Utøya memorial

Almost 11 years after the horrific and meaningless act of terror at Utøya, conducted by terrorist and mass murderer Anders Behring Breivik in 2011, the memorial was finally completed in June 2022.

The memorial at Utøykaia (Utøy quay) consists of 77 bronze columns. One for each of the victims. Both in the bombing in Oslo centre (8), and the kids participating at the political youth rally at Utøya (69).

Soon after the act of terror, it was decided to build a memorial, but it was difficult to agree upon where. One suggestion was to build it on a headland in Tyrifjorden 500 meters north of Utøya. But complaints from neighbours stopped that idea.
To solve the location issue, the Worker’s Youth League (AUF) suggested in 2017 to build it on their land where the ferry to the island Utøya departures. A group of neighbours was against this and took the process to court. But eventually the state won, and the construction started in 2020.

Like any horrible act against humanity, I believe in enlightening and education. To have a physical place to visit, a memorial and information about what happened here, means a lot. When I visited, I found people in grief. Remembering. Missing. The atmosphere were silent and venerable.

If you do the route along Tyrifjorden, I highly recommend a stop here. And a trip along Tyrifjorden can easily be converted to a roundtrip. You can include Blaafarveverket in Åmodt, The Silver Road between Hokksund and Kongsberg, the Silver Mines in Kongsberg, Spiralen in Drammen and Kjerraten in Åsa.