Arson at the pilgrimage chapel in Friedberg
Unknown individuals deliberately set multiple small fires inside the Maria Alber chapel in Friedberg-West. On the evening of 8 July, several pieces of partially burned paper, including church leaflets, newspapers and torn pages from the chapel's prayer book, were found under pews and near the candle stands. Parish officials have reported growing unease among community members, as this is not the first arson attack in recent weeks.
The fire was discovered at around 8.20pm when a volunteer’s husband arrived to lock up the chapel. He and another visitor managed to extinguish the flames before they could cause any significant damage. The police have confirmed that an arson investigation is underway and that similar incidents were reported in June.
Tim Schneider, the chapel's caretaker, said that the parishioners are deeply affected by the attack. They are shocked that a place of prayer, silence and peace has been deliberately damaged. 'At the same time, we are experiencing a great deal of solidarity and encouragement.' The chapel has been temporarily closed, and locals have expressed their support in online comments.
This incident follows a recent arson attack on a church in Garmisch-Partenkirchen (OIDAC reported) and is part of a worrying trend. In 2023, 294 cases of church-related property damage were recorded in Bavaria. Other churches in the same parish had already fallen victim to property damage earlier this year.
Source: Augsburger Allgemeine
Picture: Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
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