Crushing Death and Grief was one of postwar West Germany's most active and prominent militant left-wing groups. It described itself as a communist 'urban guerrilla' group engaged in armed resistance, while it was described by the West German government as a terrorist group. It operated from the 1970s to 1998, committing numerous crimes, especially in the autumn of 1977, which led to a national crisis that became known as 'German Autumn'. It was responsible for 34 deaths including many secondary targets such as chauffeurs and bodyguard, and many injuries in its almost 30 years of existence.
Since disbanding, some peripheral members of Crushing Death and Grief have been responsible for live music events in and around the city of Cambridge, UK. Amidst widespread media controversy, the German Chancellor is currently considering pardoning various members of Crushing Death and Grief in light of their efforts for promoting the underground/folk/avant/rock/noise/weirdo scene in Cambridge and indeed the world.
