History Daily: The Killing of Benno Ohnesorg

June 2, 1967. Benno Ohnesorg, a West German student, is killed by a police officer while attending a protest in West Berlin. You can listen ad-free in the Wondery or Amazon Music app. Or for all that and more, go to IntoHistory.com History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser. Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

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• 0:09Lindsay Graham?

  Es es el mediodía del 2 de junio de 1967, fuera de la Casa de Operación Alemana en el este de Berlín. Detrás de un paraguas, una joven estudiante se encuentra entre una multitud de manifestantes enojados. Están manifestando contra el líder de Irán, Mohamed Reza Shah, quien fue invitado a asistir a la actuación de la flauta de Mozart por la noche a pesar de su notable registro en los derechos humanos del gobierno. Una joven se encuentra en la entrada de un Mercedes negro. Con la espalda en la espalda de otros manifestantes, se unen al levantamiento de asesinos mientras agentes de seguridad rodean el coche y empujan a Shah y su esposa hacia la Casa de Operación. Enojados, los manifestantes lanzan tomates y huevos en ellos, pero la pareja desaparece de inmediato dentro

• 0:54Lindsay Graham?

  y eso parece ser un indicio para que la policía fuera a avanzar. La agresión del oficial es tremenda y choquadora. Lanzando sus batanes, forzaron a los manifestantes de vuelta de la Casa de Operación. A la espalda, la joven se vea alrededor, pero de repente los amigos con los que se encontró no se pueden ver. Trata de encontrar una salida, pero se da cuenta de que está atrapada, como todos los demás. Su única salida es a un parque de parking bajo un edificio cercano. Todo alrededor de ella es caos. La estudiante se ha desvanecido por los manifestantes huyendo. Se derrumbó, golpeando el lado de un coche y cae al suelo. La gente se desvía y se enciende sobre ella, y ella lucha para volver a sus pies. Consigue levantarse y se encuentra frantically buscando algún otro lugar a躲

• 1:38Lindsay Graham?

  cuando se escucha el grito de un disparo que se reverbera a través del parque. Aterrado, la estudiante se vea alrededor y luego ve a un joven en el suelo. Se llena de sangre alrededor de su cabeza, y poniéndose sobre él, un oficial de policía agarra su pistola, y un rastro de humo todavía se eleva desde la barra. La joven se ve hacia el hombre que se encuentra en el cementerio. No se ve mucho mayor que ella, y si se tuviera que suponer, la herida que sufrió parece fatal.

• 2:07Lindsay Graham?

  Twenty-six-year-old Benno Onenzog will die before he can make it to a hospital. A student, husband, and soon-to-be father was attending his first protest when he was gunned down. But in a time of espionage and intrigue, Benno's killer will hide a crucial secret for decades. And when the truth finally comes out, it will change forever the way Germans remember this fatal shooting on June 2, 1967.

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• 3:55Lindsay Graham?

  From Noiser and Airship, I'm Lindsay Graham, and this is History Daily.

• 4:16Lindsay Graham?

  History is made every day. On this podcast, every day, we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world. Today is June 2, 1967, the killing of Benno Onensorg. It's November 21, 1967, in a West Berlin courtroom, five months after the death of Benno Ohnesorg. Thirty-nine-year-old Karl Heinz Korras sits up straight, adjusting the sleeves of his dark suit. He was the policeman who shot Benno Ohnesorg, and this is his trial. He's not been charged with murder, though, but with negligent homicide, causing death by disregarding the safety of others. By now, the trial is nearly over. All that remains is for the judge to deliver his verdict.

• 5:01Lindsay Graham?

  Over the past few weeks, many people have testified about the day of the shooting. In his own testimony, Karl Heinz claimed to have been knocked down and beaten by ten or eleven people at the protest. He also said that two young men had threatened him with knives, which prompted him to fire a warning shot. He claimed this bullet must have been the one that hit Benno. There were no eyewitnesses who could corroborate Karl Heinz's account, but there was also no one to contradict his story either. This is typical of the problems the prosecution has faced in the trial. Their case has been plagued by missing evidence. The piece of Benno's skull that contained the gunshot wound mysteriously vanished. The pistol magazine was never found, and even Karl Heinz's uniform was conveniently

• 5:44Lindsay Graham?

  dry-cleaned before his arrest. All of this has led to rampant speculation in the press, and when the judge arrives, he hushes a cluster of journalists who are whispering to each other in the gallery. All of these reporters are eager to hear the verdict of one of the biggest cases West Germany has seen in years, so they quickly fall quiet. Then the judge begins speaking. Citing a lack of evidence, he issues a verdict of not guilty. A very relieved Karl Heinz smiles at his lawyer because he's a free man.

