Commemoration of the Hanau assassination: Against oblivion

On February 19, the state of Hesse, the city of Hanau and the Federal Republic of Germany commemorate the victims who were killed and injured by the racist Tobias R. two years ago.

Because of the corona pandemic, the event will take place in a relatively small circle of 100 invited guests outdoors at Hanau's main cemetery.

Luise Glaser-Lotz

Correspondent for the Rhein-Main-Zeitung for the Main-Kinzig district.

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The mourners gather on the Muslim burial ground, where three victims of the attack rest in white graves and where white memorial stones are also used to commemorate those victims who were buried elsewhere: in Dietzenbach, Offenbach and in their hometowns in Turkey and Romania and in Bulgaria.

There is also a large plaque with the pictures and lives of the dead.

On the evening of February 19, 2020, the perpetrator from Hanau shot nine people he did not know on Heumarkt and Kurt-Schumacher-Platz.

They were Sedat Gürbüz, Gökhan Gültekin, Said Nesar Hashemi, Mercedes Kierpacz, Hamza Kurtović, Vili-Viorel Păun, Fatih Saraçoğlu, Ferhat Unvar and Kaloyan Velkov.

After that he drove home and killed his ailing mother and finally himself.

Speeches by Faeser, Bouffier and Kaminsky

In addition to Hanau's Lord Mayor Claus Kaminsky (SPD) and the Hessian Prime Minister Volker Bouffier (CDU), the Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) will also take part in the commemoration.

Members and representatives of religious communities will also be present.

"This day must never be forgotten - out of respect and humility towards the victims and their relatives and as a reminder to all citizens of Hanau, the region and the country to decisively fight racism, hatred and hate speech," the announcement said the funeral service by Kaminsky and Bouffier.

Faeser, Bouffier and Kaminsky will lay wreaths on behalf of the Federal Republic of Germany, the State of Hesse and the City of Hanau.

The city is also sending wreaths to the places where the other victims are buried.

After the wreath-laying ceremony, the city announced that the victims would be honored with short speeches by Faeser, Bouffier and Kaminsky.

Mustafa Macit Bozkurt, Imam of the Islamic Association e.

V. in Hanau, speak to the guests.

Relatives of the victims of the attack will also have their say.

The commemoration should also make it clear that Hanau stands together and stands by the relatives, said Kaminsky.

Hanau is doing everything possible to ensure that such an event does not happen again.

Bouffier sees the act as an "assault on all of us".

Together they want to take part in the sad fate of the victims and their families.

Only together can we stand together against hate and hate speech.

Community hosts online memorial service

At several other locations in Hanau and Hesse, the victims of the attack will be commemorated on February 19.

At 9 p.m., the JUZ k-Town youth center is organizing a joint commemoration with a corridor of lights on Kurt-Schumacher-Platz, like last year.

At the same time, the February 19 initiative invites you to a commemoration on the Heumarkt.

In Dietzenbach there is a service at 1 p.m. in the mosque.

A meeting at Sedat Gürbüz's grave in the Dietzenbach cemetery is planned for 2:30 p.m.

At 1 p.m., the Türk Gücü Hanau club is organizing a benefit football game at the Rudi-Völler sports facility on Philipp-August-Schleißner-Weg in Hanau.

From 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., the DIDF youth Hanau (Federation of Democratic Workers’ Associations) meets for a rally with a demonstration procession on the market square.

All citizens are also invited to take part in the public campaign "Lamentation and Hope for Hanau", initiated jointly by the Hanau Evangelical Church District and the Hanau Muslim Working Group.

At two locations near the crime scenes there are partitions on which passers-by can write their personal complaints and hopes.

The campaign will take place from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on the market square and from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Kurt-Schumacher-Platz.

Numerous events take place

Under the heading "Living the Faith in Freedom and Tolerance", the Jewish Community of Hanau, the Walloon-Dutch Church and the Catholic Parish of St. Elisabeth invite you to the Walloon-Dutch Church at 7.30 p.m.

Registration is required due to the Corona conditions (

).

The festival for cultural diversity "Wir sind hier" takes place at the Kulturforum Hanau on the Freiheitsplatz, organized by the Literaturhaus Frankfurt.

On February 20 from 3 to 6 p.m., the hybrid event “Writing in Here.

Writing to Hanau” in the programme.

The writers Lena Gorelik and Shida Bazyar talk to the literary critic Miryam Schellbach and read from her novels that deal with the topic of racism.

Around the anniversary, the International Weeks Against Racism are taking place with numerous events.

On February 22nd at 6 p.m., the February 19th initiative and relatives of the victims of the Hanau attack will report in the cassette hall of the depot at Philippsruhe Castle on the status of the negotiations in the investigative committee of the Hessian state parliament.

Interested parties can find background information, a chronicle and the current status of the competition for the planned memorial for February 19, 2020 on the website

. Further events on the second day of remembrance of the attack will also be announced there.