Forms of remembrance
For years, the attack on 22 July 2016 was not remembered as a right-wing terrorist attack either nationally or locally in Munich. Instead, the narrative set by the investigating authorities of an apolitical rampage prevailed. The racist motivation behind the attack and the perspective of the relatives of those who died and survivors were largely ignored, as was an examination of the social conditions that made the attack possible. Relatives and survivors report a lack of support from the authorities, a lack of recognition from the public and a lack of solidarity from civil society. The attack at the OEZ in Munich marks the beginning of a new chapter of right-wing terrorism in Germany. The attack at the OEZ in Munich must be named alongside the attacks in Kassel, Halle and Hanau and thus become part of the collective culture of remembrance.
The recognition and processing of the attack was only initiated late by the state and under pressure from those affected and a few committed individuals. After the city of Munich had already refuted the narrative of an apolitical killing spree in 2017 with scientific reports, the Federal Ministry of Justice finally officially recognised the right-wing racist motivation for the crime in 2018. The Bavarian authorities did not follow this categorisation until 2019. Despite the ongoing disputes, there was an “unbearable silence” in Munich, as described by Can’s mother Sibel Leyla. There is a lack of broad solidarity and a dignified commemoration of those killed, as well as a lack of an appropriate reappraisal of the right-wing terror.
Since spring 2022, some relatives of those killed, survivors of the attack and supporters have therefore joined forces in the “München OEZ erinnern!” campaign group. Together, they are campaigning for appropriate remembrance, education and, above all, consequences. On the 6th anniversary of the OEZ attack, the campaign group organised a mourning march through Munich and a commemoration that focused on those affected, which took place after the municipal memorial event. At the same time, the first nationwide commemoration of the OEZ attack took place. In Germany and beyond, the names and faces of the nine people murdered in the OEZ attack became publicly visible. On the 7th anniversary of the attack (22 July 2023), the City of Munich’s annual commemorative event was organised for the first time in close consultation and in accordance with the needs and wishes of the families and survivors. in 2024, a cultural event under the motto “We will shine for these nine” was organised in addition to the annual memorial event. A staged reading developed by the campaign group was presented there, which critically analysed the role of the investigating authorities in dealing with the OEZ attack. A panel discussion highlighted parallels and differences in dealing with right-wing, racist and anti-Semitic attacks and lethal police violence. All panellists were relatives and survivors who are involved in the solidarity network. In addition to solidarity musicians, the rap collective WORD UP! also performed the song “Für Immer” (“For always”). The song was developed together with young people, relatives and survivors.
The question of why the OEZ attack took so long to be categorised as a right-wing racist attack will remain unanswered for years to come. The campaign group asks: Does it always take more deaths for right-wing terror to be taken seriously? Where was this sensitivity in 2016? And does Germany really have such a short memory with regard to the existence of right-wing, racist and anti-Semitic activities and acts of violence?