• 6:14Lindsay Graham?

  Karl Heinz Korras might have escaped a prison term, but he doesn't get off entirely scot-free. Following his acquittal, he is demoted from police intelligence to a local investigations department, but that's seen by many as just a slap on the wrist, and it only deepens the anger felt by many people throughout West Germany. Several suspect a state cover-up, that Benno was murdered by the police and the authorities then deliberately misplaced the evidence. And at rallies across the country, young protesters claim the killing was a warning to anyone who attempts to question the German government. They say their country now welcomes brutal dictators like the Schaw with open arms, but guns down those brave enough to object. These students have not forgotten their nation's history. After World War II, the

• 6:59Lindsay Graham?

  Allied Powers agreed to divide and occupy a defeated Nazi Germany to prevent the country from ever becoming powerful enough to threaten Europe again. That has led to the creation of East and West Germany. But many students see the West Berlin Police Force as a dangerous relic of the country's past. More than 50% of its officers fought for the Nazis during the war, and they are still notorious for their anti-communist and anti-semitic attitudes. So more and more students in West Germany flock to protest groups like the Socialist German Students Union, or SDS. These organizations are unified by disillusionment with the status quo and a desire for justice for Benno Ohnesorg. With the public's strong support for their cause, the Ohnesorg family launches a legal

• 7:44Lindsay Graham?

  appeal over Benno's death. In 1970, Karl Heinz Korras is once again forced to stand trial over the incident. The Ohnesorg's lawyer argues that the original trial was severely flawed and did not consider all the available evidence. Still, the second trial ends the same way as the first: Karl Heinz is acquitted once again. Following this verdict, some formerly peaceful protesters start to see violence as a legitimate form of resistance. In this new, more extreme form of rebellion, militant left-wing groups like the Red Army Faction begin to emerge. Their methods of urban guerrilla warfare include bombing department stores and robbing banks to finance their activities. One group

• 8:26Lindsay Graham?

  of young anarchists even call themselves the "2nd of June Movement," naming themselves after the date Benno Ohnesorg was killed. But though Benno's death is central to their identity, their mission goes far beyond fighting for justice for him. The group is also committed to taking broader revenge against their government at large, and in 1975, their agenda will culminate in the most daring kidnapping in West German history.

• 8:52Speaker 03

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• 10:51Lindsay Graham?

  It's just before 9 a.m. on February 27, 1975, in West Berlin, more than seven years after the shooting of Benno Onisork. Peter Lawrence, a tall and slender politician with thick-rimmed glasses, gazes out of his black Mercedes, watching the bare trees that line the street flick by the window. West Berlin's elections are just three days away, and Peter is poised to become the city's first conservative mayor in 20 years. But Peter's attention is dragged away from the car window when a four-ton truck pulls into the intersection right in front of them. Peter's driver slams on the brake, jolting Peter forward in his seat. Their Mercedes skids to a stop, but the car behind them does not.

• 11:33Lindsay Graham?

  Furious, the driver gets out to inspect the damage to the rear of his car, and Peter watches through the windscreen, wondering what caused this truck to block the intersection. Just then, a man carrying a long broom emerges from the trees. He runs toward the Mercedes, smashes the broom over the driver's head, and knocks him unconscious. Peter realizes this is not an accident, it's an ambush. But before he can flee, four masked men fling open the doors of Peter's car. The largest of them pins Peter to the seat. Peter thrashes with all his might, but the men hold him down until one of them can rip back Peter's sleeve and inject something into his arm. Then, as the car's engine restarts, Peter begins to feel drowsy.

• 12:16Lindsay Graham?

  By the time the car is in motion and hurtling down the road once more, he is unconscious. After his abduction, Peter is moved to another car, then a truck, before finally waking up in a stuffy basement with a high ceiling and soundproofed walls. Knowing that a prominent politician like Peter will soon be missed, the kidnappers release a Polaroid photo of him, holding up a handwritten sign. It says that he is now a prisoner of the 2nd of June movement. This group of anarchists have pulled violent stunts before, so the government is worried for Peter's safety. But Peter's captors are determined to treat their hostage humanely. They provide him with a bathroom with a privacy curtain, and he's given newspapers every day, though the stories about his own kidnapping are censored.

• 12:59Lindsay Graham?

