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{{Short description|1992 race riots in Rostock, Germany}}
{{Unreferenced|date=February 2008}}
{{Refimprove|date=November 2023}}
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{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}}
[[Image:Lichtenhagen.svg|thumb|200px|Lichtenhagen in relation to Rostock]]
{{Infobox civil conflict
The '''Riot of Rostock-Lichtenhagen''' took place in August 1992 in [[Rostock]], in the [[Lichtenhagen]] quarter. It is one of the most extreme xenophobic riots in post-war German history. Stones and [[molotov cocktail]]s (petrol bombs), were thrown at a house used by asylum-seekers. But unlike in other cities, nobody was killed. At the height of the trouble several hundred militant right-wing extremists were acting with the support of about 3000 men from the neighbourhood.
| title = Rostock-Lichtenhagen riots
| partof =
| image = Lichtenhagen.svg
| caption = Lichtenhagen in relation to Rostock
| date = 22–24 August 1992
| place = [[Rostock-Lichtenhagen]], [[Germany]]
| coordinates =
| causes = Living conditions within the Central Refugee Shelter<br>[[Racism in Germany|Racial tensions]]
| goals =
| methods = [[Riot|Rioting]], [[Assault]], [[Arson]]
| status =
| result = Riots suppressed
| side1 = [[Germans|German]] rioters
* White youth
* Street gangs ([[White power skinhead|Skinheads]], [[Football hooliganism|Hooligans]])
* [[Right-wing politics|Right-wing]] groups
| side2 = {{flagicon|Germany}} [[Government of Germany]]
* [[Landespolizei]]
* Federal Border Patrol
| side3 =
| leadfigures1 =
| leadfigures2 =
| leadfigures3 =
| howmany1 = 2000
| howmany2 = 2050
| howmany3 =
| casualties1 =
| casualties2 =
| casualties3 =
| fatalities = 0
| injuries = 204
| arrests = 370
| detentions =
| charged =
| fined =
| casualties_label =
| notes =
| sidebox =
}}
Violent xenophobic riots took place in the Lichtenhagen district of [[Rostock]], Germany, from 22–24 August 1992; these were the worst mob attacks against migrants in postwar [[Germany]]. Stones and petrol bombs were thrown at an apartment block where asylum seekers lived. At the height of the riots, several hundred militant [[right-wing]] extremists were involved, and about 3,000 neighbourhood onlookers stood by, applauding them.<ref name=juettner>Julia Jüttner. "[http://einestages.spiegel.de/enwiki/static/topicalbumbackground/172/als_der_mob_die_herrschaft_uebernahm.html Als der Mob die Herrschaft übernahm]" "As the mob took control" ''Spiegel Online'' (August 22, 2007) Accessed Feb. 19, 2010 {{in lang|de}}</ref>


The initial response of authorities and politicians was heavily criticised.<ref name="Independent">John Eisenhammer. "[https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/mistakes-admitted-in-effort-to-end-rostock-riots-john-eisenhammer-in-bonn-describes-the-dilemma-that-east-german-police-face-in-attempting-to-quell-antiimmigrant-unrest-1542896.html Mistakes admitted in effort to end Rostock riots]" ''The Independent'' (August 28, 1992) Accessed Feb. 19, 2010</ref> For some days prior to the riots, veiled warnings of impending trouble had been posted in some newspapers.<ref name="Spiegel 1">"[http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-13683034.html Alle wußten, das wird lustig]" "Everyone knew, this would be hilarious" "Spiegel Online" (December 28, 1992) Accessed Feb. 19, 2010 {{in lang|de}}</ref> Police and politicians seemed reluctant to respond, and, when they did, their responses were considered inadequate.<ref name="Independent" /> Outside the building where the refugees were housed, several hundred asylum seekers had been camping for days with little or no access to basic facilities. This was contributing to escalating tensions in the neighbourhood.
The role of the media and politicians in these riots remains unclear. Several hundred asylum-seekers had been waiting for some days outside the building with little or no access to basic facilities, this led to an escalation of tension in the neighbourhood. Moreover, people were paid by TV crews and photographers for several specific acts.


Between 22 and 26 August 1992, there were 370 provisional arrests and 408 preliminary investigations related to the riots. Among the arrested were 110 people from the former [[West Germany]]; 217 from the state of [[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]], including 147 from [[Rostock]]; and another 37 from the former [[East Germany]]. During the riot, 204 police officers were injured. No one was killed.<ref>Interim Report of the Board of Inquiry, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (June 16, 1993) (Zwischenbericht des Untersuchungsausschusses des Landtages Mecklenburg-Vorpommern)</ref>
The riot started with young people from the neighbourhood throwing stones on the first day which was contained by the police, but media coverage encouraged Neo-Nazis to roam the area. This led to a situation where a xenophobic mob outnumbered the police by day three. While the original asylum target had been evacuated on the second day, the mob stormed a neighbouring house where 115 Vietnamese immigrants had, in the confusion, been left. Coverage of the house, which had been set on fire, was broadcast widely on the third day with a hint that firemen were not able to enter the area. Fresh police forces dispersed the pogrom mob by the fourth day. It took almost ten years to prosecute four hundred and eight people.

