On February 19, 2020, a gunman motivated by his far-right, racist beliefs went on a murderous rampage in Hanau, a German city near Frankfurt. He targeted places associated with immigrant communities, shooting nine people dead and wounding seven more. Afterward, he turned his gun on his mother and himself.

The perpetrator had watched YouTube videos shortly before the attacks, including speeches by Björn Höcke, one of the most prominent figures in the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and its leader in the state of Thuringia. Five years on, one of the victim's mothers says not enough has been done to prevent such tragedies from happening again. Serpil Temiz Unvar lost her 23-year-old son Ferhat.

"This tragic event has had resonance in society, but this resonance has been largely due to the efforts of the families affected, who have fought tirelessly to make their voices heard," she told DW. "These efforts, together with the solidarity shown by many, have contributed to society coming together in this case more than in similar events in the past. But these individual efforts, as important as they are, are not enough to bring about fundamental societal transformation."

Soon after the massacre, Unvar founded an educational initiative named after her son to fight racism and empower young people. A raft of other social and political projects have been established in the city. Many were launched or supported by family and friends of the victims, determined to uncover mistakes that might have meant the attacks could have been prevented, to keep the memories of their loved ones alive and to turn the spotlight on racism in German society.

A memorial is also due to be erected by 2026 in a square in Hanau that will be renamed 19 February, a steel sculpture incorporating the names of the nine........

© Deutsche Welle