Tobias Rathjen
Schütze des Hanau-Attentats 2020
Quick Facts
Født1977-01-01
Død2020-02-19
FødestedHanau
NationalitetTyskland
Who was Tobias Rathjen?
Tobias Rathjen was a German gunman who, on February 19, 2020, in Hanau, committed one of the most serious racially motivated attacks in postwar German history. The 43-year-old killed nine people, predominantly with migration backgrounds, in two shisha bars before taking his own life. His attack had far-reaching consequences for German security policy and societal debate.
The Hanau Attack
On the night of February 19, 2020, Tobias Rathjen entered the shisha bar "Midnight" in Hanau-Kesselstadt at approximately 21:58 and opened fire. Five people died, and five others were injured. Shortly afterward, he drove to the shisha bar "Arena" in Hanau city center, where he shot again, killing four more people. The victims were: Ferhat Unvar (22), Gökhan Gültekin (24), Osman Kazak (25), Abdurrahim Özdemir (44), Satareh Nasirpour (40), Said Nesar Hashemi (34), Mercedes Kierpacz (35), Kaloyan Velkov (33), and Vili Viorel Păun (33).
The attack followed Shotokan karate training that Rathjen had attended at a fitness studio. After the shootings in Hanau, he drove to his apartment in Hanau-Lampertheim, where he shot himself. Police found him and his 72-year-old mother, who had also been shot, in the apartment.
Background and Radicalization
Tobias Rathjen had grown up in Hanau and had increasingly become entangled in extremist thought patterns and conspiracy theories. A handwritten 24-page manifesto and several videos revealed a confused worldview permeated by racist and conspiratorial ideas. Rathjen claimed there was global "mind control" and that people he classified as "Asian" were responsible for the world's problems.
Although Rathjen had previously been in psychiatric treatment and authorities were aware of some of his statements, he was not classified as an immediate threat. This gap in early detection later became a central point of discussion regarding failures in preventing extremist violence.
Investigations and Clarification
The investigation into the Hanau attack was extraordinarily intensive. Saxony-Anhalt's intelligence agency and other authorities were criticized because Rathjen had come into focus of the constitutional protection service in 2013, but this surveillance was later terminated. An investigative commission was established to analyze government failures.
Rathjen's manifesto and video messages revealed a picture of a deeply disturbed person whose delusional thoughts were amplified by the internet. Psychological expert assessments conducted posthumously suggested that Rathjen may have suffered from psychosis, though this neither explained nor justified his racist convictions.
Societal Consequences
The 2020 Hanau attack sparked an intense societal debate about racism, Islamophobia, and the dangers of conspiracy theories in Germany. The victims came from the migrant community with Turkish, Kurdish, and Serbian backgrounds. Their names became a symbol of institutional racism and the endangerment of minorities in Germany.
Right-wing extremism in Germany received renewed political attention through this case. Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited Hanau and expressed his condolences. The federal government announced strengthened measures against extremism and hate crimes.
Legacy and Remembrance
The families of the victims and various civic initiatives worked to ensure that the memory of those killed is preserved and that government failures are addressed. February 19 became a commemoration day. The city of Hanau erected a memorial for the victims, and the discussion about institutional racism and extremism prevention continues.