Attack on Herdecke's mayor Iris Stalzer
Herdecke's newly elected mayor, Iris Stalzer, was severely stabbed in her home and is fighting for her life. Police do not suspect a political motive but are investigating possible family-related background. A murder commission has taken over the investigation.
On the afternoon of September 28, 2023, shortly after 12:40 p.m., the fire department's control center received an emergency call from Herdecke, a town of 22,500 residents on the edge of the Ruhr area. Iris Stalzer's 15- and 17-year-old adoptive children found their mother severely injured near the house. She had been stabbed multiple times, at least ten, in the upper body and was airlifted to a hospital for intensive care.
Stalzer, a 57-year-old labor law specialist, won the runoff election on September 28 with 52.2 percent of the votes against CDU candidate Fabian Conrad Haas and was set to take office in early November. Herdecke had been CDU-led for 16 years. She is married, has lived in the town for most of her life, and has been active in local politics, including the youth welfare committee and city council.
Investigators from police and prosecutors rule out a politically motivated act: 'Based on current findings, there are no indications of a politically motivated crime.' Instead, clues point to family conflicts. In the summer, the 17-year-old adoptive daughter had already used a knife against Stalzer. The 15-year-old son was led away in handcuffs, and both children were interrogated. There are no witnesses to fleeing perpetrators, and a murder commission is investigating without urgent suspicion.
Political reactions were shocked. Chancellor Friedrich Merz wrote on X: 'We are anxious for the life of the designated mayor Iris Stalzer and hope for full recovery.' SPD General Secretary Tim Klüssendorf stated: 'The news from Herdecke deeply affects us.' Similar sentiments came from Frederick Cordes of the NRW SPD and Herdecke's deputy mayor Dennis Osberg.
The case echoes rising attacks on politicians, such as the 2019 murder of Walter Lübcke or recent incidents at CSU and CDU headquarters.