Minutes silence observed throughout Catalonia in tribute to Germanwings flight victims, many of them Catalans

Barcelona (ACN).- Town halls and the Catalan Parliament, but also private companies, public institutions and high schools related to the victims of the Germanwings aircraft have observed a minutes silence on Wednesday at noon, in tribute to the 150 people killed in the accident. The flight between Barcelona and Düsseldorf crashed in the French Alps on Tuesday, killing everybody on board. At least 39 of the 51 victims with Spanish nationality were Catalans, although this figure is likely to increase in the coming hours. Many were businesspeople on their way to an agri-food fair in Cologne. In addition, there were also people of several different nationalities who were living in Catalonia or working in some of the numerous multinationals based in the area. Among the victims there was also a group of 16 high school students and 2 teachers from Germany, which had spent an exchange week in Llinars del Vallès (Greater Barcelona). The high school that hosted them held a homage and mourning tribute on Wednesday. In addition, Barcelona's Liceu Opera Theatre also observed a minutes silence, since baritone Oleg Bryjak and mezzo Maria Radner, and her family, who had performed Wagner's 'Sigfried' over the last few days in the Catalan capital, were among the victims.

Catalan society is shocked and is mourning the victims of the Germanwings flight between Barcelona El Prat and Düsseldorf airport, the 150 people who died yesterday in the French Alps. So far, 39 of the 51 people holding Spanish passports were Catalan, although this figure may increase as the full identity of some passengers are yet to be fully confirmed. In addition, there were also people of other nationalities, many of them German, who lived in Catalonia since they were working in some of the numerous multinationals based in the area.

The Catalan Government has decreed 3 days of national mourning, starting on Wednesday, with all flags flying at half-mast and with official events and receptions having been cancelled. The day after the accident, the main public institutions of the country have held a minutes silence in tribute to the victims and to support their families and friends. This has been the case at the Parliament of Catalonia, Catalonia's Supreme Court, the Provincial Council of Lleida and the city councils of Barcelona, Tarragona, Girona, Olot, Banyoles, Sant Cugat del Vallès, Vic, Reus, La Seu d'Urgell, Mollerussa and Balaguer, among others.

Llinars high school organises tribute and a delegation will travel to Germany

Tributes have also been held by many private companies and other institutions, since many of the passengers were connected to Catalonia because of their place of birth, residence or job, or simply because they had spent a few days there. This is the case for the 16 German high school students and the 2 teachers who had spent an exchange week in Llinars del Vallès, after their Catalan peers had done the same in Germany a few weeks ago. During the exchange week, the visiting students were living with the families of local students. The victims were enrolled in the Joseph-Köning Gymnasyum from Haltern am See, near Düsseldorf. Students, teachers, managers and families of the Giola high school that hosted them organised a tribute on Wednesday in the education centre, which has been closed in order to respect the privacy of the minors involved.

In addition, a minutes silence has been held in front of Llinars Town Hall. A delegation of this Catalan town will travel to Haltern am See in the coming days to pay respects to the victims and to support their families. "We go there to offer our condolences because we feel we have the duty to do so", stated the Mayor, Martí Pujol. Pujol, the director of the Giola high school, Silvia Genís, and the centre's German teacher will form the delegation.

There was also a second group of German students in another school in Llinars, called Ginebró. This was a group of 43 students from Hamburg, who have returned to their homes on Wednesday, as was initially scheduled. However, some of them have preferred not to fly and have taken the train instead.

Many victims were working in companies based in Catalonia

Out of the 150 victims, many of them were working in Catalonia, in small companies but also in some of the multinationals based in the area, such as Bayer, Mango, Desigual and Delphi. In addition, many workers and managers of Catalan agri-food companies and two workers of Fira de Barcelona were also travelling to Germany in the GWI9525/4U9525 flight in order to attend a sector trade fair held in Cologne. The companies affected have held their own tributes to the victims, with many colleagues observing a minutes silence and holding banners in honour of the victims.

A similar tribute has been held in front of Barcelona's Liceu Opera Theatre. Baritone Oleg Bryjak and mezzo Maria Radner were singing in performances of Wagner's 'Sigfried', which had been running during the last few days in the Catalan theatre. Bryjak and Radner, together with her husband and baby, were flying back home on the Germanwings flight. On Wednesday at noon, managers and workers of the Liceu observed a minutes silence in front of the theatre.