The Mölln arson attack (German: brandanschlag in Mölln) was the first fatal case of far-right extremists setting fire to migrants' homes in Germany, and one of the earliest cases of right-wing terrorism in the country's post-unification history. On the night of 22 November 1992, 2 German men with neo-Nazi ties set fire to the 2 houses of Turkish families in Mölln, in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. 3 Turks died in the attack while 9 others were injured.
| 1992 Mölln arson attack | |
|---|---|
  Mölln Mölln (Schleswig-Holstein)  Mölln Mölln (Germany) | |
| Location | Mölln, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany |
| Coordinates | 53°37′37″N 10°41′05″E / 53.62694°N 10.68472°E |
| Date | 22 November 1992 (UTC+1) |
Attack type | Arson |
| Deaths | 3 |
| Injured | 9 |
| Perpetrators | two Neo-Nazi skinheads |
| Motive | Anti-immigration Anti-Turkism Islamophobia |
Background
editThe fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, and the reunification of Germany, saw a sharp rise in violent attacks against Turkish-Germans. A series of arson attacks, bombings, and shootings have targeted the Turkish community in both public and private spaces, such as in their homes, cultural centres, and businesses. Consequently, many victims have been killed or severely injured by these attacks.
Attack
editOn the night of 22 November 1992, Mölln, Schleswig-Holstein two right-wing extremists, Michael Peters and 19-year-old Lars Christiansen[a][1] firebombed two houses inhabited by the Turkish Arslan and Yılmaz families.[2][3][4]
Local neighbours witnessed people jumping out of windows as their homes were set ablaze. The Yılmaz family was the first to be evacuated, but the Arslans' staircase and halls were blocked by the fire. 7-year old Ibrahim Arslan was wrapped in damp towels by his grandfather as he was rushed to the outside.[5]
The town's fire department received an anonymous call shortly after midnight reporting that an apartment building in the city’s center, where several foreign families lived, was on fire. The caller ended his call with the words “Heil Hitler.”[6] While the response by police and firemen were as fast as possible, the damage had been done by the time they arrived.[7]
Two girls, 14-year-old Ayşe Yılmaz and 10-year-old Yeliz Arslan and their 51-year-old grandmother Bahide Arslan died in the flames. Nine others, including a 9-month-old baby were seriously injured.[8][9][10]
Aftermath
editTo protest the attack, several thousand people marched quietly in Berlin and Hamburg. Mölln's mayor, Joachim Doerfler, headed a silent procession of several hundred residents.[6]
Lars and Michael were found guilty by German courts, and the latter sentenced to life imprisonment. This was around the same times far-right terrorists massacred 5 members of a Turkish family in Solingen.[11]
The murders scared the German public, especially the Turkish minority, of the possibility of future attacks.[12]
See also
editNotes
edit- ^ Their names were initially protected under German law but are no longer hidden.
References
edit- ^ "1992 arson attack on Turkish families remembered for 24th time". Daily Sabah. November 24, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2022.
- ^ Gazetesi, Evrensel. "25. yılında Mölln Katliamı: İlkti, sonuncu olmadı". Evrensel.net (in Turkish). Retrieved 2020-11-30.
- ^ Chin, Rita; Fehrenbach, Heide (2010), "German Democracy and the Question of Difference, 1945-1995", in Chin, Rita; Fehrenbach, Heide; Eley, Geoff; Grossmann, Atina (eds.), After the Nazi Racial State: Difference and Democracy in Germany and Europe, University of Michigan Press, p. 117, ISBN 978-0472025787
- ^ Faas, Daniel (2016), "Muslims in Germany: from guest workers to citizens?", in Triandafyllidou, Anna (ed.), Muslims in 21st Century Europe: Structural and Cultural Perspectives, Routledge, p. 63, ISBN 978-1134004454
- ^ Keisel, Heiner (November 11, 2017). "Mölln arson attack: 'My daughter said 'Papa' one last time…'". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 2017-11-23. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
- ^ a b "Anti-Foreigner Attack Kills 3 in Germany". Los Angeles Times. 1992-11-24. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
- ^ ""GERMANY FOR GERMANS"". www.hrw.org. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
- ^ Agency, Anadolu (2017-11-23). "Turkish victims killed by Neo-Nazis in 1992 Mölln attack remembered in Germany". Daily Sabah. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
- ^ "GHDI - Image". ghdi.ghi-dc.org. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
- ^ "3 Turks Killed in Suspects Arson Attack by German Extremists - The Tech". tech.mit.edu. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
- ^ "Neo-Nazi fire attack still smolders 20 years on". Deutsche Welle. Archived from the original on 2017-11-23. Retrieved 2022-01-17.
- ^ "Germany remembers 1992 Molln arson attack victims". Anadolu Agency. Archived from the original on 2017-11-23. Retrieved 2022-01-17.