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Encyclopedia > Red Army Faction

Red Army Faction Insignia - a Red Star and a Heckler & Koch MP5
Red Army Faction Insignia - a Red Star and a Heckler & Koch MP5

The Red Army Faction or RAF (German Rote Armee Fraktion) (in its early stages commonly known as Baader-Meinhof Group [or Gang]), was one of postwar West Germany's most active and prominent militant left-wing groups. It described itself as a communist "urban guerrilla" group engaged in armed resistance, while it was described by the West German government as a terrorist group. The RAF was formally founded in 1970 by Andreas Baader, Gudrun Ensslin, Horst Mahler, Ulrike Meinhof, Irmgard Möller and others. The Red Army Faction operated from the 1970s to 1998, committing numerous crimes, especially in the autumn of 1977, which led to a national crisis that became known as "German Autumn". It was responsible for 34 deaths including many secondary targets such as chauffeurs and bodyguards — and many injuries in its almost 30 years of existence. Image File history File links RAF-Logo. ... Image File history File links RAF-Logo. ... Red star on the Soviet flag The five-pointed red star (a pentagram without the inner pentagon) is a symbol of Communism and Socialism and represents the five fingers of the workers hand, as well as five of six inhabited continents. ... It has been suggested that Heckler & Koch MP5K be merged into this article or section. ... In politics, left-wing, political left, leftism, or simply the left, are terms which refer (with no particular precision) to the segment of the political spectrum typically associated with any of several strains of socialism, social democracy, or liberalism (especially in the American sense of the word), or with opposition... This article is about communism as a form of society and as a political movement. ... Urban guerrilla refers to someone who fights a government or dictatorship using unconventional warfare in an urban environment (see: guerrilla tactics). ... This article is becoming very long. ... Andreas Baader Andreas Baader (May 6, 1943 - October 18, 1977) was the first leader of the German revolutionary organization Red Army Faction, commonly known as the Baader-Meinhof gang. ... Gudrun Ensslin Gudrun Ensslin (August 15, 1940 - October 18, 1977) was a founder of the German terrorist group Rote Armee Fraktion (RAF), better known as the Baader-Meinhof Gang. ... Screen shot of Horst Mahler Horst Mahler (born January 23, 1936), is a German lawyer and active member within both the Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands (NPD) and the Deutsches Kolleg, an aggressively racist forum calling for a nationalist-racialist and socialist revolution in Germany. ... Meinhof as a young journalist. ... Mugshot of Irmgard Möller The title of this article contains the character ö. Where it is unavailable or not desired, the name may be represented as Irmgard Moeller. ... The 1970s decade refers to the years from 1970 to 1979. ... The German Autumn (German: Deutscher Herbst) was a set of events revolving around the kidnapping of Hanns-Martin Schleyer and the hijacking of the Lufthansa airplane Landshut, by the Red Army Faction (RAF) and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) respectively, in autumn 1977. ...


Amidst widespread media controversy, the German president had considered pardoning RAF member Christian Klar, who filed a pardon application years ago, but on 7 May 2007 this was denied. RAF member Brigitte Mohnhaupt was granted a release on a five year parole by a German court on 12 February 2007. The President of Germany is Germanys head of state. ... Christian Klar (born May 20, 1952 in Freiburg) was a leading member of the so called second generation of the German terrorist group Red Army Faction. ... is the 127th day of the year (128th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ... Brigitte Margret Ida Mohnhaupt (born 24 June 1949) is a German terrorist associated with the second generation of Red Army Faction (RAF) (self described as a communist urban guerilla group) members. ... February 12 is the 43rd day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2007 (MMVII) is the current year, a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar and the AD/CE era. ...

Contents

Background

"The Red Army Faction’s Urban Guerilla Concept is not based on an optimistic view of the prevailing circumstances in the Federal Republic and West Berlin" - from 'The Urban Guerilla Concept' authored by R.A.F co-founder Ulrike Meinhof (April 1971)

