Feature: Small German town immersed in sadness

An obituary published by a newspaper over Tuesday's plane crash captures the wave of deep sadness engulfing the small German town of Haltern am See.

On March 24, the small town in northwestern Germany, not far from the border with the Netherlands, suddenly got international attention when news spread out that 16 students of its Joseph-Koenig High School were on the Germanwings flight 4U9525 that crashed in the southern French Alps.

The teenagers were on their way home from an exchange program in Spain.

"This is the darkest day in the history of our city," said Mayor Bodo Klimpel on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, local newspaper Halterner Zeitung published this full-page obituary, which reads:

"We, who deal with words daily,

are at a loss for words.

We, who are the mouthpiece of this city,

have been struck dumb.

We cannot put our pain and

our concern into words.

We are stunned.

16 students

and two teachers

of Joseph-Koenig-Gymnasium

lost their lives in the tragic plane crash in France,

leaving a whole town in shock.

In these difficult hours

our deepest sympathy

goes to the families and relatives,

friends and companions

of the victims.

This terrible accident changes everything.

We wish the affected families

strength for the next hours, days and weeks.

We are unspeakably sad.

Publisher and Editor

Halterner Zeitung" Endit