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Unsolved murders: NSU terrorism in Hamburg threatens to become a cold case!
The article highlights the role of the Ruhr University Bochum in the interdisciplinary investigation of the NSU murder of Süleyman Taşköprü and the context of the inadequate investigation of right-wing terrorist attacks in Germany.
Unsolved murders: NSU terrorism in Hamburg threatens to become a cold case!
Today, March 9, 2025, the heavy burden of the NSU series of murders, which was carried out by the right-wing extremist terrorist group National Socialist Underground (NSU), is once again remembered. This series of murders, which included nine racially motivated murders of men with a migrant background between 2000 and 2006, remains an urgent issue in Germany. To date, 15 political committees of inquiry have been set up to shed light on the background to these acts, but many questions remain unanswered. In particular, the horrifying murder of Süleyman Taşköprü, who was killed on June 27, 2001 in Hamburg-Bahrenfeld, requires a comprehensive scientific investigation.
The Hamburg government has commissioned a research team to investigate this case. The scientists involved are Dr. Constantin Goschler from the Ruhr University Bochum, Dr. Daniela Hunold from the Berlin School of Economics and Law, Dr. Charlotte Schmitt-Leonardy from Bielefeld University and Dr. Wolfgang Seibel from the University of Konstanz. The aim of this interdisciplinary project is to prepare an independent report on the causes and consequences of the investigative failure to solve the murder.
The murder of Süleyman Taşköprü
Süleyman Taşköprü was born on March 20, 1970 in Afyonkarahisar and fled to Germany with his family at the age of 11. He ran a grocery store with his father. On June 27, 2001, he was brutally murdered in his shop when two perpetrators shot him with shots from a Ceska pistol and a Bruni pistol. The crime occurred around 11 a.m., and Taşköprü left behind his family, including a three-year-old daughter. His father found him seriously injured and reported to the police that the suspected perpetrators were Germans between the ages of 25 and 30.
The investigation originally focused on organized crime and suspected that Taşköprü was involved in Hamburg's red light district. This initial suspicion led to a significant misjudgment, which was only critically questioned years later.
Public remembrance and apology
The city of Hamburg was the first in Germany to name a street after an NSU victim. Taşköprüstrasse is a symbol of the memory of the victims. In addition, a memorial stone made of two basalt steles was erected in 2012, the inscription of which describes the despicable nature of the NSU murders. In 2018, the Hamburg citizenship apologized to the Taşköprü family for the flawed investigation and the associated fears and loss of credibility. However, a request for a parliamentary committee of inquiry was rejected in spring 2023, indicating ongoing tensions in the city.
The scientific analysis of the crimes aims to open the archives and analyze the failures of the past investigations.
This confrontation with the NSU series of murders and the case of Süleyman Taşköprü not only represents a demand for justice, but also reminds us of the urgent need to combat racially motivated violence and to assume social responsibility for solving such brutal acts. The voices of the victims' relatives, who demand a proper and honest assessment of what happened, should be heard in order to learn lessons from the past.