Terrorism in Germany has occurred in several distinct periods, most notably during theWeimar Republic and theCold War. Acts of political violence have been carried out byfar-left andfar-right German groups, as well as byforeign organisations operating on German territory. These episodes have included assassinations, bombings, kidnappings, and other forms of politically motivated violence, and have had varying impacts on German politics, society, and security policy.
In the 21st century, Germany has faced renewed far-left, far-right, andIslamist extremist activity. Several attacks and plots linked tojihadist networks have occurred, including the2016 Berlin Christmas market attack, prompting expanded security measures andcounter‑terrorism efforts.
Contemporary threats include internationally connected jihadist networks, far‑right groups, and far‑leftmilitants, with authorities regularly disrupting planned attacks and monitoring radicalisation within the country.
The terrorism of the 1970s significantly shaped Germany's political culture and reinforced its policy of not negotiating with terrorists. It also led to the creation ofGSG 9 in 1972, shortly after theMunich Olympics massacre, a federal counter‑terrorism unit established within the then‑Bundesgrenzschutz (Federal Border Guard, renamedBundespolizei in 2005), which became one of the earliest dedicated counter‑terrorism andpolice special‑operations units and a model for similar units worldwide. That same year, theRadikalenerlass ('Radicals Decree') was introduced, which restricted individuals considered 'radical' or politically unreliable from holding public‑sector jobs.
In addition to organisational and administrative measures, the federal government also expanded criminal law to address terrorism. Forming, joining, or supporting terrorist organisations became a specific criminal offence under § 129a of the GermanStrafgesetzbuch (Criminal Code). The provision was introduced by the Act of 18 August 1976 as part of a broader package of counter‑terrorism legislation, which also established "terrorist organisation" as a defined legal category. These measures are sometimes collectively referred to as the "Lex RAF", reflecting their particular relevance to the activities of theRed Army Faction (RAF).
Traditionally, counter‑terrorism agencies in Germany have responded more quickly to extreme left‑wing groups than to extreme right‑wing ones. One explanation offered by researchers is that right‑wing extremists were often viewed as "corrigible", pursuing concrete and negotiable goals, whereas left‑wing extremists were regarded as "incorrigible", driven by ideological aims seen as non‑negotiable. Because left‑wing groups were perceived as challenging the foundations of the political system, they attracted a stronger state response, while right‑wing violence was sometimes treated as less politically threatening. In addition, far‑right attacks were at times not recognised as terrorism by security services, as they were not accompanied by explicit political statements or claims of responsibility. For example, the1992 Mölln arson attack on a house occupied by Turkish immigrants was initially attributed to organised crime and only later identified as the work of extreme right‑wing perpetrators, leading officials to question whether it constituted terrorism at all.[1]
In 2019, theFederal Criminal Police Office (BKA,Bundeskriminalamt) created a specialised department focused on Islamic terrorism and extremism.[2]
TheWeimar Republic (1919–1933) was Germany's first parliamentary democracy, established after theFirst World War. Germany's defeat created a period of political instability in which numerous far‑left and far‑right groups attempted to seize power. Both sides formed their ownmilitias and carried out political assassinations. For example, Foreign MinisterWalther Rathenau was assassinated in 1922 by a far‑right organisation, while members of theCommunist Party of Germany killed police captainsPaul Anlauf and Franz Lenck in Berlin in 1931.

During theCold War, particularly in the 1970s,West Germany experienced a wave ofterrorism, most of it carried out by far‑left groups such as theRed Army Faction (RAF), and culminating in theGerman Autumn of 1977, one of the most serious national crises in the country's postwar history. Terrorist incidents continued into the 1980s and 1990s. Some of these groups also maintained links to international terrorism, notablyPalestinian militant organisations, and some received support from theEast German Ministry for State Security (Stasi). In addition, both theProvisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) and theIrish National Liberation Army (INLA) carried out attacks against British military personnel based in West Germany, including the1987 Rheindahlen bombing and the 1996Osnabrück mortar attack, as part of their campaigns to target British forces stationed abroad.

