Scientific Investigation of NSU Murder Commences in Hamburg
Introduction
Nearly two and a half decades after the fatal shooting of Süleyman Taşköprü, a greengrocer in Hamburg, Germany, a team of researchers has commenced a scientific investigation into the National Socialist Underground (NSU) murder. The aim is to thoroughly examine the events and investigations surrounding the crime and produce an independent, comprehensive report.
The Murder of Süleyman Taşköprü
On June 27, 2001, Taşköprü was gunned down in his father’s grocery store in Hamburg-Bahrenfeld by NSU terrorists Uwe Mundlos and Uwe Böhnhardt. He left behind a wife and a young daughter.
Taşköprü was one of ten murder victims of the far-right terrorist network NSU, which was comprised of Mundlos, Böhnhardt, and Beate Zschäpe. Between 2000 and 2007, they murdered eight Turkish-German small business owners and a Greek-German one, as well as a policewoman.
Delayed Recognition and Misdirected Investigations
Security authorities initially failed to recognize the connection between the crimes and initially investigated within the victims’ circles, including in Hamburg.
Scientific Investigation
Now, a team of researchers led by history professor Constantin Goschler from the Ruhr-Universität Bochum has been granted full access to case files, similar to a parliamentary committee of inquiry. The team will examine hundreds of folders with hundreds of thousands of pages from the police and intelligence services.
Hamburg’s Uniqueness and Research Goals
Hamburg is the only German state where the NSU committed a murder but where the crime has not been investigated by a parliamentary committee of inquiry. In 2023, the Hamburg Parliament decided to pursue a scientific investigation of the case.
The research team brings together expertise in contemporary history, criminal law, administrative science, and police sociology.
"We are not a flashy committee of inquiry chairperson, super cops, or clairvoyant profilers who will now uncover previously undiscovered evidence or masterminds," said Goschler. "The subject of our investigation is the police investigation and the criminal prosecution of the NSU murder. These are to be interpreted in the context of both the city’s history and the nationwide examination of the NSU murders."
Leveraging Existing Knowledge
The team will build upon the work of political committees of inquiry on the federal and state levels, as well as the findings of the NSU criminal trial.
Key Research Questions
"Why did the police investigations of all the murder squads in five German states focus on a hypothesis that proved to be unfounded?" is one of the central questions, according to administrative scientist Wolfgang Seibel. "Together, we will examine the organizational, as well as the social and cultural dynamics within the police, intelligence services, and judiciary during the NSU investigations."
Interdisciplinary Approach and Expected Findings
The researchers will present their report in three years. "The broad support of the Hamburg Parliament and the participating authorities, as well as the exceptional interdisciplinarity of the project team, are excellent prerequisites for a successful scientific investigation of the NSU murder in Hamburg," said police sociology expert Daniela Hunold.