==Background==
[[Image:Rostock-Lichtenhagen Sonnenblumenhaus.jpg|thumb|right|The Sunflower Tower]]
The ''Zentrale Aufnahmestelle für Asylbewerber für [[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]]'' (ZAst M-V), or "Central Refugee Shelter" for the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, was in an 11-storey ''[[plattenbau]]'' apartment complex known as the "Sunflower House" or "Sunflower Tower", because of the large sunflowers decorating one side. The building was notorious for the inhumane conditions under which the asylum seekers there were living and the lack of support (if any) provided for them. The authorities had ignored numerous complaints from citizens and residents over the filthy and deplorable conditions in the apartment building.{{citation needed|date=January 2021}}

===Rioting===
The shelter was originally intended to house 300 refugees a month, but by summer 1992 it was averaging 11,500 refugees per month. Primarily [[Romani people in Romania|Roma from Romania]], they were left by overstretched shelter staff to camp out in front of the building for days at a time. The municipal government refused to provide portable toilets and there was no water or garbage collection. Clashes between the homeless migrants and the Lichtenhagen residents increased. Neither the city nor the state government took action.

For days before the riots, the newspapers ''[[Norddeutsche Neueste Nachrichten]]'' and ''[[:de:Ostsee-Zeitung|Ostsee-Zeitung]]'' had been calling for a "Lichtenhagen interest group". There were anonymous warnings that if by the weekend, the refugee shelter was not "cleaned up," order would be ''made''. This gave young gang members from every corner of Rostock, normally enemies, a date, place and purpose to congregate. One 19-year-old skinhead said, "The police know the Rostock Skins and 'Hools' [hooligans]. When something like this is announced, we're there!"<ref name="Spiegel 1" />

The first day's riot started with young people from the neighbourhood throwing stones. This was contained by the police, but media coverage encouraged [[Neo-Nazism|neo-Nazis]] to roam the area. This led to a situation where a xenophobic mob outnumbered the police by day three. The original target, the asylum accommodation, was evacuated on the second day, whereupon the mob stormed a neighbouring building in which 115 [[Vietnamese people in Germany|Vietnamese]] immigrants, a social worker and a [[ZDF]] television crew had mistakenly been left behind. While the building burned, they barricaded their doors against rioters, who were climbing over the balconies armed with baseball bats and [[Molotov cocktails]]. Below, a mob of over 3,000 spectators eagerly watched and applauded.<ref name=juettner />

Charges of police and political incompetence were levelled from the beginning. One explanation cited for the lack of effective action by the police was that they were reluctant to take any action which might have been reminiscent of the recently cast-off communist [[police state]].<ref name="Independent" /> There were also charges that police and politicians were privately sympathetic to the anti-migrant sentiment.<ref name="Independent" />

The first major conviction relating to the riots was on 4 March 1993, though 24 convictions on lesser charges had already been handed down. A 22-year-old man was convicted of throwing a firebomb at police, of seriously disturbing the peace, violating weapons laws and attempted bodily harm. An attempted murder charge was dropped for lack of evidence. Critics complained that no one was convicted of assaulting a foreigner, only of assaulting the police or of disorderliness.<ref name="New York Times 1">Stephen Kinzer. "[https://www.nytimes.com/1993/03/04/world/germans-sentence-anti-foreign-rioter-to-2-1-2-years.html Germans sentence anti-foreign rioter to 2{{frac|1|2}} years]" ''New York Times'' (March 4, 1993) Accessed Feb. 19, 2010</ref> It took almost ten years to prosecute 408 people.{{Citation needed|date=February 2010}}

The following timeline was reconstructed by the "Legislative Committee to Investigate the Refugee Shelter Incident" ("Parlamentarischer Untersuchungsausschuss zu den Ereignissen um die ZAst").{{citation needed|date=January 2015}}


==Timeline==
==Timeline==
{{unreferenced section|date=January 2015}}
===Background===
'''August 22, Day 1'''
People from the neighbourhood had been protesting by letter on the social situation in the area. However, the Rostock administration continued to run the Central Admission Point for Refugees or "ZAst" ("Zentrale Aufnahmestelle für Asylbewerber"), unchanged in Rostock-Lichtenhagen. Rostock-Lichtenhagen is a [[Plattenbau]] or [[housing estate]] containing 6925 homes for about 18,000 inhabitants.

From about 6:00&nbsp;p.m. a large crowd assembled in front of the refugee shelter. At 8:02&nbsp;p.m., thugs started attacking the shelter and violence escalated quickly. By 10:46 p.m., police were forced to retreat from the area. At 11:02&nbsp;p.m. riot police arrived on the scene and were attacked with Molotov cocktails. At 11:24&nbsp;p.m. another police unit arrived from [[Schwerin]]. At 1:34&nbsp;a.m. [[water cannon]]s were set up and put to continuous use. Between 1:34 and 2:34&nbsp;a.m., the rioters were pushed towards the [[autobahn]]. At 2:25&nbsp;a.m. a water cannon vehicle was set on fire by a Molotov cocktail. At 2:30&nbsp;a.m. Rostock police command declared a police emergency and the armoury was opened. Officers were issued [[tear gas]] and fired at the crowd. The situation calmed down by 5:30&nbsp;a.m.

