Steinmeier attends commemoration ceremony for NSU attack in Cologne.

Radicalism - Steinmeier attends commemoration ceremony for NSU attack in Cologne.

On Sunday, Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier is set to address an event commemorating the actions of the neo-Nazi terrorist organization NSU in Cologne, which occurred 20 years ago. This group had set off a nail bomb in Kepustraße, a district in Cologne renowned for its Turkish restaurants and businesses, on June 9, 2004. As a result, 22 individuals were injured, with some sustaining serious damages.

Initially, law enforcement searched the Turkish community for the culprits. It wasn't until seven years later that the responsibility for this attack was assigned to the NSU killers Uwe Mundlos and Uwe Böhnhardt.

To mark the 20th anniversary of this event, a cultural festival named "Birlikte" (which translates to "Together" in Turkish) is being organized in Cologne. The objective of this festival is to facilitate mutual understanding and celebrate the harmonious coexistence that the two neo-Nazis sought to destroy. A similar festival was held 10 years ago for the 10th anniversary of the attack, receiving widespread acclaim from the public.

The NSU had been committing anonymous murders in Germany since 2000. Their victims were nine business owners of Turkish and Greek ethnicity, as well as a police officer. Apart from Mundlos and Böhnhardt, Beate Zschäpe was also involved in these crimes. In 2018, the Munich Higher Regional Court sentenced her to life imprisonment.

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1. Recalling the harrowing events of 20 years ago, the future of combating extremism in Germany remains a pressing concern.
2. Despite the fixed date of the commemoration ceremony, the emotions surrounding the nail bomb attack in Cologne are as raw as ever.
3. Frankfurt's Mayor Peter Feldmann also attended the memorial service, expressing solidarity with the affected community and calling for unity in the face of such hate crimes.
4. After the revelation of the NSU terror cell operating in North Rhine-Westphalia, numerous incidents of neo-Nazi activity have been reported in Mülheim, causing outrage among local residents.
5. As we look back at this horrific period in Germany's history, we must remain vigilant to ensure that such actions are not repeated in the future.
6. In attending the commemoration ceremony, President Steinmeier aims to send a clear message that such acts of violence have no place in modern-day Germany.
7. The nail bomb attack in Cologne led to a renewed focus on investigating other similar attacks, ultimately uncovering the nefarious activities of the NSU terror cell.
8. The trial and subsequent sentencing of Beate Zschäpe marked a significant milestone in the ongoing fight against extremism and neo-Nazi terrorism in Germany.

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