthy News) – German Chancellor Friedrich Merz called for “peaceful coexistence” as his nation marked the first anniversary of a deadly car-ramming attack at a Christmas market in eastern Germany that revived a debate about the influx of migrants from mainly Muslim countries.

Merz addressed a church ceremony in the city of Magdeburg, where the December 20, 2024, attack killed six and wounded more than 300 others. Among them were those who planned a Christmas dinner table after the market visit, but never returned home.

“May we all find, today in this commemoration, comfort and peaceful coexistence, especially as Christmas approaches,” he told those gathered at the Protestant Johanniskirche (St. John’s Church), near the site of the attack.

Germany is still “a country where we show unconditional solidarity — especially when injustice prevails — standing shoulder to shoulder wherever violence erupts,” he stressed.

While the market reopened on November 20, guarded by armed police and protected by concrete barricades, it remained closed on Saturday out of respect to the victims of last year’s attack, organizers said.

CHAIN OF LIGHTS

A human Chain of Lights vigil was also held around the Christmas market “to show that solidarity, diversity, and respect are lived in Magdeburg and that our city sticks together,” explained Mayor Borris.

Taleb Jawad al-Abdulmohsen, 51, is currently on trial for the attack after he admitted to plowing a rented sports utility vehicle (SUV) through the crowd.

The prosecutors say the Saudi man was inspired by “a mix of personal grievances, far-right and anti-Islam views.” It was unclear how his “anti-Islam views” related to targeting a market inspired by a feast celebrating the birth of Jesus.

The anniversary comes eight months before regional elections, with the anti-migration Alternative for Germany (AfD) leading in opinion polls in Saxony-Anhalt state, of which Magdeburg is the capital.

The market attack happened during campaigning for legislative elections — one of several carried out by migrants that fed into a fierce debate about immigration and security in Germany.

SIMILAR VEHICLE ATTACK PLANNED

On December 13, German police said they had arrested five men suspected of planning a similar vehicle attack on a Christmas market in the southern state of Bavaria.

Police and prosecutors said they had detained an Egyptian, three Moroccans, and a Syrian over the alleged plot, potentially avoiding a bloodbath as in Magdeburg.

“The rampage a year ago turned Magdeburg’s Christmas market into a place of horror,” explained Stefanie Hubig, Federal Minister of Justice and Consumer Protection. “The brutality of this act and its senselessness are still disturbing today. On the first anniversary of the rampage, we remember those who were killed,” she stressed.

The anniversary comes months before regional elections, with the anti-migration Alternative for Germany (AfD) leading polls in Saxony-Anhalt.

Federal Justice Minister Stefanie Hubig recalled that the attack turned the market into “a place of horror,” stressing that victims and relatives “will not be left alone.”

FINANCIAL COMPENSATION STILL GIVEN

State officials said survivors can still apply for long-term help, including therapy and financial assistance.

Monthly compensation of €434 (about $475) has been granted in 56 cases, and €868 (about $950) in one case, with funeral costs also covered in several instances, officials said.

“It is a very depressing feeling. I felt the need to come here today,” a German woman told reporters while attending a candlelight vigil.

“I am a Magdeburg kid, and it is still incomprehensible, even now,” she said. “I am still speechless.”

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