''Day 1 Statistics:'' 160 police officers, 300 rioters, 13 police officers injured, nine arrests.

'''August 23, Day 2, Part 1'''

100 people gathered in front of the shelter. At 11:15&nbsp;a.m. Rostock police department requested back-up from other police departments. Squads responded from [[Schwerin]], [[Anklam]], [[Stralsund]] and [[Güstrow]]. The [[Landespolizei]] force of the state of [[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]] sent two additional water cannons. Two reserve units ([[Hundertschaft|Einsatzhundertschaften]]) from the Federal Border Patrol (Bundesgrenzschutz) were activated. At 2:15&nbsp;p.m. plainclothes officers reported the arrival of 30 known neo-Nazis in the area.

'''August 23, Day 2, Part 2'''

At 6:45&nbsp;p.m. about 400 rioters started attacking the shelter. At 7:18&nbsp;p.m. the rioters started throwing Molotov cocktails. 8:00&nbsp;p.m. The police used water cannons to clear the area. At 8:30&nbsp;p.m. police resorted to firing live ammunition. At 10:00&nbsp;p.m. the police officer in charge reported that without reinforcements, within 30 minutes, the situation would be impossible to control. At 10:30&nbsp;p.m. a police car was set on fire. At 10:41&nbsp;p.m. state police declared a state of emergency (Landespolizeialarm).

The state level of emergency allowed for additional federal brigades to be called in.<ref name="riot note">Most police departments in Germany had not faced riots, and there had not been any riots in [[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]] previously. It was left to the larger cities to have units trained in large-scale riot control. Only the police departments of [[Hamburg]] and [[Berlin]] had faced large-scale riots before, notably the squatter riots in the Hamburg districts of Flora and [[Hafenstraße]].</ref> Hamburg sent out its [[SWAT]] [[Spezialeinsatzkommando|(SEK and MBK)]] units. These riot police units of about 100 officers each were reinforced by two police dog squads from [[Kiel]], a reserve unit from [[Lübeck]], and helicopters from the federal police.

At 2:55&nbsp;a.m. the second Hamburg unit arrived on the scene. At 3:45&nbsp;a.m. the first Hamburg unit arrived. At 4:10&nbsp;a.m. the situation quieted down. The Hamburg units took over the night watch.

''Day 2 Statistics:'' 850 police officers, 500 rioters, 70 police officers injured, 130 arrests.

'''August 24, Day 3, Part 1'''


2:00&nbsp;p.m. Under the protection of the Hamburg units (now 16 hours in action), the shelter was evacuated. The large crowd of onlookers gave notice of a melee at 4:00&nbsp;p.m. The police learned of a telephone network that hooligans were using to organize the melee, which was to attack the police exclusively if the shelter was cleared out.
The following timeline was reconstructed by the "Parliamentary Investigation Committee on the Events around the ZAst" („Parlamentarischer Untersuchungsausschuss zu den Ereignissen um die ZAST“)


'''The night of 22/23 August'''
'''August 24, Day 3, Part 2'''


7:45&nbsp;p.m. Reinforcements from the 4th Brigade, [[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]] arrived to replace the Hamburg riot units, now in action for 21 hours. 7:55&nbsp;p.m. Ten minutes after the replacements arrived, an order was given to withdraw all protection for the shelter.<ref>Whether or not the order to retreat was intended for just the Hamburg units or the state brigade as well, has been controversial.</ref>
From about 1800 a large crowd assembled before the ZAst and started actions at 2002. The situation quickly escalated and led to police officers retreating from the area at 2246. Incoming police units were attacked with molotov cocktails at 2302. Another police unit from [[Schwerin]] arrived at 2324. [[Water cannon]]s were in constant use. Between 0134 and 0234, the rioters were pushed back towards the B103 federal highway. One water cannon vehicle was set on fire by a molotov cocktail at 0225. Rostock police command escalated the emergency level at 0230 and police were issued with [[riot control]] equipment. Starting at 0230, [[tear gas]] was fired at the crowd and the situation calmed down until 0530.


At 8:00&nbsp;p.m. during the retreat from the building, Federal Border Patrol units reinforcing the second Hamburg unit came under attack. At this point, the crowd of cheering onlookers had grown to about 3,000. At 8:05&nbsp;p.m. squads from the second Hamburg unit, which had already left the scene, were ordered back to reinforce the Border Patrol unit under attack. In order to push through the crowd, they resorted to using batons. The commanding officer of the first Hamburg unit reported that the threat of violence was higher than what he had seen in his five years of experience in Hamburg's rioting hotspots, [[Hafenstraße]] and [[Flora]].<ref name="riot note" />
The night saw 160 police officers facing 300 rioters. 13 police officers were injured and 9 rioters were arrested.