The origins of the group can be traced back to the student protest movement in West Germany. Industrialised nations in late 1960s experienced massive social upheavals stemming from dissatisfaction with capitalist society among both workers and students. Newly-found youth identity and issues such as racism, women's liberation and anti-imperialism were at the forefront of radical politics. The Communist Party of Germany had been outlawed since 1956. Elected and unelected government positions down to the local level were often occupied by ex-Nazis. There was anger at post-war denazification, seen by some as ineffective (Konrad Adenauer, the first Federal Republic chancellor had even kept on the Nazi chancellery secretary, Hans Globke). The conservative media was considered biased by the radicals as they were owned and controlled by conservatives such as Axel Springer, who was implacably opposed to student radicalism. The late-1960s saw the emergence of the Grand Coalition between the two main parties - the SPD and CDU with Kurt Georg Kiesinger, a former Nazi Party member as chancellor. This horrified many on the left and was viewed as monolithic, political marriage of convenience with pro-NATO, pro-capitalist collusion on the part of the social democratic SPD. With 95% of the Bundestag controlled by the coalition, the APO or 'Extra-Parliamentary Opposition' was formed with the intent of generating protest and political activity outside of government [1]. In 1972 a law was passed - the Berufsverbot, which banned radicals and or those a 'questionable' political persuasion from public sector jobs [1]. The German student movement (in Germany commonly called 68er-Bewegung, movement of 1968) was a protest movement that took place during the late 1960s in Germany. ... 1960 (MCMLX) was a leap year starting on Friday (the link is to a full 1960 calendar). ... // The counterculture of the 1960s began in the United States as a reaction against the conservative social norms of the 1950s, the political conservatism (and perceived social repression) of the Cold War period, and the US governments extensive military intervention in Vietnam. ... Capitalism is an economic system in which the means of production are mostly privately owned, and capital is invested in the production, distribution and other trade of goods and services, for profit in a competitive free market. ... The term working class is used to denote a social class. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... Because racism carries connotations of race-based bigotry, prejudice, violence, oppression, stereotyping or discrimination, the term has varying and often hotly contested definitions. ... Feminism is a body of social theory and political movement primarily based on and motivated by the experiences of women. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... 1932 KPD poster, End This System The Communist Party of Germany (German Kommunistische Partei Deutschlands – KPD) was a major political party in Germany between 1918 and 1933, and a minor party in West Germany in the postwar period. ... Year 1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Denazification (German: Entnazifizierung) was an Allied initiative to rid German and Austrian society, culture, press, economy, judiciary and politics of any remnants of the Nazi regime. ... For other uses, see Konrad Adenauer (disambiguation). ... Hans Josef Maria Globke (10 September 1898–13 February 1973) was a jurist and high ranking public servant after World War II in the newly formed Federal Republic of Germany. ... This article deals with conservatism as a political philosophy. ... Axel Springer (d. ... A grand coalition is a coalition government in a parliamentary system where political parties representing a vast majority of the parliament unite in a coalition. ... SPD redirects here. ... The Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU - Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands) is the largest conservative political party in Germany. ... Kurt Georg Kiesinger (April 6, 1904–March 9, 1988) was a conservative German politician and Chancellor of West Germany from 1 December 1966 until 21 October 1969. ... The Nazi Party (German: , or NSDAP, English: National Socialist German Workers Party), was a far-right, racist political party in Germany between 1920 and 1945. ... A marriage of convenience (plural marriages of convenience) is a marriage contracted for reasons other than the traditional reasons of love or family. ... NATO 2002 Summit in Prague. ... In economics, a capitalist is someone who owns capital, presumably within the economic system of capitalism. ... Social democracy is a political ideology emerging in the late 19th and early 20th centuries from supporters of Marxism who believed that the transition to a socialist society could be achieved through democratic evolutionary rather than revolutionary means. ... The gay gay gayBundestag (Federal Diet) is the parliament of Germany. ... The Ausserparlamentarische Opposition (German for Extraparliamentary Opposition, commonly known as the APO), was a political protest movement active in West Germany during the latter half of the 60s and early 70s, forming a central part of the German student movement. ... Year 1972 (MCMLXXII) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Berufsverbot, a word meaning professional disqualification, is the common name for the Anti-Radical Decree (Radikalenerlass), instituted by West German Chancellor Willy Brandt and the premiers of the Länder on January 28, 1972. ...


The radicalized took the view that West Germany didn't need to be an out-and-out totalitarian state and were, like many in the new left influenced by Herbert Marcuse's and Gramsci's writings on coercion and hegemony in that cultural indoctrination and ideological manipulation expended the need for complete brute force in modern 'liberal democracies'. In Germany's case lawmakers were continuing authoritarian policies and the public's apparent 'acquiessence' was seen as a continuation of the indoctrination the Nazi's had pioneered in society (Volksgemeinschaft). The Federal Republic was exporting arms to African dictatorships, was seen as supporting the war in Southeast Asia and engineering the remilitarization of Germany with the U.S-led entrenchment against the Warsaw Pact nations. A totalitarian state is a modern regime which regulates nearly every aspect of public and private behavior. ... The New Left is a term used in different countries to describe left-wing movements that occurred in the 1960s and 1970s. ... Herbert Marcuse (July 19, 1898 – July 29, 1979) was a German-born American philosopher, sociologist and a member of the Frankfurt School. ... Antonio Gramsci Antonio Gramsci (January 23, 1891 - April 27, 1937) was an Italian writer (ethnic Albanian by his father) and a politician, a leader and theorist of Socialism, Communism and anti-Fascism. ... Coercion is the practice of compelling a person to involuntarily behave in a certain way (whether through action or inaction) by use of threats, intimidation or some other form of pressure or force. ... Hegemony (pronounced or ) (Greek: ) is the dominance of one group over other groups, with or without the threat of force, to the extent that, for instance, the dominant party can dictate the terms of trade to its advantage; more broadly, cultural perspectives become skewed to favor the dominant group. ... Liberal democracy is a form of government. ... A legislator is a person who writes and passes laws, especially someone who is a member of a legislature. ... Volksgemeinschaft was an attempt by the German Nazi Party to establish a national community of unified mind, will and spirit. ... The Indochina Wars refers to wars of national liberation that erupted in the wake of World War II, fought in Southeast Asia from 1947 until 1979, between nationalist Vietnamese against French, American, and Chinese forces. ... Unofficial Seal of the Warsaw Pact Distinguish from the Warsaw Convention, which is an agreement about airlines financial liability and the Treaty of Warsaw (1970) between West Germany and the Peoples Republic of Poland. ...

"They’ll kill us all. You know what kind of pigs we’re up against. This is the Auschwitz generation. You can’t argue with people who make Auschwitz. They have weapons and we haven’t. We must arm ourselves!" - Gudrun Ensslin speaking after the death of Benno Ohnesorg. Auschwitz, in English, commonly refers to the Auschwitz concentration camp complex built near the town of Oświęcim, by Nazi Germany during World War II. Rarely, it may refer to the Polish town of Oświęcim (called by the Germans Auschwitz) itself. ...

Peaceful protests turned into riots on June 2, 1967, when Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the Shah of Iran, visited West Berlin. The Shah's security were armed with wooden staves and were free to beat protesters. After a day of lively protests by exiled Persians, a group widely supported by German students, the Shah visited the Berlin Opera, where a crowd of student protesters gathered. During the opera house demonstrations, a German student Benno Ohnesorg—who was attending his first protest—was shot in the head by a police officer. The officer was acquitted in a subsequent trial. is the 153rd day of the year (154th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1967 (MCMLXVII) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar (the link is to a full 1967 calendar). ... His Majesty Mohammad Reza Shah Pahlavi (اعلیحضرت محمدرضا شاه پهلوی; October 26, 1919 – July 27, 1980) also knows as Aryamehr, was the last Shah of Iran, ruling from 1941 until... One of the worlds longest-lasting monarchies, the Iranian monarchy went through many transformations over the centuries, from the days of Persia to the creation of what is now modern day Iran. ... Boroughs of West Berlin West Berlin was the name given to the western part of Berlin between 1949 and 1990. ... Exile (band) may refer to: Exile - The American country music band Exile - The Japanese pop music band Category: ... Deutsche Oper Berlin The Deutsche Oper Berlin is an opera house located in Berlin, Germany (in what was formerly West Berlin). ... Benno Ohnesorg (October 15, 1940 - June 2, 1967) was a German university student killed by a police officer on June 2, 1967, during a demonstration in Berlin against the visit of the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, to Germany. ...