Turkish and Kurdish Islamist groups are also active in Germany.[3] Political scientist Guido Steinberg stated that many top leaders of Islamist organizations in Turkey fled to Germany in the 2000s, and that theKurdish Hezbollah has also "left an imprint on Turkish Kurds in Germany."[3] Also many Kurds from Iraq (there are about 50,000 to 80,000 Iraqi Kurds in Germany) financially supported Kurdish-Islamist groups likeAnsar al-Islam.[3] Many Islamists in Germany are ethnic Kurds (Iraqi and Turkish Kurds) or Turks. Before 2006, the German Islamist scene was dominated by Iraqi Kurds and Palestinians, but since 2006 Kurds from Turkey and Turks are dominant.[3]
In 2015, 11 verdicts concerning jihadist terrorism related offences were issued by German courts.[4] In 2016, 28 verdicts for jihadist terrorism related offences were delivered.[5] In 2017 there were 27 verdicts.[6]
Almost all known terrorist networks and individuals in Germany have links toSalafism,[7] an ultra-conservative Islamic ideology.[8]
| Right Wing Extremists | Anarchists and Left Wing Extremists | Islamists and Salafists | Separatists and foreign Nationalists |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atomwaffen Division since 2018 | Red Army Faction 1970–1998 | Al-Qaeda since 2006 | Provisional Irish Republican Army 1980–1989 |
| Freikorps Havelland 2003–2005 | Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine | Islamic State since 2015 | Black September 1972 |
| Gruppe Freital 2015–2018 | Revolutionary Cells 1973–1993 | Ansar al-Islam | Grey Wolves since 1968 |
| National Socialist Underground 1999–2011 | Anti-Imperialist Cell 1992 – 1995 | ||
| Deutsche Aktionsgruppen 1980 | Movement 2 June 1972–1980 | ||
| Wehrsportsgruppe Hoffman 1973–1980 | Tupamaros West-Berlin (andMunchen) 1969–1970 | ||
| Combat 18 since 1992 | Revolutionäre Aktionszellen (RAZ) 2009–2011[9] | ||
| Action Front of National Socialists/National Activists 1977–1983 | Rote Zora 1974–1995 | ||
| Revolution Chemnitz 2018–2019[10] | Militante gruppe 2001–2009 | ||
| Nationale Bewegung 2000–2001 | Klasse gegen Klasse [de]1992–2003 | ||
| Hepp-Kexel-Group 1982 | Feministische Autonome Zelle (FAZ) since 2019 |
| Germany | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Date | Location | Deaths | Injuries | Type | Perpetrator or motives | Description | |
| 2 April 1968 | Frankfurt | — | — | Arson | Red Army Faction | -- Shopping Mall
| |
| 11 April 1968 | Berlin | — | 1 | Small arms fire | Josef Bachmann | -- Rudi Dutschke, prominent figure of the left-wing students movement
| |
| 10 February 1970 | Munich | 1 | 23 | Grenade attack andSmall arms fire | PDFLP andAOLP(Palestinian nationalists) | -- Airports & airlines
Main article:1970 Munich bus attack | |
| 13 February 1970 | Munich | 7 | 10 | Arson | Anarchist group (suspected) | -- Cultural institutions | |
| 2 February 1972 | Berlin | 1 | — | Bomb attack | 2 June Movement | -- British Military Vehicles and a British yacht-club (British Armed Forces)
Main article:2 June Movement | |
| 11 May 1972 | Frankfurt | 1 | 13 | Bomb attack | Red Army Faction | -- Government institutions (Foreign:United States Army)
| |
| 24 May 1972 | Heidelberg | 3 | 5 | Car bombing | Red Army Faction | -- Government institutions (Foreign:United States Army)
| |
| 5 September 1972 | Munich | 17 (5 perps.) | — | Hostage taking (2 days) | Black September (Palestinian nationalists) | -- Olympic Games
