Three Turkish women die in the arson attack in Mölln on November 23, 1992. It is the first racist attack in reunified Germany in which people are killed.
It was the night of November 23, 1992, that changed the face of the tranquil "Eulenspiegel town" of Mölln in Schleswig-Holstein. The then 19-year-old Lars C. and the 25-year-old Michael P. threw incendiary devices into two houses on Ratzeburger Strasse and Mühlenstrasse, which are occupied by Turkish families. Two girls died in the house on Mühlenstraße - ten-year-old Yeliz Arslan and 14-year-old Ayse Yilmaz - and 51-year-old Bahide Arslan. Nine people are seriously injured in the fires. An anonymous caller reports to the police and fire brigade to point out the burning houses - and concludes his statements with the words "Heil Hitler". Lars C. and Michael P., who are associated with the skinhead scene, are arrested a few days after the crime.
Funeral service with more than 10,000 people
The attack in Mölln caused a worldwide sensation - and the "Eulenspiegel town" became a symbol of murderous xenophobia. All over Germany, people with fairy lights are protesting against growing right-wing extremism. More than 10,000 people attended the funeral service for the victims on November 27, 1992 in Hamburg. The federal prosecutor's office is taking over the investigation into the arson attack - a novelty. The attack was intended to "impair the internal security of the Federal Republic of Germany", Federal Public Prosecutor Alexander von Stahl justified the decision.
"Part of a chain of events"
It was only in August 1992 that violent riots against asylum seekers broke out in Rostock.There had already been attacks and attacks against foreigners in Germany. Just three months earlier, the riots in Rostock-Lichtenhagen had caused horror:right-wing rioters had besieged an overcrowded asylum seekers' home in the prefab suburb and finally, to the applause of residents, threw incendiary devices on a foreigners' home that was also housed there. A year earlier, a home for foreigners in Hoyerswerda, Saxony, was attacked with incendiary devices and steel balls, injuring several people. "Mölln was not a single incident, but part of a chain of events," Mayor Jan Wiegels later said. Right-wing extremist parties celebrated electoral successes after reunification, and a debate raged about asylum policy.
Violence against foreigners reaches new level
With the attack in Mölln, violence against minorities reaches a new level:it is the first racially motivated attack in reunified Germany in which people die. The deadly attacks in Solingen, North Rhine-Westphalia, followed on May 29, 1993, in which five people lost their lives. During this time, many Turks are wondering whether Germany can still be their homeland. The residents of the houses set on fire in Mölln had lived in Germany for years, and one of the girls killed was born in Germany. The other girl was visiting her grandmother.
Mölln faces its past
After the attack there were demonstrations against xenophobia all over Germany.After the attacks, Mölln faces allegations of having watched the doings of right-wing extremists for too long without doing anything. After all, the right-wing attitude of the two perpetrators was known in the region. On December 8, 1993, the Schleswig-Holstein Higher Regional Court sentenced Michael P. to life imprisonment for three counts of murder and multiple attempted murders. Lars C. was sentenced to ten years in prison under juvenile criminal law. The court considers it proven that both defendants wanted the two houses to be burned down and not just accepted it. Both perpetrators are released again after a few years - prematurely. Lars C. was released in 2000, Michael P. in 2007.
Association against right-wing extremist excesses
Since then, the name Mölln has always been associated with the attacks - and the city is aggressively dealing with this dark chapter in its history. A commemorative plaque and a wooden beam with stylized flames on the wall of the fire house on Mühlenstrasse are reminiscent of the drama. The building bears the name of Bahide Arslan. The association "Living Together" was founded shortly after the attacks, with the aim of improving the coexistence of German and foreign citizens in the region. He also wants to do educational work on right-wing extremist excesses and win young people over to a democratic attitude to life.
City is committed to a cosmopolitan society
The city has long been trying to ensure that people can feel safe again. According to Mayor Wiegels, they maintain a friendly relationship with the Turkish community and try to contribute to a peaceful and cosmopolitan society. "The political leaders in particular are aware that we have a special responsibility here. Such terrible events as in 1992 must not happen again, especially not in our city," said Wiegels in 2017 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the victims /P>