advertentieOn July 11, it will be 30 years since the Bosnian-Serb army invaded the city of Srebrenica. 8,372 people, mainly Bosniak boys and men, were murdered and tens of thousands were deported. Rotterdam also commemorates this genocide. On Saturday, July 5, there will be a local commemoration at the Grotekerkplein in front of the Laurenskerk.
The commemoration will take place from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM at the Stadspodium on the Grotekerkplein. Mayor Schouten will open the commemoration. Personal stories will be shared, and there will be 2 minutes of silence. There will also be a special place where children of all ages can creatively reflect on the commemoration.
On July 5, we commemorate the victims of the genocide in Srebrenica. Not only to stand still at the sorrow but to acknowledge what really happened. We do not only commemorate a history, but rather people. Because they were not numbers. They were not figures in reports. They were 8,372 people. Only if we continue to do that – continue to see that it was about people – can we do justice to their memory. May their memory continue to touch us. May their faces continue to speak. May their names never be forgotten.
Art Installation ‘8,372’
In the Heuvel building, at the Grotekerkplein, the art installation ‘8,372’ can be seen. Here, the names of the 8,372 victims of Srebrenica are central. The installation was conceived and created by filmmaker and designer Dženita Čamo and political scientist and activist Božica Simeunović.
More information
For more information about the commemoration on July 5, please visit the website Rotterdamherdenktsrebrenica.nl. Link opens an external page. In addition to the Rotterdam commemoration and the national commemoration on July 11 in The Hague, there will be local activities, meetings, and commemorations in various places in the Netherlands this year. You can read more about it on nmsg95.nl/nederlandherdenkt30jaarsrebrenica. Link opens an external page.