The aftermath of a department arson attack
The aftermath of a department arson attack

Along with perceptions of state and police brutality, and widespread opposition to the Vietnam War, Ohnesorg's death galvanised many young Germans, and became a rallying point for the West German New Left. It influenced the creation of the Movement 2 June, a militant-Anarchist group which took its name from the date of Ohnesorg's death. It also brought Thorwald Proll, Horst Söhnlein, Gudrun Ensslin, and Andreas Baader together, in a loose group that set fire to several German department stores as a protest against the Vietnam war. They were arrested in Frankfurt on April 2, 1968; while the four defendants were on trial, the journalist Ulrike Meinhof published several sympathetic articles in the political magazine konkret. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Skyline Parkway Motel in Afton, Virginia after an arson fire on July 9, 2004. ... Combatants Republic of Vietnam United States Republic of Korea Thailand Australia New Zealand The Philippines National Front for the Liberation of South Vietnam Democratic Republic of Vietnam People’s Republic of China Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea Strength US 1,000,000 South Korea 300,000 Australia 48,000... The New Left is a term used in different countries to describe left-wing movements that occurred in the 1960s and 1970s. ... The Movement 2 June also known as the June 2 Movement, June 2nd Movement or J2M was a well known West German militant group based in West Berlin. ... Gudrun Ensslin Gudrun Ensslin (August 15, 1940 - October 18, 1977) was a founder of the German terrorist group Rote Armee Fraktion (RAF), better known as the Baader-Meinhof Gang. ... Andreas Baader Andreas Baader (May 6, 1943 - October 18, 1977) was the first leader of the German revolutionary organization Red Army Faction, commonly known as the Baader-Meinhof gang. ... The interior of a typical Macys department store. ... For other uses, see Frankfurt (disambiguation). ... April 2 is the 92nd day of the year (93rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1968 Gregorian calendar. ... Meinhof as a young journalist. ... konkret is a monthly German magazine for politics and culture (according to its subtitle) that has existed since 1955. ...


Meanwhile, on April 11, 1968, Rudi Dutschke, a leading intellectual and spokesman for the protesting students, was shot in the head in an assassination attempt by the right-wing extremist Josef Bachmann. Although badly injured, Dutschke returned to political activism until his death in 1979, which was a late consequence of his injuries. is the 101st day of the year (102nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the 1968 Gregorian calendar. ... Alfred Willi Rudolf Dutschke, commonly called Rudi Dutschke (March 7, 1940 – December 24, 1979, Århus, Denmark) was the most prominent spokesperson of the German student movement of the 1960s. ... In politics, right-wing, the political right, or simply the right, are terms which refer, with no particular precision, to the segment of the political spectrum in opposition to left-wing politics. ... Josef Erwin Bachmann (1945 - February 24, 1970) was a German unskilled worker. ...


Axel Springer's tabloid newspaper Bild-Zeitung, which had headlines such as "Stop Dutschke now!", was accused of being the chief culprit for inciting the shooting. Meinhof commented: "If one sets a car on fire, that is a criminal offence. If one sets hundreds of cars on fire, that is political action." A tabloid is a newspaper — especially in the United Kingdom — that uses the tabloid format, which is roughly 23½ by 14¾ inches per spread. ... The Bild-Zeitung (often abbreviated Bild, lit. ...


Formation of the RAF

All four of the defendants were convicted of arson and endangering human life for which they were sentenced to three years in prison. In June 1969, however, they were temporarily paroled under an amnesty for political prisoners, but in November of that year, the Federal High Court (Bundesverfassungsg ericht) demanded that they return to custody. Only Horst Söhnlein complied with the order; the rest went underground and made their way to France, where they stayed for a time in a house owned by prominent French journalist and revolutionary, Régis Debray. Eventually, they made their way to Italy, where Mahler visited them and encouraged them to return to with him Germany to form an underground guerilla group. Look up Amnesty in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... A political prisoner is someone held in prison or otherwise detained, perhaps under house arrest, because their ideas or image are deemed by a government to either challenge or threaten the authority of the state. ... Jules Régis Debray is a French intellectual, journalist, government official and professor. ...


The Red Army Faction was formed with the intention of complementing the plethora of revolutionary and radical groups across West Germany and Europe and was to be a more class conscious and determined force compared with some of its immediate contemporaries. The members and supporters were already associated with the 'Revolutionary Cells' and Movement 2 June as well as radical currents and phenomena such as the Socialist Patients' Collective, Kommune 1 and the Situationists. The R.A.F organisation and outlook was partly modelled on the Uruguayan Tupamaros movement, which had developed as an urban resistance movement - effectively inverting Che Guevara's Mao-like concept of a peasant or rural-based guerrilla war and instead situating the struggle in the metropole or cities. Many members of the R.A.F operated through a single contact or only knew others by their codenames. Actions were carried out by active units called 'commandos', with trained members being supplied by a quartermaster in order to carry out their mission. For more long-term or core cadre members, isolated cell-like organisation was absent or took on a more flexible form. Class consciousness is a category of Marxist theory, referring to the self-awareness of a social class, its capacity to act in its own rational interests, or measuring the extent to which an individual is conscious of the historical tasks their class (or class allegiance) sets for them. ... On August 27, 2003 two bombs were placed on the campus of Chiron (corporation) in Emeryville, California. ... The Movement 2 June also known as the June 2 Movement, June 2nd Movement or J2M was a well known West German militant group based in West Berlin. ... For other uses of the term SPK, see SPK (disambiguation). ... Kommune 1 or K1 was the first politically-motivated commune in Germany. ... The Situationist International (SI), an international political and artistic movement, originated in the Italian village of Cosio dArroscia on 28 July 1957 with the fusion of several extremely small artistic tendencies: the Lettrist International, the International movement for an imaginist Bauhaus, and the London Psychogeographical Association. ... Tupamaros, also known as the MLN (Movimiento de Liberación Nacional or National Liberation Army), was an urban guerrilla organization in Uruguay in the 1960s and 1970s. ... Ernesto Guevara de la Serna (June 14,[1] 1928 – October 9, 1967), commonly known as Che Guevara, El Che or just Che was an Argentine-born Marxist revolutionary, medical doctor , political figure, and leader of Cuban and internationalist guerrillas. ... Mao could refer to: Mao Zedong, (Mao Tse-Tung in Wade-Giles) leader of the Communist Party of China from 1935 to 1976. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Guerrilla warfare (also spelled guerilla) is a method of unconventional combat by which small groups of combatants attempt to use mobile and surprise tactics (ambushes, raids, etc) to defeat a foe, often a larger, less mobile, army. ... The Metropole was the name given to the English metropolitan center of the British Empire, i. ... A covert cell structure is a method for organizing undercover or unconventional fighters against a large and well-established organization. ... For other uses, see Commando (disambiguation). ... Quartermaster is a term usually referring to a military unit which specializes in supplying and provisioning troops, or to an individual who does the same. ... Look up cadre in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...


