German mayor-elect Iris Stalzer found with serious stabbing wounds; airlifted to hospital

Berlin: The newly elected mayor of Herdecke in western Germany, Iris Stalzer, was found with serious stabbing wounds at her apartment on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, German media reported. Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned the incident as an “abhorrent act” and expressed national concern.

Iris Stalzer, a 57-year-old member of the centre-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), was elected mayor of Herdecke on September 28. According to German news agency dpa, citing unidentified security sources, she was found by her son with life-threatening injuries and had sustained multiple stab wounds to her stomach and back. She reportedly told her son that she had been attacked by several men in the street before managing to drag herself home.

Police confirmed a large-scale operation was underway in Herdecke, with emergency responders airlifting Stalzer to a hospital in critical condition. A teenager was seen being taken into custody from the scene, though authorities have not yet disclosed a motive or confirmed the suspect’s identity.

Merz wrote on social media: “We fear for the life of mayor-elect Iris Stalzer and hope for her full recovery.” The SPD parliamentary group leader, Matthias Miersch, said, “We hope that she survives this terrible act,” adding that the party was “deeply saddened” but could not comment on the background at this stage.

Stalzer, a labour lawyer and mother of two teenagers, was due to officially assume office on November 1. The attack has drawn comparisons to the 2019 murder of pro-refugee politician Walter Lübcke, reigniting concerns over political violence in Germany.