On the afternoon of October 7, 2025, the quiet town of Herdecke in western Germany was rocked by a shocking act of violence. Iris Stalzer, the newly elected mayor and a prominent member of the center-left Social Democratic Party (SPD), was found with life-threatening stab wounds in her home. The 57-year-old, who had only recently secured her position in a runoff election on September 28, was airlifted by helicopter to a hospital in nearby Bochum. As of Wednesday, her condition remained critical, and the town was left reeling, with many questions still unanswered.
According to police statements cited by BBC and CNN, Stalzer was discovered at approximately 12:40 p.m. local time by her children, a 17-year-old daughter and a 15-year-old son. The teenagers immediately called emergency services, and both were subsequently taken in for questioning by investigators. Forensic teams quickly arrived on the scene, securing evidence and launching a major operation to determine the circumstances behind the attack.
Authorities have been careful in their public statements, emphasizing that all investigative avenues are being explored. However, as reported by AP, DW, and other German media, police have found no evidence to suggest a political motive. Instead, they have indicated that a family connection is suspected. "Based on current information, there are no indications that the attack was politically motivated. A family background is assumed," local police wrote in an official statement. The crime scene, located inside Stalzer’s house, reportedly yielded numerous pieces of evidence pointing toward this theory.
The investigation is being led by a homicide commission from the nearby city of Hagen. Police spokesman Sebastian Hirschberg told The New York Times that "we are investigating all possibilities," but confirmed that "we are not excluding the possibility of a family connection." Both children, adopted by Stalzer, remained with investigators as of Tuesday evening, and local news outlets, including Bild, reported that a male teenager was seen being led away from the house in handcuffs. The son reportedly claimed that his mother had been attacked by several men on the street, but police have not commented on the veracity of this account.
Stalzer’s background is one of deep roots in Herdecke. Her official biography notes that she has spent most of her life in the town, working as a labor lawyer and raising her two teenage children. Her election as mayor marked a significant political shift for Herdecke, a town of about 23,000 residents in the Ruhr region, as she narrowly defeated a center-right Christian Democrat (CDU) candidate, ending the CDU’s longstanding leadership in the town. She was due to take office officially on November 1.
The attack has sent shockwaves through the local government and the broader German political landscape. Herdecke’s city administration released a statement expressing "shock and disbelief," while the SPD’s parliamentary group leader in Berlin, Matthias Miersch, said the party was "deeply concerned" and hoped Stalzer would "survive the terrible act." The town’s First Deputy Mayor, Dennis Osberg, wished her a "speedy recovery" and echoed the community’s sense of dismay.
Chancellor Friedrich Merz, leader of the CDU and head of Germany’s conservative-led national government, was among the first to publicly condemn the attack. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Merz wrote, "We fear for the life of the mayor-elect, Iris Stalzer, and hope for her full recovery. My thoughts are with her family and loved ones." He described the stabbing as "a heinous act" and called for a swift and thorough investigation. Merz’s words were echoed by other national and regional politicians, all of whom underscored the need to clarify the circumstances surrounding the attack as quickly as possible.
The incident comes at a time when political violence in Germany has been a growing concern. According to a recent study cited by WDR, 60 percent of German politicians have experienced violence at least once, and one in five said it had made them more reluctant to appear in public. The regionwide campaign leading up to Stalzer’s election was described by North Rhine-Westphalia politicians as "unusually hostile," though authorities have not linked this climate directly to the attack on Stalzer.
Germany has witnessed several high-profile attacks on public officials in recent years. In 2019, Walter Lübcke, a conservative district president in Hesse who supported then-Chancellor Angela Merkel’s pro-refugee policies, was shot dead by a far-right extremist on his own terrace. Four years earlier, Henriette Reker, then running for mayor of Cologne, was stabbed by a man with anti-immigration views. Reker survived and went on to serve as mayor, but the attack left a lasting mark on the country’s political psyche.
In Stalzer’s case, the current investigation has uncovered additional context that may prove crucial. According to Spiegel and BBC, there was a recorded incident of domestic violence in the Stalzer household earlier in 2025. While police have not confirmed any direct link between that incident and the stabbing, it has fueled speculation about the suspected family connection. The precise details of what unfolded inside Stalzer’s home remain unclear, and investigators have not yet announced any charges or identified a suspect.
Local media, including WDR and DW, reported that Stalzer’s son told police his mother was attacked by several men. However, police and prosecutors have not addressed this claim in their official statements, and the focus of the investigation appears to remain on the family. Forensic experts in protective suits have been seen entering the house, and the area around the residence has been sealed off as the inquiry continues.
For now, Herdecke’s residents are left to grapple with the aftermath of an attack that has shattered their sense of security. The city’s political future is also uncertain, as Stalzer’s scheduled inauguration on November 1 is now in doubt. As investigators work to piece together the events of October 7, the hope for Stalzer’s recovery remains at the forefront of the community’s mind.
While the motive behind the stabbing is still under investigation, the attack on Iris Stalzer has highlighted not only the personal risks faced by public officials in Germany but also the complexities that can lie beneath the surface of even the most routine political transitions. As the town of Herdecke waits for answers, the story continues to unfold, casting a somber shadow over what should have been the beginning of a new chapter in local leadership.
