Police discover older holes in synagogue roof – “Possibly bullet holes”

On Saturday, the police noticed older damage on the domed roof of the synagogue used by the Jewish community in Essen, "which could possibly be bullet holes". It's about two holes about half a meter apart, said a spokesman for the Essen police. "You will have to check whether there are bullet holes." The damage would now be investigated with the participation of the State Criminal Police Office.

It was only on Friday night that the former rabbi's house at the old synagogue in Essen, which belongs to the city and is no longer used for services, was shot at. An unknown person had fired at least three shots at a door. The currently used synagogue from 1959 is about one kilometer away as the crow flies from the old synagogue from 1913. It is currently being examined whether there is a connection between the shots fired at the old synagogue and the damage to the new synagogue.

Investigations are ongoing into the shooting of the rabbi's house. The damaged door element had been removed and is now being forensically examined, said the police spokesman. The video recordings would be further evaluated. So far there have been no witnesses. The search for the perpetrator continues. However, it is not yet certain that it is actually a man, said the spokesman. This was not clearly visible on the recordings.

Nobody was injured by the shots. An institute for German-Jewish history is housed in the building hit. It borders directly on the Old Synagogue. It houses the "House of Jewish Culture" of the city of Essen.

The police are looking for witnesses who made observations around the Old Synagogue between 8 p.m. and 1 a.m. on Friday night. According to the spokesman, the police assume that the crime was committed between 10 p.m. and midnight.

The SPD and FDP parliamentary groups requested a special session of the state parliament's interior committee. The motion of the two opposition parties for the special session in the state parliament states that against the background of the worrying increase in anti-Semitic crimes, the state government should report in a special session on the status of the investigation and the known background of the crime.

In addition, the state government should provide information about the measures to protect Jewish institutions in NRW. "Finally, we also ask for information about the consequences the state government is drawing from the growing number of anti-Semitic attacks," says the joint application. Committee chairwoman Angela Erwin (CDU) must decide whether and when the meeting will take place. The appointment could be next week.