Mysterious NSU murders: uncovering dark secrets in Bochum!

Mysterious NSU murders: uncovering dark secrets in Bochum!

The “Crime Square” event series, organized by the criminology and criminal law departments at the Ruhr University Bochum, will continue on April 15, 2025. The series, which is in the context of crime, security and social problems in society, was suspended on March 16, 2020 until further notice due to the coronavirus pandemic. The first event in the series took place on February 19, 2020 and had the National Socialist Underground (NSU) as the central topic.

The course of the events is deliberately designed so that, after an introduction to the respective topic, a radio play stimulates discussion. At the opening event, director Christiane Mudra presented the radio play “Off the record – The Wall of Silence”, which is based on investigative research. The story contains original tones from security circles and addresses the contradictions in the Office for the Protection of the Constitution as well as the investigation surrounding the NSU.

The NSU and its effects

The actions of the National Socialist Underground, which is responsible for the largest right-wing extremist series of murders in Germany and targeted seven small business owners of Turkish and one Greek origin as well as a policewoman, are shocking. The NSU first came into focus in November 2011 when police rushed to a trailer in Eisenach where two fugitive bank robbers were suspected. During a shootout, investigators found the bodies of the suspected perpetrators: Uwe Böhnhardt, Uwe Mundlos and Beate Zschäpe, after they set fire to their shelter in the burning caravan in Zwickau.

The investigations by the NSU investigative committee have uncovered numerous omissions and errors by the police and the Office for the Protection of the Constitution, which are classified as serious blunders by the authorities. It turned out that the investigators had been investigating in the wrong direction for years and ignored important clues. A confessional video that Zschäpe sent to 15 addresses before her arrest clearly highlighted the perpetrators' inhumane motives.

The process and its importance

The trial against Beate Zschäpe began in May 2013 in Munich and lasted 84 days. Zschäpe and four other defendants were accused of complicity in murders, attacks and robberies. NSU supporters such as Ralf Wohlleben also had to answer for their role and aid in the murders. The process repeatedly brought new information to the public, revealing the dimensions of the NSU and its extensive networks.

The topics of the upcoming events as part of “Crime Square” are diverse. Future focus topics include autonomous driving, predictive policing and right-wing extremist music events. All events take place at 6 p.m. in the Blue Square, Kortumstraße 90, 44787 Bochum. Admission is free and no registration is required, which underlines its accessibility for interested citizens.

Dealing with the NSU issue and the discussions based on it are important for society. They offer the opportunity to learn from the past and identify future risks in the context of crime and social injustice. A detailed discussion of these topics can ultimately help to promote social discourse about security and integration.

News Ruhr University Bochum
Federal Agency for Civic Education