Walter Lübcke - 10 things to know with detail
- 1. Walter Lübcke was a German politician who served as the district president of the Kassel administrative district in the state of Hesse.
- 2. He was a member of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party, which is a center-right political party in Germany.
- 3. Lübcke was known for his strong stance on supporting refugees and immigration. He famously made headlines in 2015 for his statement at a town hall meeting, in which he defended the German government's decision to accept refugees, saying "those who do not support these values can leave this country anytime if they are not satisfied here."
- 4. In June 2019, Walter Lübcke was found dead at his home in Wolfhagen, Germany. He had been shot in the head at close range.
- 5. The investigation into Lübcke's murder led to the arrest of a suspect, Stephan Ernst, who had ties to far-right extremist groups.
- 6. It was later revealed that Ernst had a history of involvement in neo-Nazi activities and had expressed anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim views.
- 7. The murder of Walter Lübcke sparked a national debate in Germany about the rise of far-right extremism and hate crimes in the country.
- 8. Chancellor Angela Merkel condemned Lübcke's murder as a "political assassination" and vowed to combat right-wing extremism in Germany.
- 9. The trial of Stephan Ernst for the murder of Walter Lübcke began in June 2020. Ernst initially confessed to the killing but later recanted his confession.
- 10. The trial is ongoing, and the case continues to be closely watched as a symbol of the growing threat of far-right extremism in Germany.