At the height of the "German Autumn" four Palestinians hijacked the Lufthansa aircraft 'Landshut.' The essay looks at the behavior patterns of first the decision-makers at Lufthansa, second the federal government, and third public institutions when dealing with the passengers directly affected by the hijacking. The rescued hostages' treatment by fourth the media and fifth medical-scientific research are then discussed. The essay takes the view that as victims of a highlypoliticized violent

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... , the 'Landshut' hostages occupied a special position. As 'political victims' they were able to open doors that helped sensitize society to the needs of victims of violent crime. Even so, interactions with them in all of the contexts investigated here can be described as at very least ambivalent.