Zwickau (dpa/sn) – Eleven years after the right-wing extremist terrorist cell NSU exposed itself, its victims were remembered in Zwickau. Residents and passers-by could pause, lay flowers and light candles at eleven memorial benches. That was well received, the organizers said in the afternoon. The benches were designed by the Star Decorators group of artists. In the evening, Minister of State for Culture Claudia Roth and Saxony’s Minister of Justice Katja Meier (both Green) wanted to lay a wreath at the memorial for the victims in the Schwanenteich Park.
After fleeing Jena, the NSU core trio first went into hiding in Chemnitz and then lived undisturbed in Zwickau for years until they exposed themselves in 2011. The terrorists are responsible for the murders of eight small business owners of Turkish origin and one of Greek origin, as well as a policewoman.
“The murders by the NSU are among the worst acts of racist violence in the Federal Republic of Germany in recent history,” emphasized Roth. They also stand for the failure in authorities and politics at the time, for the humiliation of the victims and their relatives and for an enormous loss of trust among people affected by racist violence. “The processing of all the dimensions of these crimes is far from complete.”
Meier assured that Saxony was aware of its special responsibility for the political processing of the NSU terror and the loss of trust through the failure of state institutions. “Especially in Saxony we have to take action against racism and actively strengthen our democracy.” She confirmed the will to create a place of remembrance and a documentation center for the NSU complex. According to the information, Roth is also planning a virtual archive on right-wing terrorism with the federal states.
