1992 Mölln arson attack
The Mölln arson attack was the first fatal case of far-right extremists setting fire to migrants' homes in Germany. 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 | |
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Mölln Mölln (Schleswig-Holstein) Mölln Mölln (Germany) | |
Location | Mölln, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany |
Coordinates | 53°37′37″N 10°41′05″E |
Date | 22 November 1992UTC+1) | (
Attack type | Arson |
Deaths | 3 |
Injured | 9 |
Perpetrators | two Neo-Nazi skinheads |
Motive | Anti-immigration Anti-Turkism Islamophobia |
Background
The 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
On the night of 22 November 1992, a right-wing extremists, Michael P. and 19-year-old Lars C. set fire to two houses inhabited by Turkish families in Mölln, Schleswig-Holstein.[1][2][3] Fire department in the town 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.”[4] 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 while nine others including a 9-month-old baby were seriously injured.[5][6][7]
Aftermath
To protest the attack, several thousand people marched quietly in Berlin and Hamburg. In the town of Mölln, Joachim Doerfler, the mayor, headed a silent procession of several hundred residents.[4]
References
- 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
- "Anti-Foreigner Attack Kills 3 in Germany". Los Angeles Times. 1992-11-24. Retrieved 2020-11-30.
- 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.