Arson at Germany's Largest Wooden Church

Country: Germany

Date of incident: July 20, 2025

A fire damaged the facade and roof truss of the Evangelical Marktkirche in Clausthal-Zellerfeld on the night of July 20, 2025, in what officials later determined to be arson.

According to a forensic investigation, the fire at Germany’s largest wooden church—the 17th‑century Marktkirche zum Heiligen Geist in Clausthal-Zellerfeld—was deliberately started. The flames damaged the building's historic façade and roof structure during the overnight hours of July 19–20, and firefighting efforts lasted several hours before the blaze was brought under control. Although police initially detained a suspect the following day, no arrest warrant was issued due to a lack of imminent suspicion; the individual was released as investigations continue and damage estimates remain unconfirmed.

During a visit to the site, Bishop Ralf Meister thanked the fire department for their efforts. "When a church burns, the soul of a place also burns."

The public prosecutor's office said that the community was lucky as the fire could easily have spread to the whole roof and destroyed the entire church.

Source: NDR