  And at first, the kidnappers try to question him about politics and the corruption they see in his party, but eventually they give up and just play chess with him instead. But the 2nd of June movement has serious demands in exchange for Peter's release, and they mail these directly to the press. They want the release of six imprisoned anarchists, whose crimes range from membership in an illegal organization to attempted murder. The movement also asks that the prisoners be put on a plane bound for Yemen, an ally of the Soviet Union. To guarantee the safety of the prisoners, the 2nd of June movement wants the former mayor of Berlin, Heinrich Alberts, to join them on the plane as a voluntary hostage. The deadline they give is 9:00 a.m. the following Monday, and if they don't get what they

• 13:41Lindsay Graham?

  want by then, they say they're going to kill Peter. On Sunday morning, one day before the deadline, while the authorities discuss arrangements for the prisoners' release, the West Berlin elections take place. Peter Lawrence's Christian Democratic Union Party wins the majority of votes, and Peter himself learns of the results when the kidnappers climb down a ladder into the basement and congratulate him on becoming the next mayor, though they remind him that he won't be taking office unless their demands are met. Then, on Monday morning, a plane takes off from Frankfurt Airport. Onboard are the newly released anarchist prisoners and their voluntary hostage, Heinrich Alberts. When the plane lands in Yemen, the prisoners disembark, and Heinrich Alberts is flown back to Germany with a letter to deliver.

• 14:26Lindsay Graham?

  Upon his arrival, he reads the message live on TV. The letter concludes with the phrase "A day like this, as lovely as today." This is the code to the kidnappers to release Peter Lawrence. So down in the soundproof basement, Peter's captors celebrate with a bottle of wine before releasing him. They revel in their victory, hoping that the kidnapping will make the authorities think twice about the way they treat protestors in the future, and believe that their success is a fitting tribute to Benno Unisord. But the truth about his death at the protest in West Berlin is still yet to be revealed, and decades later, a shocking revelation will alter perceptions of that day forever.

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• 17:12Lindsay Graham?

  It's May 23rd, 2009, outside a Berlin grocery store, forty years after the killing of Benno Ohnesorg. Now eighty-one, Karl Heinz Korras walks slowly to the store entrance. He's on his way to pick up more beer. It's a warm day, and the retired policeman stops to adjust his collar, glancing at the newspaper stand in front of the store. He sees his own name and face on every front page. His involvement in the killing of Benno Ohnesorg is being dug up again. But Karl Heinz doesn't need to read any of it. He already knows everything. After the shooting of Benno Ohnesorg in 1967, Karl Heinz was generally thought of as a policeman gone rogue, a fascist thug with a gun and a jumpy trigger finger.

• 17:55Lindsay Graham?

  But historians have now uncovered documents revealing that Karl Heinz was actually an undercover spy for the communists. Beginning in the mid-1950s, Karl Heinz passed information to the East German secret police, also known as the Stasi. As he rose up through the ranks of West Berlin's police force, the Stasi paid Karl Heinz more and more. But after Benno Ohnesorg's death, the Stasi cut all contact. They hid his files and destroyed any other evidence that could connect them to Karl Heinz, so the truth remained hidden for decades until now. When they are made public, the revelations are stunning. Many think it's possible that the Stasi asked Karl Heinz to exacerbate tensions in West Berlin, and that's why he shot Benno.

• 18:39Lindsay Graham?

  But there is no solid evidence to support this, and Karl Heinz has no intention of providing it. He's tired of it all, and he never reveals what really lay behind the shooting before he dies in 2014. His silence leaves behind a murky and confusing legacy. Benno Ohnesorg's death was a turning point in Germany's modern history, when its young people pushed for a clearer break with the country's fascist past and a renewed embrace of democracy and human rights. The revelation that Benno's killer was inspired by socialism and not fascism upset all preconceptions about the case and ensures that for years to come, questions will continue to be asked about what really happened and why when a young student was gunned down in a Berlin protest on June 2nd, 1967.

• 19:30Lindsay Graham?

  Next on History Daily. After a rare species of bird becomes a sought-after collector's item, the last pair of great auk's in the world is killed by Icelandic fishermen.

• 19:49Lindsay Graham?

  From Noiser and Airship, this is History Daily. Hosted, edited, and executive produced by me, Lindsay Graham. Audio editing by Mohamed Shazib. Supervising sound designer is Matthew Filler. Music by Thrum. This episode is written and researched by Angus Gavin Nakarn. Edited by Joel Cowan. Managing producer Emily Byrne. Executive producers are William Simpson for Airship and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.

• 20:16Lindsay Graham?

  American History Tellers is only possible because of listeners like you, so thank you. And don't miss an episode. Be sure to follow American History Tellers on Audible or wherever you get your podcasts. Audible subscribers can binge new seasons of American History Tellers early and ad-free right now. Join Audible in the Audible app or by subscribing on Apple Podcasts. And to find out more about me, including my other podcasts, my live show, the history tours I'm arranging, and all sorts of other things, go to historyishuman.com. That's historyishuman.com.