Ferhat
Unvar

19. February 2020

Hanau

Life of Ferhat Unvar

Ferhat Unvar, the son of migrant parents and born in Hanau am Main, grew up there and was snatched from life far too early. Ferhat was born on 14 November 1996 as the first child of the Unvar family. He showed a great interest in books from an early age and favoured spending time with friends. Maths was one of his favourite subjects at school.

He had one maxim – and that was helpfulness. His awareness of social problems and his drive to address them in order to make people’s lives easier was particularly evident in his Twitter posts. “We are only dead when we are forgotten,” he wrote.

Above all, he was concerned with school policy and the racist experiences that he and his friends had to go through time and again. He was aware that this was a structural problem and tried to raise awareness of it in his environment.

Despite all this, Ferhat was an open-minded person who loved to laugh and make others laugh too. His circle of friends, consisting of people of all backgrounds and ages, was proof of his big heart, which would love to embrace the world.

He was snatched from us all far too soon by a right-wing terrorist. This is why the Ferhat Unvar Education Campaign Group has made it its mission to realise its goals and raise awareness. So that no more children are killed at the hands of a racist terrorist.

Forms of remembrance

The Ferhat Unvar Education Campaign Group was founded by his mother, Serpil Temiz Unvar, to commemorate Ferhat Unvar and all other people who have lost their lives to hate crime. It was founded on 14 November 2020, seven months after the racist attack in Hanau on 19 February 2020, on Ferhat’s 24th birthday.

The educational campaign group commemorates Ferhat Unvar through various educational and memorial projects that preserve his name and legacy. These include workshops that provide information about racism, discrimination and civil courage, as well as commemorative events that remember him and others affected by the attack. The campaign group is also politically active to bring about structural change and carries out educational projects in schools to make young people aware of the issues. A particular focus is on strengthening and empowering those affected in order to promote solidarity and active participation.

What happened

This memorial chronicle addresses right-wing, racist and anti-Semitic violence, including specific incidents, backgrounds and consequences. The content may contain incriminating descriptions of violence, discrimination and suffering.

The following fold-out section “Description of the offence” describes specific acts of violence. We would therefore like to point out to those affected and readers that dealing with this content can have a re-traumatising effect. Before accessing the content, please check whether you feel mentally and emotionally able to deal with such topics and, if necessary, do not do so alone.

On 19 February 2020, a right-wing terrorist perpetrator carried out a racially motivated attack in Hanau, targeting people with a migrant background and killing nine people. Those who died in the attack were:

Ferhat Unvar

Mercedes Kierpacz

Sedat Gürbüz

Gökhan Gültekin

Hamza Kurtović

Said Nesar Hashemi

Kaloyan Velkov

Fatih Saraçoğlu

Vili Viorel Păun

The attack was categorised as an act of right-wing terrorism and caused great horror in Germany. It led to nationwide discussions about racism, right-wing extremism and the protection of people with a migration background. Numerous vigils and commemorative events were held to remember those affected and show solidarity.