Memorial service for the 20th anniversary of Tristan's death
26 March 2018, Cemetery Frankfurt-Höchst
On 26 March 2018, exactly 20 years after the murder of Tristan, a public memorial service was held at the Cemetery Frankfurt-Höchst to honor Tristan.
The commemoration had been organized in advance by volunteers from all over Germany, as Tristan’s parents have already passed away. Some were people who had known Tristan, others were strangers who were moved by his fate.
Tristan was buried on 6 April 1998. Twenty years later, on 6 April 2018, the so-called rest period of Tristan’s grave expired so that the dissolution of his grave was imminent. In order to preserve Tristan’s memory permanently, the volunteer group decided to build a new memorial for Tristan, which was to be inaugurated at the memorial service.
The commemoration had been organized in advance by volunteers from all over Germany, as Tristan’s parents have already passed away. Some were people who had known Tristan, others were strangers who were moved by his fate.
Tristan was buried on 6 April 1998. Twenty years later, on 6 April 2018, the so-called rest period of Tristan’s grave expired so that the dissolution of his grave was imminent. In order to preserve Tristan’s memory permanently, the volunteer group decided to build a new memorial for Tristan, which was to be inaugurated at the memorial service.
Minute of silence at Tristan's grave
The memorial service was announced in advance via broadcast and television. Broadcast and television crews had been invited. Not only was it our intention to remember Tristan in a dignified way, we rather wanted to call attention to the unsolved murder with the help of media one more time.
Around 1 pm the small group gathered near the entrance of the cemetery and went to Tristan’s grave. After a prayer and a minute’s silence, Pastor Christian Enke of St. Josef Höchst parish in Frankfurt conducted the memorial service.
Around 1 pm the small group gathered near the entrance of the cemetery and went to Tristan’s grave. After a prayer and a minute’s silence, Pastor Christian Enke of St. Josef Höchst parish in Frankfurt conducted the memorial service.
Tristan's memorial is inaugurated
Subsequently, the group went to the place where the new memorial for Tristan was to be built. The site is only a few steps away from Tristan’s grave. With the help of donations, the volunteers had leased a small area and laid down a marble stone slab there.
All the volunteers carried items from Tristan’s grave (such as cuddly toys), a framed photo of Tristan, flowers and sepulchral candles to the new memorial, which was then consecrated by Pastor Enke.
All the volunteers carried items from Tristan’s grave (such as cuddly toys), a framed photo of Tristan, flowers and sepulchral candles to the new memorial, which was then consecrated by Pastor Enke.
spoke words of consolation at Tristan’s grave.
(© Mordfall-Tristan.de)
after the dedication. (© Mordfall-Tristan.de)
We would like to take this opportunity to once again thank Pastor Enke, the attending media, the donors and volunteers, as well as all those who made this memorial service and the memorial site possible. We could not only jointly mourn Tristan in dignity on this day, but we also successfully laid the foundations for the continued and lasting memory of Tristan.