In brief
On 22 July, just before the 15th anniversary of Norway’s worst terror attack, a new memorial opened in Oslo’s government district near the site of the 2011 Oslo car‑bomb. The installation, called "Upholding," features a 12‑metre high stone mosaic of a Utoeya island bird, surrounded by a vast blue steel frame. It includes the names of all 77 victims and aims to invite the public into an act of democratic resilience against far‑right ideologies that inspired the attack. Crown Prince Haakon and government officials attended the unveiling, while the artist noted his inspiration from a bird native to Utoeya island, a site where many teenage Labour Party youth members were killed.
Norway opens a new memorial for 77 victims of its deadliest peacetime terror attack.
The unveiling took place on 22 July, days before the 15th anniversary of the 2011 attacks that killed eight in Oslo and 69 at a youth camp on Utoeya island.
A large artwork—12 metres high—depicts a small wading bird from Utoeya island and is set within a blue steel frame. The piece, named Upholding, also displays straw and sticks reflected in water, reminding visitors of the tragedy’s impact on youth.
All 77 victims’ names are etched onto the memorial, offering a tangible tribute. The artist, Matias Faldbakken, said the work serves to remember the dead and to engage the public in democratic resilience against the far‑right ideologies that motivated the attack.
Crown Prince Haakon and government officials attended the ceremony, and Haakon visited the 22 July Centre, Norway’s national memorial and education hub dedicated to the attacks.
Since 2012, Breivik has faced a maximum 21‑year sentence, extendable as long as he poses a threat. He has challenged that sentence, winning a partial human‑rights ruling in 2016 that was overturned in 2017, failing a parole bid in 2022, and suing the government for isolation in 2024 without success.
