- Two scheduled public gatherings proposed for a potential flood exhibit establishment
The Ahr Valley Community Development Group is arranging two open gatherings to delve into the possibility of establishing a flood memorial in the Ahr Valley, focusing on its layout. As stated by Managing Director Christoph Klötzer from the German Press Agency, "We aim to foster an open conversation under the themes of 'Preservation and Recollection'." So far, there hasn't been a genuine public discussion about this matter.
Klötzer emphasized, "We want everyone impacted by the flood to feel engaged." Anyone interested in contributing to the discussion should have the chance to do so. Two occasions are scheduled, one on September 26 in Ahrweiler and another on October 1 in Dümpelfeld. Initially, the event aims to measure public sentiment towards a documentation facility.
The catastrophic flood in the summer of 2021 took the lives of 135 individuals in the Ahr Valley. Talks about a flood memorial have been persisting. Initially, plans suggested incorporating the flood memorial into the planned International Crisis Center Ahr (ICCA), but these plans have since been scrapped. As per the current ICCA concept and feasibility study, the center will primarily function as an educational hub about "Natural Extremes and the associated perils and extreme situations," rather than a remembrance site, the Ahr Valley Tourism revealed.
Participants from the community will be part of the Association's events, said Klötzer. "Should it be a documentation center, a commemorative site, will there be exhibit spaces and museum areas?" The venue and project collaborators will also be openly discussed. "The most significant question, however, is who wants to participate?" The Association will carry on addressing this issue beyond the two events. "Our goal is to make people feel they can contribute once more. They can participate in the decision-making process and be a part of the reconstruction."
The German Press Agency, represented by Managing Director Christoph Kloétzer, emphasizes that everyone impacted by the flood should have the opportunity to contribute to the discussions about the potential flood memorial. The German Press Agency will be present at two open gatherings organized by the Ahr Valley Community Development Group, on September 26 in Ahrweiler and October 1 in Dümpelfeld.
