Suspected arson damages St. Johannes Church in Munich
Authorities in Munich are investigating a suspected deliberate arson attack after a fire broke out inside the Lutheran Church of St. Johannes in the Haidhausen district.
A fire broke out inside the Protestant Lutheran Church of St. Johannes in Munich on the night of 23 May 2026, prompting a major emergency response and a police investigation into suspected arson.
According to police, the church’s 41-year-old pastor noticed smoke and the smell of burning shortly before 10 p.m. and alerted the fire brigade. Firefighters arriving at the scene found smoke spreading throughout the church building and launched an operation that lasted around two hours due to the confined interior spaces and heavy smoke.
Investigators later discovered the remains of a burned cardboard box inside the locked nave of the church. Based on the evidence collected at the scene, Munich police said they were treating the incident as suspected deliberate arson.
The fire damaged a wooden interior door and blackened sections of the church walls, with material damage estimated in the thousands of euros. No injuries were reported.
While the fire brigade initially referred to a small fire near the toilets, police later stated that the blaze appeared to have originated near an interior door in the nave. The Munich Criminal Investigation Department’s fire investigation unit has taken over the case and is seeking witnesses.
Source: sueddeutsche, rosenheim24, abendzeitung-muenchen
Photo: sueddeutsche