Ulrike Meinhof

Ulrike Meinhof's legacy is defined by her dramatic arc from celebrated journalist to fugitive terrorist, culminating in a suicide at Stammheim Prison that remains the central piece of lore told to newcomers about her. While conspiracy theories occasionally suggest state murder, the consensus among experts holds to the official account of her hanging on May 9, 1976. The cultural mythology focuses on her transition from writing columns for konkret to joining Andreas Baader and Gudrun Ensslin in forming the Red Army Faction. Iconic moments include the 1972 kidnapping of industrialist Peter Lorenz and the 1977 hijacking of Lufthansa Flight 181, events often referenced in documentaries and films like Baader Meinhof Complex.