See also:Munich massacre | |
| 7 April 1977 | Karlsruhe | 3 | — | Small arms fire | Red Army Faction | -- Government institutions
See also:German Autumn | |
| 30 July 1977 | Oberursel | 1 | — | Small arms fire | Red Army Faction | -- Business
See also:German Autumn | |
| 5 September 1977 | Cologne | 5 | — | Small arms fire | Red Army Faction | -- Business
See also:German Autumn | |
| 22 August 1980 | Hamburg | 2 | 3 | Arson | Deutsche AktionsgruppenRight-wing terrorism | -- Private citizens (Refugees) & property
Main article:1980 Hamburg arson attack | |
| 27 September 1980 | Munich | 12 (one perp.) | 213 | Suicide bombing | Right-Wing Terrorism (perpetrator:Gundolf Köhler) | -- Private citizens & property
Main article:Oktoberfest bombing | |
| 11 May 1982 | Seckbach (Frankfurt am Main) | 1 | — | Assassination | Revolutionary Cells (German group) | -- German Politician Heinz-Herbert Karry | |
| 15 January 1982 | Berlin | 1 | 46 | Bomb attack | PalestinianNationalists | -- Private citizens & property
Main article:1982 Berlin restaurant bombing | |
| 25 August 1983 | Berlin | 2 | 23 | Bomb attack | ASALA (Armenian nationalists) andCarlos the Jackal | -- Diplomatic (French)
Main article:1983 French consulate bombing | |
| 1 February 1985 | Munich | 1 | — | Small arms fire | Red Army Faction | -- Business
| |
| 19 June 1985 | Frankfurt | 3 | 74 | Bombing | Abu Nidal Organization | -- Airports & airlines
Main article:1985 Frankfurt airport bombing | |
| 8 August 1985 | Rhein-Main Air Base | 2 | 20 | Car bombing | Red Army Faction &Action Directe | -- Government institutions (Foreign:United States Army)
Main article:1985 Rhein-Main Air Base bombing | |
| 4 April 1986 | Berlin | 3 | 231 | Bombing | Libyan agents | -- Private Citizens & Property
See also:1986 Berlin discotheque bombing | |
| 9 July 1986 | Munich | 2 | — | Bombing | Red Army Faction | -- Business
| |
| 23 March 1987 | Rheindahlen | — | 31 | Car bombing | Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) | -- British military base
| |
| 19 June 1989 | Osnabrück | — | — | Bomb attack | Provisional Irish Republican Army | -- Government institutions (Foreign:British Army)
| |
| 30 November 1989 | Bad Homburg vor der Höhe | 1 | 1 | Bombing | Red Army Faction | -- Business
| |
| 13 February 1991 | Bonn | — | — | Sniper attack | Red Army Faction | -- Government institutions (Foreign: United States)
| |
| 16 June 1991 | Friedrichshafen | 1 | — | Stabbing | Mario R. (Neo Nazi) | -- Angolan migrant
| |
| 12 October 1991 | Holzminden | 2 | 0 | Ambush, Shooting | Action Group for the Destruction of the Police State | --Police officers
Main article:1991 Holzminden ambush | |
| 24 August 1992 | Koblenz | 1 | 7 | Shooting | Andy Johann H. (Neo-Nazi) | --Civilians
| |
| 23 November 1992 | Mölln | 3 | — | Firebombing | Neo-Nazis | -- Private Citizens & Property
| |
| 29 May 1993 | Solingen | 5 | 14 | Firebombing | Far-Right | -- Private Citizens & Property
Main article:Solingen arson attack of 1993 | |
| 17 November 1993 | Cologne | — | — | Small arms fire | Anti-Imperialist Cell | -- Property
| |
| 27 October 1994 | Bad Freienwalde | — | — | Arson | Das K.O.M.I.T.E.E. | --Bundeswehr Building & Property
| |
| 28 June 1996 | Osnabrück | — | — | Mortar attack | Provisional Irish Republican Army | -- Government institutions (Foreign:British Army) Main article:Osnabrück mortar attack | |
