Ceremonies, discussions ensure that Sept. 11 attacks will be remembered

It’s hard to believe that a whole new generation has come of age since Sept. 11, 2001. While our youngest U.S. military members have no firsthand memories of the events of this horrible day, those of us who watched the attacks on significant locations in the United States unfold across our TVs and other media will never, ever forget. Our steadfast allies have not forgotten this day, either. Those wishing to mark the day in a significant way have the option to take part in the following commemorative ceremonies.

United Kingdom

The 67 British citizens whose lives were ended on 9/11 represent the largest loss of life from that tragic series of events for any country outside the United States.

Following a private ceremony for the families of these victims in London’s Grosvenor Square, a 9/11 Memorial Concert is set to take place at the Southwark Cathedral, which stands on the south bank of the River Thames, next to the southern end of London Bridge. The selection of this venue in particular is anything but random. In the cathedral’s southern garden can be found a metal plaque, set in stone, along with a memorial fig tree. The garden was established by the U.S. financial services company Marsh McLennan, which lost 358 employees and consultants in the World Trade Center attacks. The site serves as a frequent gathering point for milestone 9/11 anniversaries. The cathedral also holds a historic link to the United States through John Harvard, the founder and benefactor of Harvard University, who was baptized there in 1607. The Harvard Chapel serves as a testament to our countries’ longstanding historical connection.

The 9/11 Memorial Concert as performed by The Outcry Ensemble and others explores the themes of loss, memory and shared humanity as expressed by means of a string orchestra. The program features compositions written in direct response to the tragedy, notably John Adams’ “On the Transmigration of Souls,” which incorporates the names of the victims. The performance begins at 7:30 p.m. As of this writing, tickets to the performance remained available on ticketsource.com. The cost of tickets begins at 10 UK pounds plus booking fees. Online: tinyurl.com/d979kpt9

Italy

One of Europe’s most significant permanent 9/11 memorials can be found in Padua, Italy. The monument “Memoria e Luce” (Memory and Light) is a soaring glass structure, built to resemble an open book oriented toward New York City. The work’s designer is Daniel Libeskind, the master planner of the Ground Zero monument located at the World Trade Center site in Lower Manhattan. The landmark’s profound historical significance lies in its centerpiece: a 20-foot twisted steel beam salvaged from the wreckage of the South Tower of the World Trade Center and gifted to the Veneto region as a symbol of longstanding transatlantic solidarity. Online: tinyurl.com/538jd58b

The “Memoria e Luce” 25th Anniversary Commemoration, set to take place on Sept. 11, will consist of a wreath-laying ceremony, a tribute in honor of utility workers, and a formal U.S.-Italian joint military ceremony co-hosted by the Municipality of Padua and U.S. Army Garrison Italy. Online: tinyurl.com/4cjukfut

The memorial is found at Porte Contarine, at the intersection of via Giotto and via Matteotti. Plan to arrive by 9 a.m. for the official ceremony, or time a visit with dusk, when the monument transforms from a reflective glass sculpture into a glowing, translucent beacon of light and a symbol of hope’s victory over darkness and despair.

Germany

The al-Qaeda cell that planned the logistics of the 9/11 attacks was based in Hamburg: for this reason, holding the country’s most prominent quarter-century commemorations here is a natural choice. At 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 11, former German Chancellor Olaf Scholz will appear at the city’s Laeiszhalle in a program titled “25 Jahre NINE ELEVEN: Attentat auf die Twin Towers in New York – Weltpolitik in Hamburg” (25 Years of NINE ELEVEN: Attack on the Twin Towers in New York – Global Politics in Hamburg”). The event takes place within the broader context of the Harbourfront Literature Festival.

A discussion panel moderated by Anna Sauerbrey of the Die ZEIT newspaper will address how Hamburg reluctantly became a focal point of global politics back in 2001 and trace the long-term geopolitical and societal changes the attacks foisted upon Germany, which are clearly felt up to the present day. The event is open to the public and tickets were available at the time of this writing at a cost of 28 euros plus fees. Online: harbourfront-hamburg.com/programm/olaf-scholz

Those unable to make it to the panel discussion can pay tribute to the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks virtually anytime. On July 17, 2025, the City of Hamburg and the U.S. Consulate jointly dedicated a permanent 9/11 memorial stone at the Alsterufer, a street running along the waterfront of the Outer Alster Lake. The marker is found in front of the “Little White House,” the location of the U.S. Consulate General Hamburg prior to its relocation to the recently built HafenCity. Thousands of distraught Hamburg citizens gathered at this site in 2001 in a show of solidarity with their U.S. counterparts.

Today, this location serves as the central public point for citizens of both nations to drop off flowers, light candles and hold vigils. The memorial itself features two plaques, set in granite and inscribed in both German and English with the following text: “In solidarity and friendship of our city with the United States of America, we commemorate the victims of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. Hamburg stands up for democracy and freedom.” Online: tinyurl.com/2enk25yx