In 1969 the Brazillian revolutionary Carlos Marighella published his Minimanual of the Urban Guerrilla. He described the urban guerrilla as: For the Stargate SG-1 episode, see 1969 (Stargate SG-1). ... Carlos Marighella (5 December 1911 - 4 November 1969) was a Brazilian guerrilla revolutionary and Marxist writer. ...

"..a person who fights the military dictatorship with weapons, using unconventional methods. The urban guerrilla follows a political goal, and only attacks the government, the big businesses and the foreign imperialists."

The importance of small arms training, sabotage, expropriation, and a substantial safehouse/support base among the urban population was exhorted in Marighella's guide. This publication was an antecedent to Meinhof's 'The Urban Guerrilla Concept' and has subsequently influenced many guerrilla and insurgent groups around the globe. Although the some of the Red Army Faction's supporters and operatives could be described as having an anarchist or libertarian communist slant, the group's leading members professed a largely Marxist-Leninist ideology. That said, they shied away from overt collaboration with 'communist states' although R.A.F members did receive intermittent support and sanctuary over the Berlin Wall in the German Democratic Republic/East Germany. Small arms captured in Fallujah, Iraq by the US Marine Corps in 2004 The term small arms generally describes any number of smaller infantry weapons, such as firearms that an individual soldier can carry. ... “Saboteur” redirects here. ... Expropriation is the act of removing from control the owner of an item of property. ... A safe house is a location placed in the neighbourhood where a trusted adult or family or charity organisation has agreed to provide a safe place for battered wives and abused children to go to, when they feel that their life is threatened by domestic abuse. ... An insurgency is an armed rebellion against a constituted authority, by any irregular armed force that rises up against an enforced or established authority, government, or administration. ... Anarchism is a generic term describing various political philosophies and social movements that advocate the elimination of hierarchy and imposed authority. ... Anarchist Communism, also known as Anarcho-Communism, Communo-Anarchism or Libertarian Communism, is a political ideology related to Libertarian socialism. ... Vladimir Lenin in 1920 Leninism is a political and economic theory which builds upon Marxism; it is a branch of Marxism (and it has been the dominant branch of Marxism in the world since the 1920s). ... A map of countries who declared themselves to be socialist states under the Marxist-Leninist or Maoist definition (in other words, Communist states) at some point in their history. ... East German construction workers building the Berlin Wall, November 20, 1961. ... “East Germany” redirects here. ... GDR redirects here. ...


After their trial for the department store arsons, Baader and Ensslin went into hiding, but Baader was caught again in April 1970. On May 14, 1970, Baader was freed from custody by Meinhof and others. Baader, Ensslin, Mahler, and Meinhof then went to Jordan where they briefly trained for guerrilla warfare with the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). May 14 is the 134th day of the year (135th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) (Arabic: ;   or Munazzamat al-Tahrir al-Filastiniyyah) is a political and paramilitary organization regarded by the Arab League since October 1974 as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people. ...


When they returned to West Germany, they began what they called "anti-imperialistic fight", with bank robberies to raise money and bomb attacks against U.S. military facilities, German police stations, and buildings of the Axel Springer press empire. A manifesto authored by Meinhof used the name "RAF" and the red-star logo with a Heckler & Koch MP5 submachine gun for the first time [2]. After an intense manhunt, Baader, Ensslin, Meinhof, Holger Meins, and Jan-Carl Raspe were caught in June 1972. It has been suggested that Safecatch be merged into this article or section. ... Red star on the Soviet flag The five-pointed red star (a pentagram without the inner pentagon) is a symbol of Communism and Socialism and represents the five fingers of the workers hand, as well as five of six inhabited continents. ... It has been suggested that Heckler & Koch MP5K be merged into this article or section. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Holger Meins joined the Red Army Faction (RAF) in the early 1970s. ... Jan-Carl Raspe Jan-Carl Raspe (July 24, 1944 - October 18, 1977) was a member of the German militant group, the Red Army Faction. ...


Custody and the Stammheim trial

Justizvollzugsanstalt Stuttgart-Stammheim
Justizvollzugsanstalt Stuttgart-Stammheim

After the arrest of the main protagonists of the first generation of the RAF, they were jailed individually in solitary confinement in the newly constructed high security Stammheim Prison in the north of Stuttgart. When Ensslin devised an "info system" using aliases for each member, the four prisoners were able to communicate again, circulating letters with the help of their defence counsels. Image File history File links JustizvollzugsanstaltStammheim. ... Image File history File links JustizvollzugsanstaltStammheim. ... Solitary confinement, colloquially referred to as the hole (or in British English the block), is a punishment in which a prisoner is denied contact with any other persons, excluding guards, chaplains and doctors. ... Stammheim Prison today Stammheim Prison (German: ) is a prison in Stuttgart, Baden Württemberg, Germany. ... City Center seen from Weinsteige Road Solitude Palace The 1956 TV Tower U.S. Army Kelley Barracks Stuttgart (IPA: []) is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. ... A pseudonym (Greek pseudo + -onym: false name) is an artificial, fictitious name, also known as an alias, used by an individual as an alternative to a persons true name. ... Look up counsel in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...


