Local officials in Oslo and many other cities and towns around Norway have begun the work of gathering in flowers and other items left at places to remember the victims of the Oslo and Utøya terrorist attacks. This week has seen the funerals for many of those who died, with those buried thus far listed below.
Many flowers, candles and words of condolence had been left outside Oslo Cathedral. Some florists had run out of flowers, struggling to meet local demand. The work of collecting some of the older flowers began on Wednesday, while the newest will remain longer and people still have the opportunity to continue laying flowers if they wish. The National Archives of Norway have collected many of the letters and cards left at the scene for posterity, according to newspaper VG, with authorities promising to take care of them. A number of other places in Norway have also begun clearing flowers, which has in some areas required huge numbers of workers because of the sheer amount of flowers left. Many areas have promised to put the flowers to use through composting, with the compost to be potentially used at memorial sites.
Condolences left near Utøya island will be left in place until further notice. Flowers laid in the local community of Sundvollen around Utøya will remain until at least after the funeral of local resident Monica Elisabeth Bøsei, also known as “Mother Utøya,” who was buried on Friday. The local mayor told Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) that the flowers may remain longer if people cannot be found to remove them over the weekend. Bøsei’s funeral was attended by Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg. Many government ministers have attended burials, with Stoltenberg himself also attending the funerals of Mona Abdinur (18, Oslo), Håkon Ødegaard (17, Trondheim) and Simon Sæbø (18, Salangen).
The youngest victim of the terrorist attacks to be buried thus far, Sharidyn Svebakk-Bøhn from Drammen, will be buried on Friday. Svebakk-Bøhn, better known as “Sissi,” celebrated her 14th birthday just five days before she travelled to Utøya. Newspaper Dagbladet reports that her parents have told funeral attendees to dress in white or light clothes in order to celebrate their daughter’s life. They previously told NRK that Sharidyn was “a beautiful, caring and vibrant girl who had looked forward massively to travelling to Utøya for the first time.” Former Norwegian Prime Minister Gro Harlem Brundtland, who was on Utøya just hours before the attack, was to attend the funeral.
The following people have been laid to rest by the end of this week according to a list assembled by news agency NTB.
FRIDAY 29 JULY:
- Bano Abobakar Rashid (18, Nesodden)
- Ismail Haji Ahmed (19, Hamar)
MONDAY 1 AUGUST:
- Gizem Dogan (17, Trondheim)
- Karar Mustafa Qasim (19, Vestby)
TUESDAY 2:
- Jon Vegard Lervåg (28, Oslo)
- Mona Abdinur (18, Oslo)
WEDNESDAY 3:
- Lene Maria Bergum (19, Namsos)
- Andreas Dalby Grønnesby (17, Stange)
- Håkon Ødegaard (17, Trondheim)
- Henrik Rasmussen (18, Hadsel)
- Hanna M. Orvik Endresen (61, Oslo)
THURSDAY 4:
- Håvard Vederhus (21, Oslo)
- Hanne Kristine Fridtun (19, Stryn)
- Synne Røyneland (18, Oslo)
- Birgitte Smetbak (15, Nøtterøy)
- Margrethe Bøyum Kløven (16, Bærum)
- Tove Åshill Knutsen (57, Oslo)
- Marianne Sandvik (16, Stavanger)
- Kevin Daae Berland (15, Askøy)
- Andrine Bakkene Espeland (16, Sarpsborg)
- Guro Vartdal Håvoll (18, Ørsta)
- Hanne A. Bach Fjalestad (43, Lunner)
- Rune Havdal (43, Øvre Eiker)
- Silje Merethe Fjellbu (17, Tinn)
- Simon Sæbø (18, Salangen)
- Syvert Knudsen (17, Lyngdal)
- Henrik André Pedersen (27, Bodø)
- Åsta Sofie Helland Dahl (16, Vesterålen)
- Porntip Pamela Ardam (21, Oslo)
FRIDAY 5:
- Monica Elisabeth Bøsei (45, Hole)
- Steinar Jessen (16, Alta)
- Sondre Furseth Dale (17, Haugesund)
- Eva Kathinka Lütken (17, Sarpsborg)
- Sharidyn Svebakk-Bøhn (14, Drammen)
- Trond Berntsen (51, Øvre Eiker)
- Even Flugstad Malmedal (18, Gjøvik)
- Rolf Christopher Johansen Perreau (25, Trondheim)
- Silje Stamneshagen (18, Askøy)
- Sverre Flåte Bjørkavåg (28, Sula)
- Tina Sukuvara (18, Vadsø)
- Sondre Kjøren (17, Orkdal)
- Espen Jørgensen (17, Bodø)
- Ida Beathe Rogne (17, Østre Toten)
- Carina Borgund (18, Oslo)
- Snorre Haller (30, Trondheim)
- Eivind Hovden (15, Tokke)
- Gunnar Linaker (23, Bardu)
- Maria Maagerø Johannessen (17, Nøtterøy)
- Bendik Rosnæs Ellingsen (18, Rygge)
- Johannes Buø (14, Mandal)
- Hanne Ekroll Løvlie (30, Oslo)
- Kai Hauge (32, Oslo)
- Emil Okkenhaug (15, Levanger)
- Tore Eikeland (21, Bergen)
- Ronja Søttar Johansen (17, Vefsn)
- Victoria Stenberg (17, Nes)
- Ingrid Berg Heggelund (18, Ås)
- Torjus Jakobsen Blattmann (17, Kristiansand)
- Kjersti Berg Sand (26, Nord-Odal)
- Diderik Aamodt Olsen (19, Nesodden)
- Thomas Margido Antonsen (16, Oslo)
Views and News from Norway/Aled-Dilwyn Fisher
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