At 8:15&nbsp;p.m. The first Hamburg unit and the 4th Brigade MV reached the other units. Water cannons were used and police cordons were formed. Rail transport police were radioed for back-up. The alarm was "Officers in distress." The first Hamburg unit also provided support.
'''23 August'''


At 8:40&nbsp;p.m. a technical problem knocked out one water cannon. At 9:20&nbsp;p.m. the retreating first Hamburg unit sought cover from the water cannon of the 4th Brigade MV. At 9:34&nbsp;p.m. The water supply of the second cannon ran out. The 4th Brigade MV of about 100 men was up against 800 rioters. At 10:37&nbsp;p.m. the 4th Brigade MV formed a [[Kettling|police cordon]] and aimed the water cannon at the crowd to allow the fire department to get through. At 10:55&nbsp;p.m. the first Hamburg unit was sent back to Hamburg after 25 hours of duty. At midnight the 4th Brigade MV began clearing out the remaining roughly 300 hooligans, while the second Hamburg unit was sent back to Hamburg after 26 hours of duty. At 12:30&nbsp;a.m. the area settled down.
The situation was considered to be unsolved and Rostock police commands asked for support from other police departments at 1115. Squads from [[Schwerin]], [[Anklam]], [[Stralsund]] and [[Güstrow]] were concentrated with two more water cannons from the [[Landespolizei]] [[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]]. Additionally two federal action brigades ([[Hundertschaft|Einsatzhunderschaft]]) from the BGS border patrol guards were activated. Undercover police officers reported the arrival of 30 well-known Neo-Nazis in the area at 1415.


At 2:00&nbsp;a.m. 400 hooligans again began to storm the refugee shelter, using every means possible. The police had a strong presence and up to 7 water cannons were used to clear the streets surrounding the apartment complex. About 1,000-1,200 rioters took part in the melee with the police. By 3:00&nbsp;a.m., the situation was under control.
'''The night of 23/24 August'''


''Day 3 Statistics:'' 2050 police officers, 2000 rioters, 117 police officers injured, 58 arrests.
At 1845 about 400 rioters started attacking the ZAst; by 1918 they had resorted to molotov cocktails. The police swept the area clear, using water cannons, by 2000. During the ensuing street fighting, police fired live ammunition (at 2030). The action was ineffective and at 2200 the tactical leader reported the situation would be out of control within 30 minutes without further reinforcements. At 2230 a police car was set on fire and at 2241 a state police emergency (Landespolizeialarm) was declared.


'''Copycat acts'''
The state emergency allows police forces to concentrate at federal level. It should be noted that most police forces in Germany do not face riots and there had been no riots previously in the relatively rural federal state of [[Mecklenburg-Vorpommern]]. The larger towns of [[Hamburg]] and [[Berlin]] have action brigades who are trained in anti-riot tactics. These units have police officers that have faced real rioters before in the Hamburg districts of [[Flora]] and [[Hafenstraße)]]. Consequently Hamburg did send out its [[Spezialeinsatzkommando|SEK and MBK]], or [[List of Special Response Units|special response units]]. These [[riot police]] units (normally about 100 men), were reinforced by two [[police dog]] squads from [[Kiel]], the action brigade from [[Lübeck]] and helicopters from the federal police.


In the week after the riots in Rostock, neo-Nazis attacked 40 residences with firebombs and stones, and fought street battles with the police. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in the following few days, the asylum centers in [[Wismar]], Rostock-Hinrichshagen, [[Lübz]], and [[Neubrandenburg]] were attacked, and there were three such incidents in [[Greifswald]]. In Wismar there was a six-day riot between 15 and 20 September in front of the asylum center, where, as in Lichtenhagen, there was applause from local residents. Even after that, there were attacks almost daily. On one weekend between Friday 18 September and Sunday 20 September, asylum centers in Güstrow, Ueckermünde, [[Kröpelin]], Schwarzendorf (in the district of [[Malchin]]), [[Schwerin]], Wismar, and [[Retschow]] were repeatedly attacked with Molotov cocktails.{{citation needed|date=January 2015}}
The 2nd Hamburg action brigade entered the scene at 0255 and the 1st Hamburg action brigade arrived at 0345. The situation calmed down until 0410 with the Hamburg brigades taking tactical control for the rest of the night. Due to the reinforcements there were 850 police officers facing about 500 rioters. 70 police officers were injured and 130 rioters were arrested.


'''24 August'''
'''Legal proceedings'''


The attacks led to 370 arrests and 408 preliminary investigations. Prosecutions proved very difficult, as there was little reliable evidence. Overall, the legal process was judged to have been remarkably slow and consequences mild. {{citation needed|date=January 2015}}
The Hamburg action brigades started to evacuate the ZAst at 1400. They were watched by a large crowd, some of whom announced new attacks at 1600. Intelligence reported that rioters were organizing a phone command structure and that attacks would hit the police squads only if the ZAst asylum house was empty.


