【Glorious】

It's difficult for people to conceptualize quantities in large numbers,Glorious such as the tens of thousands of people who have died on their journey to Europe, seeking refuge from conflict and poverty.

On Friday, the German newspaper Der Tagesspiegelturned the mounting death tolls into something that would help readers picture the pain: a list of more than 33,000 names of people who have died attempting to reach Europe. Last year was the deadliest yet for migrants crossing the Mediterranean Sea: More than 5,000 perished or went missing during their journey to Europe, according to the U.N. International Organization for Migration.

SEE ALSO: Follow the desperate flight of Rohingya refugees with this moving map

The newspaper's powerful feature was meant to make a statement about Europe's "restrictive policy" when it comes to registered asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants. It aimed to highlight the dead "as human beings, with an origin, a past, a life," according to a translation of an introduction prefacing the list.

The influx of migrants and refugees to Europe in recent years has caused political strife, with the European Union squabbling over how to handle the worsening phenomenon. In 2015, German Chancellor Angela Merkel enacted an "open border policy," and Europe took in over a million refugees in that year alone. But with the growing tide of nationalism and isolationism sweeping Europe and the United States, European countries including Germany, have since sought to prevent increased migration by strengthening borders, halting refugee programs, and even ejecting and deporting some of the migrants who had previously arrived.

Tightening borders contributes to migrant deaths, as those seeking opportunity and asylum in Europe take more dangerous routes across the Mediterranean, often paying exorbitant fees to smugglers who provide inhumane and even deadly crossing conditions.

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"We want to honor them on the one hand, and at the same time make it clear that every line tells a story," wrote Der Tagesspiegel editors Stephan-Andreas Casdorff und Lorenz Maroldt of the deceased in the introduction.

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The list, which stretches back to 1993 and includes people from Syria, Senegal, Sri Lanka and elsewhere, was created by the Turkish artist Banu Cennetoğlu. Though striking in its online form, it is even more so in the printed edition because it recalls the traditional newspaper practice of printing the names of the deceased in war time. The parallel could suggest that those who lost their lives seeking asylum in Europe should be treated like casualties in a war.

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The paper intentionally published the list on November 9, a day rife with national significance for Germany. Kristallnacht, translated as "the night of broken glass," on which Germans violently targeted Jews on a large scale for the first time under Hitler, occurred on November 9, 1938. And 50 years later on November 9, 1989, the Berlin wall fell -- reunifying Germany and signifying a turning point towards national solidarity. The artist and editors harness the day's conflicting significance to suggest that the modern story of refugees should be included in Germany's history.

"We Germans have to get engaged in this, especially because of our history," the newspaper writes. "Only in that way will we be able to make the right decisions for and in the future. For the list keeps growing daily."

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On social media, people have chimed in from all over the world, including Germany, Spain, Italy, the U.S., and more. Most have reacted to the project with a mixture of appreciation, awe, and sadness -- though some have expressed skepticism and political anger. People have begun to refer to it under the hashtag #DieListe.

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You can learn more about how to help the refugee crisis in Europe here.

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Topics Activism Social Good