The monument, a steel sculpture 3.5 metres tall and six metres long was placed just a few metres from the scene of the incident, where 21 people died and hundreds were hurt in an overcrowded tunnel leading to the festival.
Designed by Duisburg artist Gerhard Losemann, the front side features the date of the accident – July 24, 2010 – as well as a glass panel with the names of the victims. On the back, 21 steel bars have been stacked to appear as if they collapsed on top of one another, symbolizing the crowded, panicked conditions that lead to the deaths.
A public campaign raised more than €26,000 for the monument and much of the work on the sculpture was donated. Industrial giant ThyssenKrupp, whose headquarters are in Duisburg and nearby Essen, provided the steel at no cost.
The monument was dedicated some four weeks before the actual one-year anniversary of the tragedy at the desire of the victims’ families.
The Local/DPA/kdj
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