Ulrike Meinhof

The word terrorism does not often call to mind the image a young woman or a wife or a mother. Yet, that is exactly what comes to mind when one mentions the name Ulrike Meinhof, a German left-wing militant, who co-founded the Red Army Faction in 1970. This militant group was responsible for a series of bombings, assassinations, kidnappings, and bank robberies throughout the 1970s, and many people harbor feelings of anger and hatred for the group. Therefore, it was a bold decision for Franca Rame and Dario Fo to write and perform the monologue, I’m Ulrike – Screaming. This monologue, which took place in the Stammheim prison, gives Ulrike a voice and humanizes her in a way that the media and government never did. There are certainly several reasons for this unique decision, but two of the most prominent were the authors’ political views and the opportunity for the authors to make a comment on feminism. Indeed, the thought of humanizing a terrorist in this day and age is absolutely appalling to most people and it is therefore overpowering that this monologue was written and performed so blatantly. Why did the authors decide to take such a risk? The first major reason is their political views: Franca Rame and Dario Fo did not actually view Ulrike Meinhof as a terrorist. The couple was…

Founded in 1970, the Red Army Faction (originally the Baader-Meinhof Group) started as a student protest coalition in West Germany. These student groups protested and opposed some of the more modern social issues that arose, such as civil rights, racism, and anti-colonialism. Andreas Baader, Gudrun Ensslin, Horst Mahler, and Ulrike Meinhof founded the Red Army Faction after being convinced to go underground by Régis Debray, a close associate of Marxist revolutionary, Che Guevara. What inspired…

Andreas Baader and Gudrun Ensslin (who set fire to a department store in protest of the Vietnam war) as well as Ulrike Meinhof were known as the founders of the Far Left group. Travelling to the Middle East, the RAF received military support from the group Al Fatah , belonging to the PLO (Palestine Liberation Organisation). Arriving back in Germany, its first attacks in support of the anti-Vietnam struggle, were made to target organisations (e.g banks) politically involved with the U.S and West…

Gad Zabari, managed to escape, with the assistance of the wounded Weinberg. Weinberg was then shot dead and his body was thrown, naked, on to the street (Burnton). The remaining ten Israelis were brought into a single bedroom, where a weightlifter, Yossef Romano, attempted to overcome one of the intruders (Burnton). He too was shot, apparently castrated, and then left to bleed to death on the floor (Burnton). That left nine hostages remaining. A little after five a.m., the terrorist made their…

the change of work and social structures,” that contributed to “global-political upheavals.” Additionally, Siegfried cites “national self-realization” as a factor contributing to youth political activity, which in turn was a “result of worldwide decolonization, the fascist past of Germany, Italy, and Japan, the Vietnam War, and racism in the United States.” German students present a particularly interesting case study, though their feelings and motivations for action were not unique. Young…

I also want to cry. Sleeping in late and cooking elaborate meals for no one in particular. Driving forever. Jet planes from past lives, we don’t know what to do. I am by your side. I got so hungry I could have eaten my own hand. I don’t know what sustains me soI protect you from the things I want. Eventually you obtain dreamlike qualities. We discuss the concept of the universality of sadness. I pried you open too much like that. Your sadness becomes a heavy fog. Again I dream in moving…