A NEW REALITY FOR GERMANY
MUNICH — The fairy tale has ended. Though the details remain unconfirmed and sketchy, there is a strong feeling in Munich that the horror that has been avoided here but has plagued western neighbors, namely France and Belgium, will now become a component of German life.
The false confidence was built over the past few years on Germany’s meek, “behind the scenes” supporting role in Syria, an abstention on military action in Libya before the UN, and most importantly, the difficult decision by Chancellor Angela Merkel last year to allow over one million refugees to seek shelter in Germany.
The attack carried out at the largest shopping mall in Bavaria — and the ease in which it unfolded — are sure to give many more Germans pause about their security.
Earlier this week, about 140 miles north of Munich, a knife-wielding Afghani, who has been loosely connected to ISIL, attacked passengers on a train. The German government heightened security as a result.
Munich hosts two very important events every year, the Oktoberfest and the Munich Security Conference, and boasts some of the world’s best security. There is a stark realization from the inhabitants who this reporter spoke to that the sense of security has been shattered.
The Olympia Einkaufszentrum (OEZ) is a massive shopping center located about 2 miles west of Munich’s most famous landmark, Marienplatz. It is popular with both tourists and locals alike. Many Germans had buried thoughts of an attack so deeply, they were caught seemingly unaware by the events that were unfolding around them.
One woman was shopping when she saw people running toward her telling her to run. She said, “I heard many pops, very steady, about 10 or 12. People running. Many police. We all stopped running when we saw the police,” she said. She said most did not panic, but just tried to move quickly away from the popping sounds.
Another woman, of Turkish descent, was more emotional. She said, “I thought this could only happen in Turkey. Why would they come here?” It is a question that many Germans will be asking themselves this weekend.
The police closed down the mass transportation and asked people to remain where they were until the all-clear was sounded. Within minutes, the inhabitants of Munich began offering sofas and spare beds to anyone who felt as if that might be the better choice.
Munich, which has seen its fair share of terrorism from the Olympics to Oktoberfest, is resilient. But that resilience will be tested over the next few days, and some things will change. The spell has been broken.