To protest against their treatment by authorities, they went on several coordinated hunger strikes; eventually, they were force-fed. Holger Meins died of self-induced starvation on 9 November 1974. After public protests, their conditions were somewhat improved by the authorities. A hunger strike is a method of non-violent resistance in which participants fast as an act of political protest, or to provoke feelings of guilt or to achieve a goal such as a policy change. ... is the 313th day of the year (314th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ...


The so-called second generation of the RAF emerged at the time, consisting of sympathizers independent of the inmates. This became clear when, on February 27, 1975, Peter Lorenz, the CDU candidate for mayor of Berlin, was kidnapped by the Movement 2 June (allied to the R.A.F) as part of pressure to engender the release of several other detainees. Since none of the detainees were on trial for murder, the state agreed, and those inmates (and therefore later Lorenz) were released. is the 58th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Peter Lorenz (December 22, 1922-December 6, 1987) was a German politician (CDU). ... The Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU - Christlich Demokratische Union Deutschlands) is the largest conservative political party in Germany. ... This article is about the capital of Germany. ... The Movement 2 June also known as the June 2 Movement, June 2nd Movement or J2M was a well known West German militant group based in West Berlin. ...


On April 24, 1975, the German embassy in Stockholm was occupied by members of the RAF; two of the hostages were murdered as the German government under Chancellor Helmut Schmidt refused to give in to their demands. Two of the hostage-takers died from injuries they suffered when the explosives deployed by the terrorists detonated later that night. April 24 is the 114th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (115th in leap years). ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Nickname: Location of Stockholm in northern Europe Coordinates: Country Sweden Municipality Stockholm Municipality County Stockholm Province Södermanland and Uppland Charter 13th Century Population (April 2007)  - City 782,885  - Density 4,160/km² (10,774. ... Helmut Heinrich Waldemar Schmidt (born December 23, 1918) is a German Social Democratic politician. ...

The Stammheim trial shows the four defendants in the background, and defence attorneys in the foreground
The Stammheim trial shows the four defendants in the background, and defence attorneys in the foreground

On May 21, 1975, the Stammheim trial of Baader, Ensslin, Meinhof, and Jan-Carl Raspe began, named after a city district of Stuttgart where it took place. Possibly the most tense and controversial German criminal trial ever, the Bundestag had earlier changed the Code of Criminal Procedure so that several of the attorneys who were accused of serving as links between the inmates and the RAF's second generation could be excluded. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... May 21 is the 141st day of the year (142nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1975 (MCMLXXV) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Andreas Baader Andreas Baader (May 6, 1943 - October 18, 1977) was the first leader of the German revolutionary organization Red Army Faction, commonly known as the Baader-Meinhof gang. ... Gudrun Ensslin Gudrun Ensslin (August 15, 1940 - October 18, 1977) was a founder of the German terrorist group Rote Armee Fraktion (RAF), better known as the Baader-Meinhof Gang. ... Meinhof as a young journalist. ... Jan-Carl Raspe Jan-Carl Raspe (July 24, 1944 - October 18, 1977) was a member of the German militant group, the Red Army Faction. ... City Center seen from Weinsteige Road Solitude Palace The 1956 TV Tower U.S. Army Kelley Barracks Stuttgart (IPA: []) is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. ... The gay gay gayBundestag (Federal Diet) is the parliament of Germany. ...


On May 9, 1976, Ulrike Meinhof was found dead in her cell, hanging from a rope made from jail towels. An investigation concluded that she had hanged herself, a result hotly contested at the time, spurring a plethora of conspiracy theories. Other theories suggest that she took her life because of being ostracized by the rest of the group. is the 129th day of the year (130th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1976 (MCMLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Meinhof as a young journalist. ... A conspiracy theory attempts to attribute the ultimate cause of an event or chain of events (usually political, social, or historical events), or the concealment of such causes from public knowledge, to a secret, and often deceptive plot by a covert alliance of powerful or influential people or organizations. ...


During the trial, more attacks took place; among them, on April 7, 1977, Federal Prosecutor Siegfried Buback, his driver, and his bodyguard were shot and killed by two RAF members while waiting at a red traffic light. April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Siegfried Buback (January 3, 1920 in Wilsdruff – April 7, 1977 in Karlsruhe) was the chief federal prosecutor from 1974-1977 for the Bundesgerichtshof, the highest court of appeals in Germany. ...


Eventually, on April 28, 1977, the trial's 192nd day, the three remaining defendants were convicted of several murders, more attempted murders, and of forming a terrorist organization; they were sentenced to life imprisonment. is the 118th day of the year (119th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ...


Autumn 1977 (German Autumn)

Main article: German Autumn

On July 30, 1977, Jürgen Ponto, then head of Dresdner Bank, was shot and killed in front of his house in Oberursel in a kidnapping that went wrong. Those involved were Brigitte Mohnhaupt, Christian Klar, and Susanne Albrecht, the last being the sister of Ponto's goddaughter. The German Autumn (German: Deutscher Herbst) was a set of events revolving around the kidnapping of Hanns-Martin Schleyer and the hijacking of the Lufthansa airplane Landshut, by the Red Army Faction (RAF) and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) respectively, in autumn 1977. ... is the 211th day of the year (212th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Jürgen Ponto, (December 17, 1923 - July 30, 1977) was a German banker and chairman of the Dresdner Bank board of directors. ... The 1978 Silver Tower houses part of the head office of the Dresdner bank. ... Oberursel (Taunus) is a town in Germany. ... Brigitte Margret Ida Mohnhaupt (born 24 June 1949) is a German terrorist associated with the second generation of Red Army Faction (RAF) (self described as a communist urban guerilla group) members. ... Christian Klar (born May 20, 1952 in Freiburg) was a leading member of the so called second generation of the German terrorist group Red Army Faction. ... Susanne Albrecht (b. ...


