Die Möllner Briefe

In the organizer's words:

Remembering as a political practice

In 1992, the racist arson attack in Mölln destroyed the lives of the Arslan family. The then 7-year-old İbrahim Arslan survived, but lost his sister, his cousin and his grandmother. After the attack, people from all over Germany sent letters to express their sympathy and solidarity. But the letters never reached the families - they remained with the town of Mölln. It was only three decades later that a student came across them by chance in the town archives.

This highly topical documentary by award-winning director Martina Priessner tells the stories of the victims and survivors of the racist arson attacks of 1992 - and of the great solidarity that remained hidden for a long time. It was released in German cinemas on September 25, 2025 and has since been widely seen and discussed, with the Heinrich Böll Foundation also showing it in many cities.

The film has triggered a public debate about the town of Mölln. The mayor's statement and Priessner's response have since been juxtaposed - and make visible what the film deals with: Who defines what is remembered? And whose perspective counts?

Following the screening, Martina Priessner (director), Bengü Kocatürk-Schuster (DOMiD) and Kim Dresel (Arolsen Archives - International Center on Nazi Persecution) will discuss the question raised by the film: Whose memory counts, is preserved or concealed? The discussion asks about the role of archives in dealing with racist terror, the politics of memory and who owns the memory. It asks how archives take on these roles and do justice to these different attributions.

Moderation: Borjana Gaković (film and media scholar)

Price information:

Registration at: https://calendar.boell.de/de/civi_register/164673