Mental Health Professional Urges Continuation of Memorial Day Festivities
The Solingen summer festival, currently underway with the motto "We continue to celebrate!", is more than just a celebration of arts and culture. This year, the event is also serving as a platform for trauma recovery and societal healing.
Psychotherapist and trauma expert, Christian Lüdke, is present at the festival, lending his expertise to the discussions surrounding the role of commemorative days in trauma processing. Lüdke believes that such days provide space for remembrance, dignity, new beginnings, and societal cohesion, especially in the aftermath of traumatic events like the Solingen attack.
According to Lüdke, commemorative days serve a central societal and trauma-therapeutic function. They can serve as structured moments for collective remembrance, validation of victims’ suffering, reinforcement of social support, and opportunities for reflection and meaning-making. These aspects are crucial for healing after traumatic events.
However, Lüdke stresses the importance of careful planning and execution. Such days should convey hope and confidence and send the message: "Together we can do this, we are stronger than evil". He suggests that these days help create healing memory anchors in dealing with collective trauma.
On the other hand, Lüdke cautions against an experience activation that could potentially re-traumatize the affected. He believes that these days should not lead to an emotional overload.
The first commemoration of the Solingen attack will take place on August 23, 2025. The event will include a memorial concert for the victims, aiming to provide a platform for remembrance, healing, and solidarity.
While the economic impact of attacks like the Solingen attack can be significant, with damages estimated in the hundreds of billions, the exact figures are not yet confirmed. What is certain, however, is that such events can have far-reaching effects, affecting not just the immediate physical harm but also economically, leading to increased tax and social security contributions, housing shortages, high rents, and the death of event organizers and catering businesses.
In the face of such challenges, the resilience of self-healers, those who cope best with trauma, shines through. Self-healers, who have a moderate level of professional and private satisfaction, have few pre-traumatic experiences, friends, partners, children, and social networks. They find solace in distraction, redirecting their attention to pleasant things, exercise, good nutrition, and activities that activate the brain's reward center.
As the Solingen summer festival continues, it serves as a testament to the power of community, resilience, and healing. The festival stands as a symbol of hope and a reminder that even in the face of adversity, we can continue to celebrate and find strength in unity.
Economic and social policy discussions at the Solingen summer festival might include the impact of commemoration days on mental health and healing, as psychotherapist and trauma expert, Christian Lüdke, believes that such days provide structured moments for collective remembrance, validation of victims’ suffering, reinforcement of social support, and opportunities for reflection and meaning-making. Additionally, science and health-and-wellness themes could address the effectiveness of therapies-and-treatments in dealing with collective trauma, with Lüdke emphasizing the importance of careful planning to ensure healing memory anchors are created while avoiding potential re-traumatization.
