Norway has inaugurated a new memorial dedicated to the 77 victims of the country's deadliest peacetime terrorist attack, which occurred on July 22, 2011. The unveiling took place in Oslo on Sunday, just days before the 15th anniversary of the atrocities.
On that day, neo-Nazi Anders Breivik detonated a car bomb in the capital, killing eight people, and then proceeded to Utoeya island, where he shot and killed 69 others, primarily teenagers attending a youth camp. Hundreds more sustained injuries in what remains Norway's worst atrocity.
The new memorial, titled "Upholding," is a large contemporary artwork located in Oslo's renovated government district. It features a prominent blue steel frame supporting a 12-meter-high stone mosaic. The mosaic depicts a small wading bird, native to Utoeya island, alongside straw and sticks reflected in water. Artist Matias Faldbakken stated the work aims to remember the victims and encourage public engagement in democratic resilience against far-right ideologies.
The names of all 77 victims are etched into the memorial. Merete Stamneshagen, head of a support group for victims and survivors, was quoted by AFP news agency stating, "July 22, 2011 was a brutal attack not only on individuals, but also on our democracy."
Norway's Crown Prince Haakon and government officials attended the inauguration ceremony. The Crown Prince also visited the newly opened 22 July Centre, Norway's national memorial and education facility dedicated to the attacks.
Anders Breivik was sentenced in 2012 to 21 years in prison, the maximum term in Norway, with the possibility of extension if he remains a threat. Breivik has made several legal challenges to his sentence over the years, including a partial human rights case in 2016 that was later overturned. In 2022, his bid for parole was denied, with the court finding no change in his risk to society. More recently, in 2024, he unsuccessfully sued the government over his solitary confinement, which is maintained for security reasons.