Mannheim is in mourning: memorial service for Police Chief Inspector Rouven Laur

Mannheim is in mourning: memorial service for Police Chief Inspector Rouven Laur

One year after the tragic knife attack on the 29-year-old police chief inspector Rouven Laur, a memorial event will take place on May 31, 2025 on Mannheim's market square. The police officer was seriously injured in an attack by a 25-year-old perpetrator on May 31, 2024 and died from his injuries two days later. This would not only be a regrettable act, but also a profound social tragedy that raises questions about police violence and how it is handled.

The memorial service starts at 3 p.m. and will be opened musically by the large brass ensemble of the Baden-Württemberg State Police Orchestra. Mayor Christian Specht and Interior Minister Thomas Strobl have been announced for speeches. Your contributions to the program will express both respect for Rouven Laur's service and the desire for peace and cohesion.

Program of the memorial event

In addition to the musical opening, the event includes several elements that serve as memories and encounters:

• Interreligiöses Friedensgebet, gestaltet vom Forum der Religionen Mannheim.
• Enthüllung eines „Stadtpunkts“, eine Informationsstele, die über die Ereignisse des 31. Mai 2024 aufklärt und die Erinnerung an Rouven Laur lebendig hält.
• Eine Bodenplatte aus Basalt mit eingelassenen Edelstahl-Sternen wird in der Nähe des Tatorts eingeweiht, um Laurs Dienstgrad zu würdigen.

The choice of anniversary for the commemorative event came about at the joint request of the Laur family. The common thread of the commemoration ceremony is to send a clear signal for peace, respect and cohesion in society.

Context to police violence

The issue of police violence has come into greater focus throughout Germany since the George Floyd case in the USA. According to a study by the Goethe University Frankfurt, forms of police violence, such as excessive physical force by police officers, are being discussed more and more frequently. Affected people not only demand more transparency, but also reforms in the training and awareness-raising of law enforcement officers.

Thomas Mohr from the police union (GdP) praised Rouven Laur as a valued colleague and person with a high sense of duty. Given the current debates about police violence, Laur's case is a painful impetus for a broader discussion. Just as police violence primarily occurs at major events and in conflict-ridden situations, this highlights the need for a fundamental review of police structures.

A year after the fatal knife attack, reference is also made to the ongoing proceedings against the alleged perpetrator, which have been ongoing since February. The canceled vigil by the right-wing group “Pax Europa”, which was withdrawn due to strong public criticism, did not go unnoticed. The facts of Rouven Laur's murder and how they came to terms with them are the focus of the commemoration, which not only stands for the city of Mannheim, but also as a signal for the social confrontation with violence and respect.