Following the convictions, Hanns Martin Schleyer, a former officer of the SS and NSDAP member who was then President of the German Employers' Association (and thus one of the most powerful industrialists in West Germany) was abducted in a violent kidnapping. On September 5, 1977, his driver was forced to brake when a baby carriage suddenly appeared in the street in front of them. The police escort vehicle behind them was unable to stop in time, and crashed into Schleyer's car. Five masked assailants immediately killed the three policemen and the driver and took Schleyer hostage. Hanns-Martin Schleyer Hanns Martin Schleyer (May 1, 1915, Offenburg – October 19, 1977 near Mulhouse, France) was a German manager, CDU member and employer representative. ... SS or ss or Ss may be: The Schutzstaffel, a Nazi paramilitary force Steamship (SS) (ship prefix) The United States Secret Service A submarine not powered by nuclear energy (SS) (United States Navy designator), see SSN A Soviet/Russian surface-to-surface missile, as listed by NATO reporting name Shortstop... The Nazi swastika The National Socialist German Workers Party (German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei), better known as the NSDAP or the Nazi Party was a political party that was led to power in Germany by Adolf Hitler in 1933. ... September 5 is the 248th day of the year (249th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ...


A letter then arrived at the Federal Government, demanding the release of eleven detainees, including those from Stammheim. A crisis committee was formed in Bonn under the lead of Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, which, instead of acceding, resolved to employ delaying tactics to give the police time to ascertain Schleyer's location. At the same time, a total communication ban was imposed on the prison inmates, who were only allowed visits from government officials and the prison chaplain. Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany, located about 20 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia. ... Helmut Heinrich Waldemar Schmidt (born December 23, 1918) is a German Social Democratic politician. ...


The state crisis dragged on for more than a month, while the Bundeskriminalamt carried out its biggest investigation to date. Matters escalated when, on October 13, 1977, Lufthansa Flight 181 from Palma de Mallorca to Frankfurt was hijacked (Landshut Hijacking). A group of four Arabs took control of the plane (named Landshut). The leader introduced himself to the passengers as "Captain Mahmud" who would be later identified as Zohair Youssef Akache. When the plane landed in Rome for refuelling, he issued the same demands as the Schleyer kidnappers, plus the release of two Palestinians held in Turkey and payment of USD $15 million. The Federal Criminal Police Office of Germany (in German: Bundeskriminalamt (BKA); other translations: Federal Criminal Police Bureau, Federal Criminal Office, Federal Criminal Bureau) is the federal police of Germany, comparable to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States, French National Police in France, or the Australian Federal Police... October 13 is the 286th day of the year (287th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... The Landshut at Mogadishu Airport, on October 18, 1977. ... Location Coordinates : Time Zone : CET (GMT +1) - summer: CEST (GMT +2) General information Native name Palma (Catalan) Spanish name Palma de Mallorca Postal code 070XX Area code 34 (Spain) + 971 (Palma de Mallorca) Website http://www. ... For other uses, see Frankfurt (disambiguation). ... Hijackers inside flightdeck of TWA Flight 847 Aircraft hijacking (also known as skyjacking and aircraft piracy) is the take-over of an aircraft, by a person or group, usually armed. ... The Landshut Hijacking (in German: Landshut Entführung) was the hijacking of a Lufthansa aircraft hijacked as part of the events in the German Autumn of 1977. ... Languages Arabic other minority languages Religions Predomiantly Sunni Islam, as well as Shia Islam, Greek Orthodoxy, Greek Catholicism, Alawite Islam, Druzism, Ibadi Islam, and Judaism Footnotes a Mainly in Antakya. ... Landshut is a city in Bavaria in the south-east of Germany both belonging to Eastern and Southern Bavaria. ... Nickname: Motto: SPQR: Senatus Populusque Romanus Location of the city of Rome (yellow) within the Province of Rome (red) and region of Lazio (grey) Coordinates: Region Lazio Province Province of Rome Founded 21 April 753 BC Government  - Mayor Walter Veltroni Area  - City 1,285 km²  (580 sq mi)  - Urban 5... The United States dollar is the official currency of the United States. ...


The Bonn crisis squad again decided not to give in. The plane flew on via Larnaca to Dubai, and then to Aden, where flight captain Jürgen Schumann, whom the hijackers deemed not fully cooperative, was brought before an improvised "revolutionary tribunal" and murdered in cold blood on October 16. His body was dumped on the runway. The aircraft again took off, flown by the remaining co-pilot Jürgen Vietor, this time headed for Mogadishu, Somalia. District Larnaka  - Mayor Andreas Moyseos Population (2001)  - City 72,000 Time zone EET (UTC+2) Website: http://www. ... Coordinates: , Emirate Dubai Government  - Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Area [1]  - Metro 4,114 km² (1,588. ... Port of Aden (around 1910). ... October 16 is the 289th day of the year (290th in leap years). ... Mogadishu (Somali: Muqdisho, popularly Xamar; Arabic: ; Italian: ), is the largest city in Somalia, and its capital. ...


A high-risk rescue operation was led by Hans-Jürgen Wischnewski, then undersecretary in the chancellor's office, who had secretly been flown in from Bonn. At five past midnight (CET) on October 18, the plane was stormed in a seven-minute assault by the GSG 9, an elite unit of the German federal police. All four hijackers were shot; three of them died on the spot. Not one passenger was seriously hurt and Wischnewski was able to phone Schmidt and tell the Bonn crisis squad that the operation had been a success. Hans-Jürgen Wischnewski, (July 24, 1922 in Allenstein-February 24, 2005 in Cologne), was a German Social Democrat politician who is best known for his involvement in negotiating with the Somalian government during the joint Baader-Meinhof Gang and PFLP hijacking of a Lufthansa aircraft in 1977. ... Time zones of Europe: Light colours indicate countries not observing summer time Central European Time (CET) is one of the names of the time zone that is 1 hour ahead of Coordinated Universal Time. ... is the 291st day of the year (292nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Grenzschutzgruppe 9 (GSG 9 - Border protection group 9) is a German counter-terrorism unit, and is considered to be among the best of such units in the world. ...


