As of: 10/20/2022 9:53 p.m
After a refugee accommodation in Groß Strömkendorf near Wismar burned down, the state security investigated. The police suspect a political motive. The first results are expected early next week.
On Thursday evening, Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, together with Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania’s Interior Minister Christian level and the Federal Government Commissioner for Integration, Reem Alabali-Radovan (all SPD), got an idea of the situation on site. She was shocked by the destruction and spoke of a “terrible event”. If it really is an arson attack, “the rule of law will crack down with all available means”. The minister thanked the director of the home, the police and the fire brigade for their commitment. She particularly emphasized the passers-by who helped during the night of the fire. This is a good sign.
Political background suspected
Federal Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser and MV Minister of the Interior Christian level got an idea of the situation on site.
According to their own statements, the police assume arson and suspect a political background. Therefore, the state security took over the investigation, said the police headquarters in Rostock. The first results should be available early next week at the earliest. According to the police, the samples taken by the fire investigators would be examined in the laboratory. At the same time, witnesses would be heard. This also included passers-by who were at the scene of the fire on Wednesday evening. There is a list that will be worked through step by step.
Swastika scrawl discovered last weekend
The previous weekend, the police had already visited the accommodation because of a swastika scrawl on the entrance sign, as District Administrator Tino Schomann (CDU) announced. “From my many years of experience as a firefighter, I am currently assuming that the fire was started intentionally,” says Schomann. However, an on-site operations manager pointed out that a “fire devil” has been sought in the region for some time, who is believed to have started several fires.
14 refugees and three caregivers escape to the outside
A swastika scrawl appeared on the entrance sign to the accommodation, which has since been removed.
At around 9:20 p.m. on Wednesday evening, an alarm signal was sounded in the facility in Groß Strömkendorf. By that time, flames were already shooting out of a window at the front of the thatched roof. While the fire brigade was alerted, employees of the facility and passers-by tried to extinguish the fire with fire extinguishers. At the time there were 17 people in the accommodation – 14 refugees from Ukraine and three employees of the German Red Cross (DRK). The DRK operates the accommodation. Residents and carers were able to leave the house in time.
Firefighters were able to prevent the fire from spreading to neighboring buildings. The building itself burned down. Smoke and fumes were also rising from the ruins hours later. Up to 120 emergency services and around 20 emergency vehicles were involved in the extinguishing operation.
Home manager: “Experiencing uncertainty again”
The head of the “Schäfereck” refugee shelter, Andrei Bondarchuk, who himself comes from Ukraine, said: “I find it very frightening that you arrive in a country where you are safe and protected and suddenly you have to leave your home again . Once again you have to fear for your own safety and experience again this insecurity that you have experienced before.”
Mayor: “I’m shocked and upset”
Tino Schmidt (SPD), Mayor of Blowatz, to which Groß Strömkendorf belongs, said that there had been no signs of right-wing activities so far. You have a very good relationship with the war refugees. At times, up to 170 people from Ukraine were accommodated in the hotel. In the summer, a summer festival was celebrated together with the refugees and the DRK.
Wismar’s mayor, Thomas Beyer (SPD), also assured the Northwest Mecklenburg district of all the support from the Hanseatic city of Wismar: “The fire in Groß Strömkendorf is a terrible shock to us and we are glad that no one was injured. We would like to thank the fire brigade colleagues Thank you for your efforts. If the suspicion of arson is confirmed, we hope that the perpetrators will be caught quickly.”
Prime Minister: “Cruel and inhuman”
The morning after the fire, Prime Minister Schwesig visited the scene of the fire.
Prime Minister Manuela Schwesig (SPD) visited the scene of the fire on Thursday morning. “If this suspicion is confirmed that there was arson against a refugee accommodation, then there must be very severe consequences, because something like that would be cruel and inhuman,” said the SPD politician. In Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania and in the rest of Germany, many people would help the refugees, Schwesig continued. “If individuals now want to use violence against them, the police and the security authorities will react harshly. We don’t tolerate that in our country.”
State Refugee Council: Rapid clarification is urgently needed
The chairwoman of the state refugee council, Ulrike Seemann-Katz, did not want to rule out an xenophobic background. She pointed out that there had been “hate slogans” at the so-called Monday demonstrations. Clarification is now urgently and quickly needed. “But ‘opinions’ that incite hatred of the people are just as little tolerable. If we allow spiritual arson, we will soon all be unable to live safely.”
The state chairwoman of the left in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Vanessa Müller, explained: “Unfortunately, we are experiencing that solidarity in society with refugees is obviously crumbling in these times of crisis – we have to oppose that, regardless of this fire.” The chairman of the AfD Parliamentary faction, Nikolaus Kramer, said that arson attacks on people are “disgusting and elude any political discourse.” The rule of law must react with all severity.
Green member of parliament Anne Shepley wrote on Twitter: “A terrible act that makes me angry and infinitely sad: 30 years after Lichtenhagen, refugee accommodation in MV is on fire again.” The chairman of the FDP parliamentary group, René Domke, said that if an arson attack were to be confirmed, it would be shocking to see the hatred and moral brutality with which an attack was carried out on people who need our protection. Nothing can justify this”.
VIDEO: Groß Strömkendorf: Fire in shelter for Ukraine refugees (4 min)
