HANAU, Germany

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz commemorated the fifth anniversary of a racist terror attack in the city of Hanau in which nine people were killed by a far-right extremist.

In a video message shared on social media Tuesday, Scholz condemned the attack as a brutal act of far-right violence and stressed the need to confront racial hatred.

He expressed his condolences to the victims' families and emphasized the lasting impact of the tragedy on German society.

"The victims of Hanau have left a painful void in their families, among their friends, and in our country. And this void will remain. But we can remember them. We can confront the racial hatred that fueled the murders in Hanau. Hate is now manifesting itself in very obvious ways. I feel deeply saddened when citizens write to me or tell me in personal conversations that they are afraid of being attacked," he said.

Scholz’s remarks came amid rising concerns over racism and far-right extremism in Germany, with calls for stronger measures to protect communities from hate-driven violence.

On Feb. 19, 2020, Tobias Rathjen carried out a racially motivated terrorist attack at two cafes in Hanau’s city center, killing nine people, including four Turkish citizens.

Following the attack, special operations police raided Rathjen’s home, where they discovered that the 43-year-old gunman had killed his 72-year-old mother and then committed suicide.

Investigations revealed that Rathjen had a hunting license and had left behind a letter and a video explaining his extremist motives.

At the time, then-Chancellor Angela Merkel strongly condemned the attack, saying: "Racism is poison, hate is poison, and this poison exists in our society."