Prosecutors say a 37-year-old Afghan man was arrested near the Bergische Synagogue in Wuppertal after a small fire was set at a side entrance and the suspect reportedly made an anti‑Semitic remark. Congregants put out the blaze quickly; there were no injuries and only minor damage. Police searched the suspect’s flat, seized his phone for analysis, and are seeking two female witnesses. The attack occurred three days before Yom Kippur and echoes a 2014 assault on the same synagogue.
Man Arrested After Arson At Wuppertal Synagogue; Prosecutors Say He Made Anti‑Semitic Remark
The Bergische Synagogue on Gemarker Strasse in Wuppertal, Germany. (is associated with: «PIC REQUESTED// Suspect in German synagogue attack made anti-Semitic remark at scene») Matthias Balk/dpa
Prosecutors said a 37-year-old man suspected of setting a small fire at the Bergische (New) Synagogue in Wuppertal made an anti‑Semitic remark at the scene, authorities reported on Friday.
The suspect, an Afghan national, was detained near the synagogue after flames were discovered at a side entrance on Thursday afternoon. Members of the congregation quickly extinguished the blaze; there were no injuries and only minimal damage to the building, which opened in 2002.
Wuppertal prosecutors said officers searched the suspect’s flat after his arrest and seized his mobile phone; forensic analysis of the device is under way. Prosecutors also noted the man has a prior conviction for threatening a neighbour.
Investigative Details
Police are seeking two young women who are believed to have witnessed the incident. The attack occurred about 30 kilometres east of Düsseldorf and came just three days before Yom Kippur, the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
The Bergische Synagogue was previously targeted in 2014, when three Palestinians later confessed and were convicted after throwing incendiary devices at the building.
Authorities continue to investigate whether the recent incident was motivated by antisemitism and are reviewing the evidence collected from the scene and from the suspect’s phone.
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