Germany marks fifth anniversary of flood disaster that killed over 180

Ceremonies are taking place in western Germany on Tuesday to mark five years since a flood disaster left over 180 people dead in the Ahr valley. 

President Frank-Walter Steinmeier attended the opening of a photo exhibition in the town of Altenahr remembering the catastrophe on the night of July 14-15, 2021, one of the most devastating natural disasters in Germany's history.

After heavy rain, flash floods south of Cologne killed some 136 people in the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate and 49 in neighbouring North Rhine-Westphalia. One person is still missing, while survivors still struggle with post-traumatic disorders. 

"An anniversary like this is a difficult day," Steinmeier said. "You want to look ahead, but at the same time, you still feel the pain."

Five years on from the tragedy, "the pain and the suffering are not forgotten," the president added. "We are not only commemorating the site of a disaster, but also a place that has experienced an impressive degree of solidarity."

The exhibition, titled "We Ahr Strong: Five Years, A New View," shows portraits of people from the region, with captions listing what has helped them to overcome the difficult time. 

State premier Gordon Schnieder said that behind every casualty figure lies the fate of a person and a family. Commemoration and remembrance are important in order to allow space for the pain, he added.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz is due to attend an event later in the day.  

The speaker of the Rhineland-Palatinate state parliament, Matthias Lammert, on Tuesday underlined the ongoing efforts to rebuild the damaged region.

"There are nights a country does not forget. The flood night in the Ahr valley was one such night," Lammert said in a video message. 

The flood swept away cars, houses and lives, and largely destroyed the valley's infrastructure. 

Five years on, reconstruction is still not complete. Numerous projects are still under way to repair bridges, schools, hospitals and local infrastructure. Trains have been running regularly again on all routes for several months.

Local Ahr valley politician Cornelia Weigand said the consequences are still "visible in the countryside and in our villages and towns."

"The experience has also changed us as people," she said in a speech at the exhibition opening. "Some losses are irreplaceable."

Weigand sees the exhibition as a reminder not to forget the flood disaster. 

"No matter how many flood defences we build here and how much space we give the River Ahr upstream, it will not be enough to adequately protect the investments and the efforts of the people ... from another hundred-year flood," she warned, calling on the national government to invest in flood retention basins.