| 23 October 1996 | Leipzig | 1 | — | Stabbing | Neo-Nazis | --Syrian migrant
| |
| 23 February 1997 | Roseburg | 1 | 1 | Shooting | Kay Diesner (Neo-Nazi) | --Police officers
| |
| 9 June 2004 | Cologne | — | 22 | Pipe bombing | National Socialist Underground | -- Private Citizens & Property
| |
| 9 September 2000 to 25 April 2007 | 10 | 1 | Serial Killing,Small arms fire | National Socialist Underground | -- Government institutions, Private Citizens & Property
| ||
| 26 February 2009 | Burg bei Magdeburg | — | — | Arson | Militante gruppe left-wing extremists | --Bundeswehr vehicle
| |
| 11 November 2009 | Frankfurt | — | — | Arson | Bewegung Morgenlicht | Solitary activist pretending to be a movement attacked a bank with fire bomb[59] | |
| 30 December 2009 | Berlin | — | — | Bomb attack | Revolutionäre Aktionszellen (RAZ) left-wing terrorists | --Employmeent agency
| |
| 4 February 2010 | Berlin | — | — | Bomb attack | Revolutionäre Aktionszellen (RAZ) left-wing terrorists | --House of economy
| |
| 19 November 2010 | Berlin | — | — | Firebombing | Revolutionäre Aktionszellen (RAZ) left-wing terrorists | --German Federal Administrative Office Berlin
| |
| 2 March 2011 | Frankfurt | 2 | 2 | Small arms fire | Arid Uka | -- Government institutions (Foreign:United States Army)
Main article:2011 Frankfurt Airport shooting | |
| 3 December 2011 | Göttingen | — | — | Firebombing | Revolutionäre Aktionszellen (RAZ) | --County Court
| |
| 14 May 2012 | Potsdam | 0 | 0 | Arson | Friends of Loukanikos | --County Court
| |
| 17 September 2015 | Cologne | — | 5 | Stabbing | Frank S. (Right-wing extremist) | --Henriette Reker (Politician)
| |
| 17 October 2015 | Berlin | 1 (one perp.) | 1 | Stabbing | Rafik Mohamad Yousef | -- Government institutions (Police) 41-year-old Rafik Yousef threatened several civilians with a knife and was fatally shot after stabbing an intervening police officer. Yousef was a member ofAnsar al-Islam in Kurdistan and had been previously convicted for planning an assassination attempt against Iraqi prime ministerAyad Allawi in 2004[68] | |
| 1 November 2015 | Freital | — | 1 | Bomb attack | Gruppe Freital (Right-wing extremists) | -- Refugee accommodation | |
| 5 February 2016 | Hanover | — | — | Arson | Saleh S. (Islamist) | -- Civilians
| |
| 26 February 2016 | Hanover | — | 1 | Stabbing | Safia S. (Islamist) | -- Government institutions (Police) | |
| 16 April 2016 | Essen | — | 3 | Bomb attack | Yussuf T. and Mohammed B.Islamic Terrorism | -- Sikh temple
| |
| 19 July 2016 | Würzburg | 1 (one perp.) | 5 | Axe attack | Riaz Khan Ahmadzai (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) | -- Private Citizens & Property Main article:2016 Würzburg train attack | |
| 22 July 2016 | Munich | 10 (one perp.) | 36 | Shooting | David Sonboly (Right-wing terrorism) | -- Private Citizens & Property Main article:2016 Munich shooting | |
| 24 July 2016 | Ansbach | 1 (one perp.) | 12 | Suicide bombing | Mohammad Daleel (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) | -- Private Citizens & Property Main article:2016 Ansbach bombing | |
| 26 September 2016 | Dresden | — | — | Pipe bombing | Nino K.Right-wing terrorism | -- Mosque & International Congress Center Dresden
| |
| 19 December 2016 | Berlin | 13 | 55 | Truck attack | Anis Amri (Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) | -- Private Citizens & Property Main article:2016 Berlin truck attack | |
