Wolfgang Grams
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Wolfgang Grams (March 6, 1953 - June 27, 1993) was a member of the German leftwing terrorist group Red Army Faction. He died during a botched police attempt to arrest him. According to the official version, Grams committed suicide.The ensuing uncertainty whether he had been executed by a policeman caused a scandal in Germany that resulted in the resignation of the German Interior Minister Rudolf Seiters and the sacking of the Chief Federal Prosecutor Alexander von Stahl.
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[edit] Life
Wolfgang Grams was born in Wiesbaden, Germany. His parents, Werner and Ruth Grams, were expelled from the east. Werner Grams volunteered for service in the Waffen-SS[1]. They had another son, Rainer.
During Grams' younger years, his family lived near the Wiesbaden/Erbenheim Air Base, and he demonstrated against the Vietnam War.
While living in a commune, he was given the nickname Gaks. After the arrest of Andreas Baader and Gudrun Ensslin, he started visiting terrorists in jail. He found the conditions of solitary confinement inhumane.
Grams name was found in a note book by a RAF terrorist who was killed during an arrest attempt. He was kept in custody for 153 days, but was given remuneration in 1980. He then met Birgit Hogefeld, and they began dating and moved in together.
On February 15, 1987, the Tagesschau on ARD ran a bulletin for Grams and Hogefeld. He was described as 180 cm tall and with blue green eyes and a striking dark skin discoloration on his face. From 1984 on he lived underground. Only in the Autumn of 1990 did he come home to meet with his parents in Taunus.
New DNA evidence hints at Gram's participation in the killing of Detlev Karsten Rohwedder in 1991.
[edit] Death
On June 27, 1993, members of the GSG 9 were to arrest Grams and Hogefeld at the train station in Bad Kleinen. During the process of the arrest, he managed to pull a gun and shoot two officers, succeeding in killing one, Michael Newrzella. According to the official version, he then proceeded to commit suicide. Officers were quoted as saying they saw Grams "suddenly fall backward" off of the station platform and onto the track. As Grams lay dying on the ties, medical personnel attempted to save him, but he died from a headwound while on the train tracks.
There are a number of discrepancies in the official version of the story which can be explained by recreating the occurrence as an execution style murder by the police in revenge for Newrzella's murder. At least two people from the train station (including an anonymous police officer) claimed to have witnessed an execution, Joanna Baron, the Kiosk owner declared[2]
The agent aimed at the head and shot from close range, a few centimeters from Grams' head. Then the second agent also shot at Grams, but more at his stomach or the legs. This agent also fired multiple shots..
Interior Minister Rudolf Seiters took responsibility for the poor conducting and postprocessing of the operation and resigned in July of the year, as well as Chief Federal Prosecutor, Alexander von Stahl. Helmut Kohl paid a visit to the unit, praising Newrzella and discouraged "attempts to make a martyr of his murderer."
[edit] External influence
- Grams was portrayed in the documentary Black Box BRD.
- The punk rock band WIZO wrote a song about the incident entitled "Kopfschuß".
[edit] References
- ^ From the film Black Box BRD de:Black Box BRD
- ^ [1] Der Beamte zielte auf den Kopf und schoss aus nächster Nähe, wenige Zentimeter vom Kopf des Grams entfernt. Dann schoss auch der zweite Beamte auf Grams, aber mehr auf den Bauch oder die Beine. Auch der Beamte schoss mehrmals.
