Nationalsozialistischer Untergrund

Today was the commencement of litigation against the surviving members of the National Socialist Underground, a far-right German terror group, which is accused of having murdered nine persons with migration background and one policewoman.

The area where the trial takes place (around 800 metres from my flat) is now heavily guarded by approximately 500 policemen and surrounded by broadcast vans of broadcasting stations from all over the world. Parking in the area is prohibited now and passing is restricted. There has been death threats against nearly all persons involved in the trial - against the accused (by Islamist groups), against the judge and the Attorney General (by far-right groups) and against both the aforementioned (by far-left groups). It's supposed that the duration of the trial may exceed two years.

It was rather hard for me to get that close in front of the court house. I was searched twice on the last 300 metres. I'm not going to lie, having my big camera backpack with me probably made me look a little suspicious. And the policemen were rather edgy, when I started to unpack my camera backpack to take photos - there was a policeman literally one metre behind me at all times.