Unknown people have tampered with the grave of the late CDU politician Wolfgang Schäuble. Employees of the city of Offenburg noticed a hole dug on Monday morning.
According to forensic scientists, it is a funnel-shaped hole about 1.20 meters deep. According to current knowledge, the perpetrators did not get to the coffin of the deceased.
Employees of the city of Offenburg discovered the hole and the earth on Monday morning and then called the police. The police state security is investigating in cooperation with the public prosecutor’s office. There is initially no information about the background to the incident, the statement said.
Police secure evidence
There is currently no cross on Wolfgang Schäuble’s grave. The police confiscated paraphernalia that was on the grave as evidence. The cross may also have been among them. The hole was filled in again – what remains is a rectangle without grass.
dpa Bildfunk
picture alliance/dpa | Marius Bulling
Reactions to the desecration of Schäuble’s grave
The mayor of Offenburg Marco Steffens (CDU) stated that the peace of the dead had been vilely disturbed at Schäuble’s grave. “This is terrible and makes us sad,” said the town hall boss, according to a statement. “We hope that the police will quickly clarify the situation and that the perpetrators will be severely punished.”
“Desecrating Wolfgang Schäuble’s grave is a disgusting crime,” said Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser Bild. Wolfgang Schäuble was “one of the most important democrats in our republic” and “put his entire life in the service of our country,” said the minister. “Anyone who thinks they can tarnish and damage this memory is committing a vile crime that must be prosecuted harshly.”
Bundestag President Bärbel Bas (SPD) was also shocked and sad. “It is unbearable that there are apparently people who are desecrating Wolfgang Schäuble’s grave and disturbing his grave peace.” She is very concerned that individual parts of society are showing such signs of brutalization. Bas said she trusts that the police will solve the crime quickly.
Wolfgang Schäuble’s grave desecrated: police are looking for witnesses
The police are looking for witnesses who can say something about the incident or who “have made suspicious observations”. You can call the criminal police tip line at 0781 21-2820. According to the Criminal Code, disturbing the peace of the dead can be punished with a prison sentence of up to three years or a fine.
Wolfgang Schäuble died at the end of 2023
Top politicians and relatives said goodbye to the CDU politician at the beginning of January. Schäuble died on Boxing Day at the age of 81 after a long and serious illness. The Baden native held important political offices: he was a minister, CDU leader, parliamentary group leader and president of the German Bundestag. Nobody has been a member of Parliament longer than him.
Funeral service in Offenburg Death of Wolfgang Schäuble: Family and friends said goodbye
Politician Wolfgang Schäuble died on Boxing Day. The funeral service took place on Friday in his hometown of Offenburg, Baden.