Contemporary Witnesses, Politics, Opposition, West

The death of Benno Ohnesorg

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The Shah of Persia visits to West Berlin. During a demonstration against the Shah, 26-year-old student Benno Ohnesorg is shot and killed by a policeman in front of the Deutsche Oper on Bismarckstrasse. Later that year, the policeman is tried and acquitted.

Ohnesorg's death is viewed as a pivotal moment in West Germany's post-war history. The events of 2 June 1967 radicalise the student movement, leading to the protests of "sixty-eight".

Detlef Michel, who was briefly a member of Kommune 1, talks about that fateful day.

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  • Berlin-West, Deutsche Oper
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    47
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    52.5118855
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    13.3107948
  • Berlin-West, Flughafen Tempelhof
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    5
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    52.48042797
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    13.39259148
  • Berlin-West, Rathaus Schöneberg
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    20
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    52.4831069
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    13.3416724