Half an hour later, German radio broadcast the news of the rescue, to which the Stammheim inmates listened on their radios. In the course of the night, Baader was found dead with a gunshot wound in the back of his head and Ensslin hanged in her cell; Raspe died in hospital the next day from a gunshot to the head. Irmgard Möller, who had several stab wounds in the chest, survived and was released from prison in 1994. Mugshot of Irmgard Möller The title of this article contains the character ö. Where it is unavailable or not desired, the name may be represented as Irmgard Moeller. ...

The funeral of Baader, Ensslin and Raspe
The funeral of Baader, Ensslin and Raspe

The official inquiry concluded that this was a collective suicide, but again conspiracy theories abounded. However, none of these theories were ever brought forward by the RAF itself. Some have questioned how Baader managed to obtain a gun in the high-security prison wing specially constructed for the first generation RAF members. Also, only a total commitment to her cause would have allowed Möller to have herself inflicted the four stab wounds found near her heart. However, independent investigations have shown that the inmates' lawyers were able to smuggle in weapons and equipment in spite of the high security. Möller claims that it was actually an extrajudicial killing, orchestrated by the German government, in response to Red Army demands that the prisoners be released. Image File history File links Size of this preview: 429 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (500 × 698 pixel, file size: 104 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This work is copyrighted and unlicensed. ... Image File history File links Size of this preview: 429 × 599 pixel Image in higher resolution (500 × 698 pixel, file size: 104 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) This work is copyrighted and unlicensed. ...


On October 18, 1977, Hanns-Martin Schleyer was shot to death by his captors on route to Mulhouse, France. The next day, on October 19, Schleyer's kidnappers announced that he had been "executed" and pinpointed his location. His body was recovered later that day in the trunk of a green Audi 100 on the rue Charles Péguy. The French newspaper Libération received an letter declaring: is the 291st day of the year (292nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Also: 1977 (album) by Ash. ... Mulhouse (French: Mulhouse, pronounced ; Alsatian: Milhüsa; German: Mülhausen) is a town and commune in eastern France close to Swiss and German border. ... is the 292nd day of the year (293rd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Audi 100 Avant 1994 (C4) The Audi 100 was a mid-sized automobile from Audi that was made between 1968 and 1994. ... Charles Péguy (January 7, 1873-September 4, 1914) was a noted French poet and essayist. ... Libération (affectionately known as Libé) is a French daily newspaper founded in Paris in 1973 by Jean-Paul Sartre, Pierre Victor alias Benny Lévy and Serge July in the wake of the protest movements of May 1968. ...

"After 43 days we have ended Hanns-Martin Schleyer's pitiful and corrupt existence... His death is meaningless for our pain and our rage... The struggle has only begun. Freedom through armed, anti-imperialist struggle."

The events in the autumn of 1977, possibly the biggest criminal and political showdown that Germany has experienced since the end of World War II, are frequently referred to as Der Deutsche Herbst ("German Autumn"). A two-part 1997 television mini-series by Heinrich Breloer called Todesspiel ("Death Game") gives a good account of the events, as far as they can be reconstructed today. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...


The RAF in the 1980s and 1990s

The collapse of the Soviet Union was a serious blow to left-wing groups, but well into the 1990s attacks were still being committed under the name "RAF". Among these were the killing of CEO of MTU, a German engineering company, Ernst Zimmermann; another bombing at the US Air Force's Rhein-Main Air Base (near Frankfurt), which targeted the base commander and killed three bystanders; the death in a car-bombing of Siemens executive Karl-Heinz Beckurts and his driver; and the shooting of Gerold von Braunmühl, a leading official at Germany's foreign ministry. On November 30, 1989, Deutsche Bank chairman Alfred Herrhausen was killed with a highly complex bomb when his car triggered a photo sensor, in Bad Homburg. On April 1, 1991, Detlev Karsten Rohwedder, leader of the government Treuhand organization responsible for the privatization of the East German state economy, was shot dead. The assassins of Zimmermann, von Braunmühl, Herrhausen and Rohwedder were never reliably identified . The rise of Gorbachev Although reform stalled between 1964–1982, the generational shift gave new momentum for reform. ... Seal of the Air Force. ... Rhein-Main Air Base (located at ) was a U.S. Air Force / NATO military airbase near the city of Frankfurt am Main, Germany. ... For other uses, see Frankfurt (disambiguation). ... Siemens AG (ISIN: DE0007236101, FWB: SIE, NYSE: SI) is one of the worlds largest companies and Europes largest engineering firm. ... November 30 is the 334th day of the year (335th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1989 (MCMLXXXIX) was a common year starting on Sunday (link displays 1989 Gregorian calendar). ... Deutsche Bank AG (ISIN: DE0005140008, NYSE: DB) (English: German Bank) is a multinational bank operating worldwide and employing more than 67,400 people (January, 2007). ... Banker Alfred Herrhausen fell victim to a terrorist bomb shortly after leaving his home in Bad Homburg on the November 30, 1989. ... Bad Homburg is the capital city of the Hochtaunuskreis, Hessen, Germany, on the southern slope of the Taunus, bordering among others Frankfurt and Oberursel. ... is the 91st day of the year (92nd in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1991 (MCMXCI) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the 1991 Gregorian calendar). ... Detlev Rohwedder (* 16. ... The Treuhand (Treuhandanstalt or Treuhand agency) was the agency that privatized the East German state owned enterprises. ... GDR redirects here. ...


After German reunification in 1990, it was discovered that the RAF had received financial and logistic support from the Stasi, the security and intelligence organization of East Germany, which had given several members shelter and new identities, although this was already generally suspected at the time.[2] German reunification (German: ) took place on October 3, 1990, when the areas of the former German Democratic Republic (GDR, in English commonly called East Germany) were incorporated into the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG, in English commonly called West Germany). The start of this reunification process is commonly referred to... Logo of East Germanys Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (MfS or Stasi) / Ministry for State Security This article is about Stasi, the secret police of East Germany. ... GDR redirects here. ...


