Berlin, Mar 12 (IANS): Germany stands united against terrorism and propaganda that encourages violence, Federal Minister of Justice Marco Buschmann said on the occasion of the National Remembrance Day for the Victims of Terrorist Violence, which the country marked for the first time.

"Today, we remember the victims of terrorist violence, the victims worldwide, the victims in Europe, the victims in Germany," Buschmann said in a statement on Friday.

On March 11, 2004, a series of bombings on trains in the Spanish capital Madrid killed 191 people and injured more than 2,000.

The European remembrance day, held annually, was originally intended to honor the victims of the Madrid attacks.

Flags at the country's official federal buildings were flown at half-staff on Friday.

"Those affected are hit on behalf of all of us when they are attacked for racist, anti-Semitic, homophobic or right-wing extremist motives," said Pascal Kober, federal government's commissioner for victims.

"Terrorist attacks are directed against us all."