Cases were brought before the Regional Court of Rostock against 257 persons, most of which were dropped.{{citation needed|date=January 2015}} Only 40 young people in 1993/94 were charged with rioting and arson. Most were given fines and suspended sentences. Eleven of those convicted were sent into youth custody ranging from seven months to three years, but only four of them were actually incarcerated between two and three years; the other seven sentences were suspended. It took ten years after the riots for the last three cases to be concluded. The sentences were for 12 to 18 months in juvenile detention, or probation, although the then 17-, 18- and 19-year-olds convicted of assault were sentenced not only for arson, but for attempted murder. The vast majority of those involved in the rioting remained anonymous and unpunished, despite the whole three days of rioting having been filmed by national German television, by the BBC, and other foreign news broadcasters.{{citation needed|date=January 2015}}
'''The night of 24/25 August'''


An investigation against Rostock police chief Siegfried Kordus was discontinued in 1994. A case was made against the leader of the police operation, Chief Superintendent Jürgen Deckert for criminally negligent arson by omission, but the case was dropped in 2000.{{citation needed|date=January 2015}}
At 1945, the fresh 4th State action brigade of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern was due to replace the exhausted Hamburg brigades who had been on duty for twenty-one hours. An order to give up protection of the ZAst came at 1955. - it is unclear if the order was intended for all the police on site or only for the Hamburg brigades.


==Media==
During the withdrawal from the ZAst building federal agents reinforcing the 2nd Hamburg brigade came under attack at 2000 - at this point there were about 3000 people on the street. Squads from the Hamburg brigades - that had already left the scene - pushed back through the crowd with batons drawn trying to relieve their colleagues. Eye witnesses reported a level of aggressiveness unmatched by other events incudling the Hamburg riots. The 1st Hamburg brigade and the 4th state brigade reached the encircled officers at 2015, water cannons were used and riot lines were formed. At 2015 federal agents from the rail transport police came under attack and squads from the 1st Hamburg brigade were obliged to come to their aid.
* Mark Saunders. "[http://eimann.etherkiller.de/the_truth_lies_in_rostock.avi The Truth Lies in Rostock] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901003838/https://eimann.etherkiller.de/the_truth_lies_in_rostock.avi |date=2017-09-01 }} (AVI, 698,7 MB)]" (BRD, Great Britain, 78 min.) / 1993 von Mark Saunders & Siobhan Cleary - 121 min
* [[We Are Young. We Are Strong|''Wir Sind Jung. Wir Sind Stark'' (''We Are Young. We Are Strong)'']], a 2014 film based on the riots


==See also==
One water cannon was broken at 2040. At 2120 the 4th state brigade covered the withdrawal of the 1st Hamburg brigade. At 2134 the second water cannon ran out of water - the 4th state brigade of about 100 men was now facing some 800 rioters. The water cannons were back in action at 2237 and the police cut a path through the crowd to allow firemen to enter the area. At 2255 the 1st Hamburg brigade was taken off-duty after 25 hours and the 2nd Hamburg brigade at 00:00. The 4th state brigade started its duty at midnight on the remaining 300 rioters and the situation calmed down at about 0030.
* [[Riot of Hoyerswerda]], 1991 xenophobic riots of neo-Nazis attacking Vietnamese
* [[Solingen arson attack of 1993]]
* [[1993 Hădăreni riots]] of Romanians and Hungarians against Roma
* [[2006 Ferentari riot]]


==References==
At 0200 about 400 rioters started a coordinated attack on the police in the area. The police were ready with counter measures. At this point 7 water cannons were in action and the complete area (across multiple streets), was swept clean of about 1000-1200 protesters. The situation was brought under total control by 0300. Overall 117 police officers were injured and 58 rioters were arrested. The night actions included 2050 police officers facing about 2000 active rioters.
{{reflist}}


==Trivia==
==Further reading==
* {{cite web | title=Rede: Gedenkfeier 30 Jahre Rostock-Lichtenhagen | website=[[Der Bundespräsident]] | date=22 August 2022 | url=https://www.bundespraesident.de/SharedDocs/Reden/DE/Frank-Walter-Steinmeier/Reden/2022/08/220825-30-Jahre-Rostock-Lichtenhagen.html | language=de | ref={{sfnref | Der Bundespräsident | 2022}} | access-date=1 December 2022}}
"Barbecue in Rostock", is a song by [[Neo-nazi]] band No Remorse; it was inspired by the riots.


