Case file
1992 Mölln Arson Attack
On the night of 22 November 1992, two neo-Nazis set fire to two houses in Mölln, a town in Schleswig-Holstein, Germany, that were home to Turkish families. The attack killed three people and injured nine, making it the first fatal case of far-right extremists burning migrants' homes in post-reunification Germany and one of the earliest instances of right-wing terrorism in the country's post-unification history.
The attack followed a sharp rise in racist violence against Turkish-Germans in the years after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and German reunification. A series of arson attacks, bombings, and shootings had targeted members of the Turkish community in their homes, cultural centers, and businesses; several of these attacks, including the Mölln attack, caused multiple deaths and severe injuries.
The two perpetrators, 25-year-old Michael Peters and 19-year-old Lars Christiansen, firebombed two houses inhabited by the Turkish Arslan and Yılmaz families. Neighbors witnessed residents jumping from windows as the homes burned. The Yılmaz family was evacuated first, but fire blocked the Arslans' staircase and halls; seven-year-old Ibrahim Arslan was wrapped in damp towels by his grandfather and carried outside. Shortly after midnight, the town's fire department received an anonymous call reporting that an apartment building housing several foreign families was on fire; the caller ended the call with the words "Heil Hitler." Police and firefighters responded quickly, but the damage had already been done. Two girls, 14-year-old Ayşe Yılmaz and 10-year-old Yeliz Arslan, and their 51-year-old grandmother, Bahide Arslan, died in the fire. Nine others, including a nine-month-old baby, were seriously injured.
The attack prompted large public protests, with several thousand people marching quietly in Berlin and Hamburg. In Mölln, the town's mayor led a silent procession of several hundred residents. German courts convicted both Peters and Christiansen: Peters was sentenced to life imprisonment, and Christiansen, tried under juvenile law, received a nine-year sentence. Peters was released on parole in 2007, after serving 15 years, around the anniversary of the killings. Since his release, Christiansen has denied the extent of his involvement in the attack. The attack heightened fears among the German public, especially the Turkish minority, of further violence.
In 2025, a documentary titled The Moelln Letters, based on letters from survivors of the attack, was selected for the Panorama section of the 75th Berlin International Film Festival and premiered in February 2025.
Key facts
- Victims
- Bahide Arslan, Ibrahim Arslan, Ayşe Yılmaz, Yeliz Arslan
- Date
- 1992
- Location
- Mölln, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany
- Case status
- solved
Case timeline
1989
The fall of the Berlin Wall and German reunification are followed by a sharp rise in racist violence against Turkish-Germans, including a series of arson attacks, bombings, and shootings targeting the Turkish community.
1992-11-22
Michael Peters, 25, and Lars Christiansen, 19, firebomb two houses in Mölln inhabited by the Turkish Arslan and Yılmaz families. Ayşe Yılmaz (14), Yeliz Arslan (10), and Bahide Arslan (51) die in the fire; nine others, including a nine-month-old baby, are seriously injured.
2007
Michael Peters is released on parole after serving 15 years of his life sentence, around the anniversary of the killings.
2025-02
The documentary The Moelln Letters, based on letters from survivors of the attack, premieres in the Panorama section of the 75th Berlin International Film Festival.
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People
Michael Peters
CONVICTED25 years old at the time of the attack; convicted by German courts of firebombing the two houses and sentenced to life imprisonment; released on parole in 2007 after serving 15 years.
Bahide Arslan
VICTIM51-year-old grandmother of the Arslan family; died in the fire.
Lars Christiansen
CONVICTED19 years old at the time of the attack; convicted by German courts of firebombing the two houses and sentenced to nine years' imprisonment under juvenile law; has since denied the extent of his involvement.
Ibrahim Arslan
VICTIM7-year-old member of the Arslan family; rescued from the burning building by his grandfather during the attack.
Ayşe Yılmaz
VICTIM14-year-old member of the Yılmaz family; died in the fire.
Yeliz Arslan
VICTIM10-year-old member of the Arslan family; died in the fire.
Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.
Places
Common questions
- What happened to the victim?
- On 22 November 1992, two neo-Nazis firebombed two homes of Turkish families in Mölln, Germany, killing three people and injuring nine; both attackers were later convicted.
- Where did the arson happen?
- Mölln, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany.
- Who was convicted?
- Michael Peters (25 years old at the time of the attack; convicted by German courts of firebombing the two houses and sentenced to life imprisonment; released on parole in 2007 after serving 15 years.) and Lars Christiansen (19 years old at the time of the attack; convicted by German courts of firebombing the two houses and sentenced to nine years' imprisonment under juvenile law; has since denied the extent of his involvement.).
- What is the current status of the case?
- Status: solved.
Related cases
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Sources
- ENCYCLOPEDIC1992 Mölln arson attackWikipedia · 2026-07-12
- PRESSContemporaneous coverage — Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles Times · 2026-07-12
- PRESSContemporaneous coverage — dailysabah.comdailysabah.com · 2026-07-12
Record history
- First published
- JUL 13, 2026