Arson attack on Wuppertal synagogue; police arrest Afghan suspect

Following the attack on the Jewish community, vigils against antisemitism are being held in Wuppertal. Churches and Ditib express solidarity.

September 18, 2026 | 1:19 PM

Police forensic investigation following the arson attack on the new synagogue in Wuppertal. Photo: Christoph Petersen / dpa

By Andreas Wyputta

On the morning after the arson attack on the synagogue in Wuppertal, investigative authorities continue to assume that there was only one perpetrator. A 37-year-old man with Afghan citizenship is considered suspicious, confirmed Niklas Rademacher, spokesperson for the Wuppertal police, to taz on Friday morning.

His residency status is currently being investigated by the State Security Office, the police department responsible for politically motivated crime. The man has presumably been residing in Germany "since at least 2014" – a "police contact" from that year is on record.

Details of the Attack

The 37-year-old allegedly spread and ignited a "flammable liquid" on the steps of the synagogue in the Wuppertal district of Barmen around 2:02 p.m. on Thursday afternoon, three days before Yom Kippur, the holiest Jewish holiday. Police spokesperson Rademacher stated that an expert is currently investigating exactly what type of fuel was used.

At present, it appears that the suspect transported the liquid "in a bag or plastic container," threw it toward the house of worship, then poured it out and set it on fire. The flames were extinguished by staff members of the synagogue. This was apparently possible because there is hardly any combustible material at the site of the attack. "Everything there is made of stone," said Rademacher.

Arrest and Response

The suspect was arrested "immediately after committing the act," according to the police spokesperson – like many others, the Wuppertal synagogue is guarded around the clock by police officers due to fear of attacks.

On Thursday evening, dozens of people gathered at the scene for a spontaneous vigil. Further solidarity actions are planned.

Broad Solidarity

• Ditib community: The Muslim Ditib community in Wuppertal-Elberfeld stated on social networks that the attack was "an assault on peaceful coexistence in our city." The organization, directly subordinate to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, stood "in solidarity with the Jewish community," as noted on Facebook: "We must not allow hatred, antisemitism, anti-Muslim racism, or religious hostility to divide our society."

• Evangelical Church: Thorsten Latzel, president of the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland, called it unspeakable "that antisemitic violence and attacks take place among us."

• SPD: Jochen Ott, chairman of the SPD state parliamentary group, expressed solidarity and warned that the protection of Jewish communities in North Rhine-Westphalia must continue to be ensured "with all consequences."

• CDU and Greens: Politicians from both parties also expressed their shock.

Central Council of Jews Reacts

Josef Schuster, chairman of the Central Council of Jews in Germany, had already stated in an initial reaction on Thursday that he was "deeply disturbed" by the "composure with which the perpetrator carried out this attack in broad daylight in Wuppertal." According to Schuster, there was no trace of awareness of wrongdoing or shame: "This approach testifies to the ongoing normalization of Jew-hatred, to which our society has so far found no answer."

The chairman of the Central Council explained that the timing of the attack, three days before the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur), was "not chosen randomly." Schuster recalled "the Chanukah attack in Sydney in 2025, the Yom Kippur attack in Manchester in 2025, and the Halle attack in 2019."

Previous Attack in 2014

In Wuppertal, there had already been an arson attack on the synagogue in 2014. Three men of Palestinian origin, heavily intoxicated, threw six Molotov cocktails at the house of worship. All three were sentenced to probation, which led to strong criticism at the time.