Key facts
- Norway has opened a new memorial for the 77 victims of the 2011 terror attacks.
- The memorial, named 'Upholding,' features a large artwork with a stone mosaic of a bird native to Utoeya island.
- The attack on July 22, 2011, by neo-Nazi Anders Breivik killed eight people in Oslo and 69 at a youth camp on Utoeya island.
- The memorial is located in Oslo's government district, near the site of the car bomb blast.
- The names of all 77 victims are engraved on the memorial.
Norway has inaugurated a new memorial in Oslo to commemorate the 77 victims of the country's deadliest peacetime terror attack, which occurred on July 22, 2011. Neo-Nazi Anders Breivik killed eight people with a car bomb in Oslo and subsequently shot dead 69 others, mostly teenagers, at a youth camp on Utoeya island.
The new memorial, titled 'Upholding,' is a large artwork featuring a 12-meter (39ft) high stone mosaic depicting a wading bird native to Utoeya, along with straw and sticks reflected in water. Artist Matias Faldbakken stated the work aims to remember the victims and promote democratic resilience against far-right ideologies. The memorial is situated in Oslo's renovated government district, near the site of the original bombing.
All 77 victims' names are engraved on the memorial. Merete Stamneshagen, head of a victims' support group, described the attack as a blow against Norwegian democracy. The inauguration ceremony was attended by Norway's Crown Prince Haakon and government officials. Crown Prince Haakon also visited the new 22 July Centre, Norway's national memorial and education center for the attacks. Breivik was sentenced to 21 years in prison in 2012, the maximum sentence in Norway, with the possibility of extension if deemed a continued threat.