| 28 July 2017 | Hamburg | 1 | 6 | Stabbing | Ahmad Alhaw (Islamic State) | -- Private Citizens Main article:2017 Hamburg attack | |
| March 2018 | Multiple cities | — | — | Multiple arson | Kurdish extremists and left-wing extremists | --Turkish Mosques, stores and cultural centers
| |
| 12 March 2018 | Gütersloh | — | — | Arson | Left-wing extremist cellVulkangruppe NetzHerrschaft zerreißen | --Power supply system
| |
| 26 March 2018 | North Rhine-Westphalia | — | — | Arson | Anarchist communist extremist groupAction Cell Haukur Hilmarsson | --Power supply system
| |
| 24 December 2018 | Hambach Forest | — | — | Arson | Green anarchist groupHambi Chaos Crew | --Pumping station | |
| 3 January 2019 | Döbeln | — | — | Bomb attack | Left-wing extremists | --Alternative for Germany office
| |
| 31 May 2019 | Bremen | — | 1 | Stabbing | Right-wing extremists | --Muslim civilian
| |
| 2 June 2019 | Wolfhagen | 1 | — | Assassination | Right-wing extremist | --Walter Lübcke
Main article:Murder of Walter Lübcke | |
| 22 July 2019 | Wächtersbach | 1 (one perp.) | 1 | Murder-suicide/Drive-by-shooting | Right-wing extremist | --Random African citizen
| |
| 23 July 2019 | Zittau | — | — | Bombing | Suspected right-wing extremists | --Ramona Gehring (Politician) | |
| 27 September 2019 | Berlin | — | — | Arson | Left-wing extremists | --Court building
| |
| 9 October 2019 | Halle (Saale) | 2 | 2 | Attempted mass shooting | Right-wing extremist | --Synagogue and Turkish restaurant Main article:Halle synagogue shooting
| |
| 19 February 2020 | Hanau | 11 (one perp.) | 5 | Mass shootings | Right-wing extremist | --Hookah bars Main article:Hanau shootings
| |
| 18 August 2020 | Berlin | — | 6 | Vehicle-ramming attack | Sarmad al-Z.(Islamist) | --Motorists
Main article:de:Amokfahrt auf der Berliner Stadtautobahn | |
| 4 October 2020 | Dresden | 1 | 1 | Stabbing | Abdullah al-H. H. (Islamist) | --Civilians
Main article:2020 Dresden stabbing | |
| 26 May 2021 | Berlin | — | — | Arson | Left-wing extremist groupVulkangruppe NetzHerrschaft zerreißen | --Power cables to factory
| |
| 18 September 2021 | Idar-Oberstein | 1 | — | Shooting | Mario N. (Opponent of Covid restrictions) | --Civilian
Main article:2021 Idar-Oberstein shooting | |
In the 2015–2020 time span, there were 9Islamic terrorist attacks and thwarted terrorist plots where at least one of the perpetrators had entered Germany as an asylum seeker during theEuropean migrant crisis. The Islamic terrorists entered Germany either without identity documents or with falsified documents. The number of discovered plots began to decline in 2017. In 2020 German authorities noted that the majority of the asylum seekers entered Germany without identification papers during the crisis and security agencies considered unregulated immigration as problematic from a security aspect.[95] Between 2020 and May 2025, 9 terrorist attacks classified as Islamist took place, including the 2020 Dresden stabbing and the2024 Solingen stabbings. These attacks typically used knives and vehicles; attackers were increasingly young and radicalized online, especially as a result of theGaza war, and typically acted alone without formal membership of terrorist groups such asIslamic State.[96]
