The newly elected mayor of Herdecke in the western German state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Iris Stalzer, is in critical condition after being stabbed multiple times outside her home.
According to reports by several German media outlets, the 57-year-old Social Democratic Party (SPD) politician was attacked on Tuesday, October 7, in the streets near her residence in the Herdecke-Herrentisch district. Bild was the first to report.
She is said to have managed to return to her apartment, where she was found seriously injured. Stalzer reportedly told her son that she had been assaulted by several men and had sustained multiple stab wounds to her stomach and back.
German mayor stabbed
Emergency responders rushed to the scene and are currently fighting to save her life. Some photos from the scene showed Stalzer being airlifted to the hospital.
A police operation is underway, with authorities actively searching for the attackers. A homicide squad is expected to take over the investigation, though the motive behind the attack remains unknown. Police have not ruled out any possibilities, including a potential political motive.
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Stalzer had been elected mayor of Herdecke — a town of approximately 22,500 residents in the Ruhr region — in a runoff election held on September 28, securing 52.2 per cent of the vote.
Herdecke is a town in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany, located south of Dortmund in the Ruhr area. Known as “the town between the Ruhr lakes” because of its location between the Hengsteysee and Harkortsee reservoirs, it features a picturesque old town with half-timbered houses and narrow streets.
Federal Chancellor and Christian Democratic Union (CDU) Leader Friedrich Merz has expressed deep shock over the knife attack on Stalzer.
“We have received news of a heinous act from Herdecke. It must now be quickly clarified. We fear for the life of the designated mayor, Iris Stalzer, and hope for her full recovery,” Merz wrote on the platform X. “My thoughts are with her family and loved ones.”
Iris Stalzer
According to Stalzer’s official biography, the center-left Social Democrat politician is a lawyer by profession, married, and the mother of two teenage children. The mayor explains that she has spent almost her entire life in Herdecke and has been working as a lawyer and specialist in labor law in the city for many years.
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She is also deeply rooted in local politics, having been involved in the city council, on committees and boards, currently serving on the Committee for Social Affairs, Demographics, and Health, the Youth Welfare Committee, and the Supervisory Board of the GVS.
“My work—whether professional or political—is characterized by dialogue, listening, and the willingness to find solutions. Values such as reliability, honesty, and a clear stance are a given for me,” she describes herself in the biography.
As of now, no arrests have been reported following the stabbing of the Herdecke mayor. The police have not released further details about the suspects or the nature of the investigation.
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