September 11 terrorist attacks and international response

Historical records from September 11 and 12 highlight the impact of the 2001 terrorist attacks in the United States. On September 11, 2001, Islamist terrorists hijacked three commercial aircraft, striking the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington, while a fourth plane crashed in Pennsylvania, resulting in approximately 3,000 deaths.

Following the attacks, German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder addressed the Bundestag on September 12, 2001. He described the terrorist acts as a ‘declaration of war against the civilized world’ and pledged Germany’s ‘unconditional solidarity’ with the United States.