==External links==
{{coord|54.153|N|12.066|E|display=title|source:dewiki}}
* [http://www.umbruch-bildarchiv.de/bildarchiv/ereignis/10jahrerostockpogrome.html "Pogrome in Rostock-Lichtenhagen"] Upheaval Picture Archive. Accessed Feb. 20, 2010 {{in lang|de}}
* [http://www.landtag-mv.de/dokumentenarchiv/drucksachen/1_Wahlperiode/D01-3000/D01-3277.pdf "Recommended Resolution and Interim Report"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110807034829/http://www.landtag-mv.de/dokumentenarchiv/drucksachen/1_Wahlperiode/D01-3000/D01-3277.pdf |date=2011-08-07 }} (PDF) Legislative Board of Inquiry of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, June 16, 1993 <!-- Not a typo! The German word has no i, it's "Parlament". -->({{sic|hide=y|Parlamentarischer}} Untersuchungsausschuss des Landtags Mecklenburg-Vorpommern: ''Beschlussempfehlung und Zwischenbericht'') {{in lang|de}}
* Liane von Billerbeck. [http://www.zeit.de/2002/25/Ich_war_Teil_der_Meute "I was part of the pack"] ''Die Zeit,'' No. 25 (2002) "Ten Years after the Lichtenhagen Pogrom: Offenders who are turned into martyrs, a murder charge and an uncertain verdict". Accessed Feb. 20, 2010 {{in lang|de}}
* Christoph Koch. [http://www.christoph-koch.net/2007/10/26/das-sonnenblumen-haus/ "The Sunflower House: Rostock-Lichtenhagen 15 years after the riots, searching for traces"] (originally published as a ''Stern/NEON'' report) October 26, 2007. Accessed Feb. 20, 2010 {{in lang|de}}
* Dieter Wulf. [http://www.dradio.de/dlf/sendungen/pol-feature/pf-020409.rtf "Applause for incendiary acts"] ([[Rich Text Format]]) Transcript of radio broadcast, Deutschlandfunk, April 9, 2002. ("Beifall für Brandsätze," Deutschlandfunk) {{in lang|de}}


{{Coord|54.153|N|12.066|E|display=title|source:dewiki}}
[[Category:Riots in Germany]]


[[de:Ausschreitungen von Rostock-Lichtenhagen]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Riot Of Rostock-Lichtenhagen}}
[[Category:Protests in Germany]]
[[Category:Terrorist incidents in Germany in 1992]]
[[Category:Riots and civil disorder in Germany]]
[[Category:1992 riots]]
[[Category:Ethnic riots]]
[[Category:Arson in Germany]]
[[Category:Arson in 1992]]
[[Category:Antiziganism in Germany]]
[[Category:Neo-Nazi attacks in Germany]]
[[Category:August 1992 events in Germany]]
[[Category:1990s in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania]]
[[Category:1990s fires in Europe]]
[[Category:Rostock]]
[[Category:Racially motivated violence in Europe]]

Latest revision as of 21:08, 29 September 2024

Rostock-Lichtenhagen riots
Lichtenhagen in relation to Rostock
Date22–24 August 1992
Location
Rostock-Lichtenhagen, Germany
Caused byLiving conditions within the Central Refugee Shelter
Racial tensions
MethodsRioting, Assault, Arson
Resulted inRiots suppressed
Parties

German rioters

Germany Government of Germany

Number
2000
2050
Casualties
Death(s)0
Injuries204
Arrested370

Violent xenophobic riots took place in the Lichtenhagen district of Rostock, Germany, from 22–24 August 1992; these were the worst mob attacks against migrants in postwar Germany. Stones and petrol bombs were thrown at an apartment block where asylum seekers lived. At the height of the riots, several hundred militant right-wing extremists were involved, and about 3,000 neighbourhood onlookers stood by, applauding them.[1]

The initial response of authorities and politicians was heavily criticised.[2] For some days prior to the riots, veiled warnings of impending trouble had been posted in some newspapers.[3] Police and politicians seemed reluctant to respond, and, when they did, their responses were considered inadequate.[2] Outside the building where the refugees were housed, several hundred asylum seekers had been camping for days with little or no access to basic facilities. This was contributing to escalating tensions in the neighbourhood.

Between 22 and 26 August 1992, there were 370 provisional arrests and 408 preliminary investigations related to the riots. Among the arrested were 110 people from the former West Germany; 217 from the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, including 147 from Rostock; and another 37 from the former East Germany. During the riot, 204 police officers were injured. No one was killed.[4]

Background

[edit]
The Sunflower Tower

The Zentrale Aufnahmestelle für Asylbewerber für Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (ZAst M-V), or "Central Refugee Shelter" for the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, was in an 11-storey plattenbau apartment complex known as the "Sunflower House" or "Sunflower Tower", because of the large sunflowers decorating one side. The building was notorious for the inhumane conditions under which the asylum seekers there were living and the lack of support (if any) provided for them. The authorities had ignored numerous complaints from citizens and residents over the filthy and deplorable conditions in the apartment building.[citation needed]

Rioting

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The shelter was originally intended to house 300 refugees a month, but by summer 1992 it was averaging 11,500 refugees per month. Primarily Roma from Romania, they were left by overstretched shelter staff to camp out in front of the building for days at a time. The municipal government refused to provide portable toilets and there was no water or garbage collection. Clashes between the homeless migrants and the Lichtenhagen residents increased. Neither the city nor the state government took action.

