The shocking stabbing of a German mayor has left newly elected mayor Iris Stalzer, 57, fighting for her life after she was found with multiple stab wounds in her home in the western German town of Herdecke. Authorities say the center-left Social Democrat, who recently defeated a conservative incumbent, sustained severe injuries to her neck and abdomen before managing to drag herself inside after the attack.
According to Bild and Reuters, Stalzer’s 15-year-old son reported that several men assaulted her, though investigators have not ruled out “close family involvement.” Both her son and 17-year-old daughter were brought in for questioning as police sealed off the area and launched a full investigation.
Stalzer was airlifted by helicopter to a nearby hospital and remains in critical condition. The violent assault follows what reports described as a bitterly contested election, underscoring growing fears over the rise in political violence across Germany.
Last year, several German politicians were attacked during campaign events, and Reuters noted that nearly 60% of public officials report having experienced violence at least once.
German Chancellor Fredrick Merz condemned the attack as “an abominable act,” saying, “We are anxious about the life of the designated mayor Iris Stalzer and hope for her complete recovery. My thoughts are with her family and her relatives.”
As Europe faces rising instability and polarized politics, the German mayor stabbing serves as a grim reminder that political hatred increasingly spills beyond rhetoric.