In December 2019, German authorities reported to have thwarted ten Islamic terrorist plots since the2016 Berlin truck attack, includingone in Cologne in 2018.[97][98] Between 2020 and 2025, 20 Islamic terrorist attacks were publicly reported as being prevented by German authorities.[96]
In December 2025, five men were arrested in Germany on suspicion of plotting a vehicle attack on a Christmas market in southern Bavarian state, with authorities suspecting an"Islamist motive". The suspects included three Moroccans, an Egyptian, and a Syrian, who were detained over the plan. Prosecutors stated that the 56 year old Egyptian, reportedly animam, had called for a vehicle attack "with the aim of killing or injuring as many people as possible," while the Moroccan men, aged 30, 28, and 22, allegedly agreed to carry out the attack. The 37-year-old Syrian was accused of encouraging the others in their planned actions. Officials did not disclose the intended date or exact target but believed the planned attack was in the Dingolfing-Landau area, northeast of Munich. Bavarian Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann praised the "excellent cooperation between our security services" for preventing a potentially Islamist-motivated attack.[99][100]
| Year | Incidents | Deaths | Injuries |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1 | 8 | 205 |
| 2020 | 3 | 11 | 12 |
| 2019 | 12 | 3 | 14 |
| 2018 | 22 | 0 | 8 |
| 2017 | 27 | 1 | 10 |
| 2016 | 44 | 27 | 117 |
| 2015 | 66 | 1 | 38 |
| 2014 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| 2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | 8 | 2 | 2 |
| 2010 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| 2007 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| 2006 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| 2005 | 3 | 2 | 0 |
| 2004 | 3 | 1 | 25 |
| 2003 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | 3 | 0 | 2 |
| 2001 | 8 | 3 | 6 |
| 2000 | 8 | 1 | 28 |
| 1999 | 13 | 3 | 47 |
| 1998 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| 1997 | 12 | 0 | 27 |
| 1996 | 52 | 1 | 5 |
| 1995 | 147 | 10 | 26 |
| 1994 | 79 | 2 | 85 |
| 1993 | 37 | 7 | 58 |
| 1992 | 156 | 17 | 217 |
| 1991 | 65 | 10 | 35 |
| 1990 | 13 | 1 | 4 |
| 1989 | 22 | 5 | 8 |
| 1988 | 18 | 1 | 14 |
| 1987 | 20 | 2 | 33 |
| 1986 | 49 | 10 | 276 |
| 1985 | 57 | 9 | 114 |
| 1984 | 22 | 0 | 3 |
| 1983 | 6 | 2 | 25 |
| 1982 | 30 | 5 | 44 |
| 1981 | 31 | 2 | 31 |
| 1980 | 20 | 17 | 218 |
| 1979 | 17 | 0 | 10 |
| 1978 | 20 | 0 | 4 |
| 1977 | 41 | 6 | 2 |
| 1976 | 50 | 4 | 36 |
| 1975 | 35 | 1 | 12 |
| 1974 | 29 | 2 | 10 |
| 1973 | 27 | 1 | 1 |
| 1972 | 24 | 23 | 45 |
| 1971 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| 1970 | 32 | 8 | 9 |
| Total | 1,308 | 213 | 1,838 |

A number of books and films address this topic.
Die Mehrzahl der Salafisten in Deutschland sind keine Terroristen, sondern politische Salafisten. Andererseits sind fast alle in Deutschland bisher identifizierten terroristischen Netzwerkstrukturen und Einzelpersonen salafistisch geprägt bzw. haben sich im salafistischen Milieu entwickelt. [The majority of Salafists in Germany are not terrorists, but political Salafists. On the other hand, almost all hitherto identified terrorist networks and individuals in Germany are influenced by Salafism, for instance having developed in a Salafist environment.]
bomb heidelberg.
munich massacre terrorists.