For days before the riots, the newspapers Norddeutsche Neueste Nachrichten and Ostsee-Zeitung had been calling for a "Lichtenhagen interest group". There were anonymous warnings that if by the weekend, the refugee shelter was not "cleaned up," order would be made. This gave young gang members from every corner of Rostock, normally enemies, a date, place and purpose to congregate. One 19-year-old skinhead said, "The police know the Rostock Skins and 'Hools' [hooligans]. When something like this is announced, we're there!"[3]

The first day's riot started with young people from the neighbourhood throwing stones. This was contained by the police, but media coverage encouraged neo-Nazis to roam the area. This led to a situation where a xenophobic mob outnumbered the police by day three. The original target, the asylum accommodation, was evacuated on the second day, whereupon the mob stormed a neighbouring building in which 115 Vietnamese immigrants, a social worker and a ZDF television crew had mistakenly been left behind. While the building burned, they barricaded their doors against rioters, who were climbing over the balconies armed with baseball bats and Molotov cocktails. Below, a mob of over 3,000 spectators eagerly watched and applauded.[1]

Charges of police and political incompetence were levelled from the beginning. One explanation cited for the lack of effective action by the police was that they were reluctant to take any action which might have been reminiscent of the recently cast-off communist police state.[2] There were also charges that police and politicians were privately sympathetic to the anti-migrant sentiment.[2]

The first major conviction relating to the riots was on 4 March 1993, though 24 convictions on lesser charges had already been handed down. A 22-year-old man was convicted of throwing a firebomb at police, of seriously disturbing the peace, violating weapons laws and attempted bodily harm. An attempted murder charge was dropped for lack of evidence. Critics complained that no one was convicted of assaulting a foreigner, only of assaulting the police or of disorderliness.[5] It took almost ten years to prosecute 408 people.[citation needed]

The following timeline was reconstructed by the "Legislative Committee to Investigate the Refugee Shelter Incident" ("Parlamentarischer Untersuchungsausschuss zu den Ereignissen um die ZAst").[citation needed]

Timeline

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August 22, Day 1

From about 6:00 p.m. a large crowd assembled in front of the refugee shelter. At 8:02 p.m., thugs started attacking the shelter and violence escalated quickly. By 10:46 p.m., police were forced to retreat from the area. At 11:02 p.m. riot police arrived on the scene and were attacked with Molotov cocktails. At 11:24 p.m. another police unit arrived from Schwerin. At 1:34 a.m. water cannons were set up and put to continuous use. Between 1:34 and 2:34 a.m., the rioters were pushed towards the autobahn. At 2:25 a.m. a water cannon vehicle was set on fire by a Molotov cocktail. At 2:30 a.m. Rostock police command declared a police emergency and the armoury was opened. Officers were issued tear gas and fired at the crowd. The situation calmed down by 5:30 a.m.

Day 1 Statistics: 160 police officers, 300 rioters, 13 police officers injured, nine arrests.

August 23, Day 2, Part 1

100 people gathered in front of the shelter. At 11:15 a.m. Rostock police department requested back-up from other police departments. Squads responded from Schwerin, Anklam, Stralsund and Güstrow. The Landespolizei force of the state of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern sent two additional water cannons. Two reserve units (Einsatzhundertschaften) from the Federal Border Patrol (Bundesgrenzschutz) were activated. At 2:15 p.m. plainclothes officers reported the arrival of 30 known neo-Nazis in the area.

August 23, Day 2, Part 2

At 6:45 p.m. about 400 rioters started attacking the shelter. At 7:18 p.m. the rioters started throwing Molotov cocktails. 8:00 p.m. The police used water cannons to clear the area. At 8:30 p.m. police resorted to firing live ammunition. At 10:00 p.m. the police officer in charge reported that without reinforcements, within 30 minutes, the situation would be impossible to control. At 10:30 p.m. a police car was set on fire. At 10:41 p.m. state police declared a state of emergency (Landespolizeialarm).

The state level of emergency allowed for additional federal brigades to be called in.[6] Hamburg sent out its SWAT (SEK and MBK) units. These riot police units of about 100 officers each were reinforced by two police dog squads from Kiel, a reserve unit from Lübeck, and helicopters from the federal police.

At 2:55 a.m. the second Hamburg unit arrived on the scene. At 3:45 a.m. the first Hamburg unit arrived. At 4:10 a.m. the situation quieted down. The Hamburg units took over the night watch.

Day 2 Statistics: 850 police officers, 500 rioters, 70 police officers injured, 130 arrests.

August 24, Day 3, Part 1

2:00 p.m. Under the protection of the Hamburg units (now 16 hours in action), the shelter was evacuated. The large crowd of onlookers gave notice of a melee at 4:00 p.m. The police learned of a telephone network that hooligans were using to organize the melee, which was to attack the police exclusively if the shelter was cleared out.

August 24, Day 3, Part 2

7:45 p.m. Reinforcements from the 4th Brigade, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern arrived to replace the Hamburg riot units, now in action for 21 hours. 7:55 p.m. Ten minutes after the replacements arrived, an order was given to withdraw all protection for the shelter.[7]

At 8:00 p.m. during the retreat from the building, Federal Border Patrol units reinforcing the second Hamburg unit came under attack. At this point, the crowd of cheering onlookers had grown to about 3,000. At 8:05 p.m. squads from the second Hamburg unit, which had already left the scene, were ordered back to reinforce the Border Patrol unit under attack. In order to push through the crowd, they resorted to using batons. The commanding officer of the first Hamburg unit reported that the threat of violence was higher than what he had seen in his five years of experience in Hamburg's rioting hotspots, Hafenstraße and Flora.[6]

At 8:15 p.m. The first Hamburg unit and the 4th Brigade MV reached the other units. Water cannons were used and police cordons were formed. Rail transport police were radioed for back-up. The alarm was "Officers in distress." The first Hamburg unit also provided support.