In 1992 the German government assessed that the RAF's main field of engagement now were extrication missions of former RAF-members. To weaken the organization further the government declared that some RAF-inmates would be released if the RAF refrained from violent attacks in the future. Hereafter the RAF announced their intentions to "take back the escalation" and refrain from significant activity.


The last action taken by the RAF took place in 1993 with a bombing of a newly built prison in Weiterstadt by subduing the officers on duty and planting explosives afterwards. Although no one was seriously injured this action caused property damage comprising 123 million Deutsche Marks (over 50 million euro). Weiterstadt is a town in the Darmstadt-Dieburg district, in Hesse, Germany. ...


The last big action against the RAF took place on June 27, 1993. A Verfassungsschutz (internal secret service) agent named Klaus Steinmetz had infiltrated the RAF. As a result Birgit Hogefeld and Wolfgang Grams were to be arrested in Bad Kleinen. Grams and GSG-9 officer Michael Newrzella died during the mission. While it was initially concluded that Grams committed suicide, others claimed his death was in revenge for Newrzella's. Two eyewitness accounts supported the claims of an execution-style murder. However, an investigation headed by the attorney general could not substantiate such claims. Due to a number of operational mistakes involving the various police services, German Minister of the Interior Rudolf Seiters took responsibility and resigned from his post. June 27 is the 178th day of the year (179th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... BfV headquarters in Cologne Verfassungsschutz (Protection of the Constitution) is the short name for Germanys federal and state-based secret services for the interior (Bundesamt für Verfassungsschutz). ... Birgit Hogefeld (born 1956 in Wiesbaden) was a member of the West German terrorist group The Baader-Meinhof Gang also known as the Red Army Faction. ... Wolfgang Grams (March 6, 1953 - June 27, 1993) was a member of the terrorist group Red Army Faction. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Michael Nerwzella (September 1967 - June 27, 1993) was a german police officer and member of the famous GSG 9. ... Rudolf Seiters, born October 13, 1937 in Osnabrück, Germany is a German politician of the CDU (Christian Democratic Union) party. ...


On April 20, 1998 an eight-page typewritten letter in German was faxed to the Reuters news agency, signed "RAF" with the machine-gun red star, declaring the group dissolved: April 20 is the 110th day of the year (111th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Reuters Group plc (LSE: RTR and NASDAQ: RTRSY); pron. ...

"Vor fast 28 Jahren, am 14. Mai 1970, entstand in einer Befreiungsaktion die RAF. Heute beenden wir dieses Projekt. Die Stadtguerilla in Form der RAF ist nun Geschichte."
("Almost 28 years ago, on May 14, 1970, the RAF arose in a campaign of liberation. Today we end this project. The urban guerrilla in the shape of the RAF is now history.")

Name

Faction versus Fraktion

The name was inspired by that of the Japanese Red Army, a Japanese leftist paramilitary group. The usual translation into English is the Red Army Faction however, the founders wanted it to reflect what they saw as not so much an orthodox political faction or splinter group but an embryonic militant unit or set of 'groupuscules' that was embedded in or part of a wider communist workers' movement [3]. The abbreviation R.A.F was also a gibe at the Royal Air Force, a major contributor to the huge NATO presence in West Germany. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... A political faction is presently an informal grouping of individuals, especially within a political organisation, such as a political party, a trade union, or other group with some kind of political purpose (referred to in this article as the “broader organisation”). It may also be referred to as a power... In politics, there is a tendency on the far left and right for a proliferation of tiny groups, often known by the French term groupuscules, usually characterized by extremely rigid ideologies and built around personalities, that are constantly splitting to create new groups. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the air force branch of the British Armed Forces. ...


RAF versus Baader-Meinhof

The group always called itself the Rote Armee Fraktion, never the Baader-Meinhof Group or Gang. The name correctly refers to all incarnations of the organization: the "first generation" RAF, which consisted of Baader and his associates, the "second generation" RAF, which operated in the late 1970s after the group Socialist Patients' Collective was absorbed by it, and the "third generation" RAF, which existed in the 1980s and 90's. For other uses of the term SPK, see SPK (disambiguation). ...


The terms "Baader-Meinhof Gang" and "Baader-Meinhof Group" were first used by the media and the organization was generally known by these during its first generation, and applies only until Baader's death in 1977. The organization never used these terms for themselves, but the German media used them to avoid legitimizing the movement. Although Meinhof was not considered to be a leader of the gang at any time, her involvement in Baader's escape from jail in 1970 led to her name becoming attached to it.[4]


List of assaults attributed to the RAF

Date Place Action Remarks Photo
11 May 1972 Frankfurt am Main Bombing of US barracks 1 dead, 13 wounded
12 May 1972 Augsburg and Munich Bombing of a police station in Augsburg and the Bavarian State Criminal Investigations Agency in Munich 5 police-officers wounded. Claimed by the Tommy Weissbecker Commando.
16 May 1972 Karlsruhe Bombing of the car of the Federal Judge Buddenberg His wife was driving the car and was wounded. Claimed by the Manfred Grashof commando.
19 May 1972 Hamburg Bombing of the Axel Springer Verlag 17 wounded. Ilse Stachowiak was involved in the bombing.
24 May 1972 Heidelberg Bombing outside of Officers Club followed by a second bomb moments later in front of Army Security Agency (ASA), U.S. Army in Europe (HQ USAREUR) at Campbell Barracks 3 dead (Ronald Woodward, Charles Peck and Captain Clyde Bonner), 5 wounded. Claimed by the 15th July Commando (in honour of Petra Schelm). Executed by Irmgard Moeller.
24 April 1975 Stockholm 1975 Occupation of the West German embassy, murder of Andreas von Mirbach and Dr. Heinz Hillegaart 4 dead, of whom 2 were RAF members