German students honour Hanau victims with letters of grief and unity
Students from across Germany have shared heartfelt letters to honour the victims of the 2020 Hanau attack. Their words, filled with grief and hope, were part of a competition called Write for Hanau – Your Words for Unity in Diversity. Among them was 18-year-old Danna Lucía Cortés López, who wrote to Vili Viorel Păun, one of the nine people killed in the shooting.
The letters addressed the senseless violence of the attack and called for a future free from racism. Hundreds of texts were submitted, with ten individual entries and one group project selected by a jury for recognition.
Danna moved to Germany from Colombia at age 12 and experienced racism firsthand at school. Her letter to Păun was one of many aimed at offering strength to the families left behind. The competition gave young people a chance to process the tragedy through writing.
Another participant, Mohamad Al Abd, wrote to Ferhat Unvar, a 23-year-old victim of the attack. After the award ceremony, Al Abd spoke directly to Ferhat's mother, sharing his condolences in person. The event brought together students from different backgrounds, all united in their rejection of hatred.
Out of the submissions, seven students from the Duisburger Volkshochschul-Integrationskurs were among those honoured. No other participants from the same course received special mentions, as the focus remained on the selected entries. The letters, now part of a public collection, serve as a reminder of the attack's impact and the ongoing fight against racism.
The competition's winning entries will be preserved as a tribute to the Hanau victims. The students' words highlight the need for solidarity in the face of violence. Their letters also stand as a call for a society where diversity is celebrated, not targeted.
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