At 8:40 p.m. a technical problem knocked out one water cannon. At 9:20 p.m. the retreating first Hamburg unit sought cover from the water cannon of the 4th Brigade MV. At 9:34 p.m. The water supply of the second cannon ran out. The 4th Brigade MV of about 100 men was up against 800 rioters. At 10:37 p.m. the 4th Brigade MV formed a police cordon and aimed the water cannon at the crowd to allow the fire department to get through. At 10:55 p.m. the first Hamburg unit was sent back to Hamburg after 25 hours of duty. At midnight the 4th Brigade MV began clearing out the remaining roughly 300 hooligans, while the second Hamburg unit was sent back to Hamburg after 26 hours of duty. At 12:30 a.m. the area settled down.

At 2:00 a.m. 400 hooligans again began to storm the refugee shelter, using every means possible. The police had a strong presence and up to 7 water cannons were used to clear the streets surrounding the apartment complex. About 1,000-1,200 rioters took part in the melee with the police. By 3:00 a.m., the situation was under control.

Day 3 Statistics: 2050 police officers, 2000 rioters, 117 police officers injured, 58 arrests.

Copycat acts

In the week after the riots in Rostock, neo-Nazis attacked 40 residences with firebombs and stones, and fought street battles with the police. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in the following few days, the asylum centers in Wismar, Rostock-Hinrichshagen, Lübz, and Neubrandenburg were attacked, and there were three such incidents in Greifswald. In Wismar there was a six-day riot between 15 and 20 September in front of the asylum center, where, as in Lichtenhagen, there was applause from local residents. Even after that, there were attacks almost daily. On one weekend between Friday 18 September and Sunday 20 September, asylum centers in Güstrow, Ueckermünde, Kröpelin, Schwarzendorf (in the district of Malchin), Schwerin, Wismar, and Retschow were repeatedly attacked with Molotov cocktails.[citation needed]

Legal proceedings

The attacks led to 370 arrests and 408 preliminary investigations. Prosecutions proved very difficult, as there was little reliable evidence. Overall, the legal process was judged to have been remarkably slow and consequences mild. [citation needed]

Cases were brought before the Regional Court of Rostock against 257 persons, most of which were dropped.[citation needed] Only 40 young people in 1993/94 were charged with rioting and arson. Most were given fines and suspended sentences. Eleven of those convicted were sent into youth custody ranging from seven months to three years, but only four of them were actually incarcerated between two and three years; the other seven sentences were suspended. It took ten years after the riots for the last three cases to be concluded. The sentences were for 12 to 18 months in juvenile detention, or probation, although the then 17-, 18- and 19-year-olds convicted of assault were sentenced not only for arson, but for attempted murder. The vast majority of those involved in the rioting remained anonymous and unpunished, despite the whole three days of rioting having been filmed by national German television, by the BBC, and other foreign news broadcasters.[citation needed]

An investigation against Rostock police chief Siegfried Kordus was discontinued in 1994. A case was made against the leader of the police operation, Chief Superintendent Jürgen Deckert for criminally negligent arson by omission, but the case was dropped in 2000.[citation needed]

Media

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b Julia Jüttner. "Als der Mob die Herrschaft übernahm" "As the mob took control" Spiegel Online (August 22, 2007) Accessed Feb. 19, 2010 (in German)
  2. ^ a b c d John Eisenhammer. "Mistakes admitted in effort to end Rostock riots" The Independent (August 28, 1992) Accessed Feb. 19, 2010
  3. ^ a b "Alle wußten, das wird lustig" "Everyone knew, this would be hilarious" "Spiegel Online" (December 28, 1992) Accessed Feb. 19, 2010 (in German)
  4. ^ Interim Report of the Board of Inquiry, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern (June 16, 1993) (Zwischenbericht des Untersuchungsausschusses des Landtages Mecklenburg-Vorpommern)
  5. ^ Stephen Kinzer. "Germans sentence anti-foreign rioter to 21⁄2 years" New York Times (March 4, 1993) Accessed Feb. 19, 2010
  6. ^ a b Most police departments in Germany had not faced riots, and there had not been any riots in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern previously. It was left to the larger cities to have units trained in large-scale riot control. Only the police departments of Hamburg and Berlin had faced large-scale riots before, notably the squatter riots in the Hamburg districts of Flora and Hafenstraße.
  7. ^ Whether or not the order to retreat was intended for just the Hamburg units or the state brigade as well, has been controversial.

Further reading

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  • "Rede: Gedenkfeier 30 Jahre Rostock-Lichtenhagen". Der Bundespräsident (in German). 22 August 2022. Retrieved 1 December 2022.
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54°09′11″N 12°03′58″E / 54.153°N 12.066°E / 54.153; 12.066

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