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Helmut Schmidt’s Grave Defaced With Swastikas in Hamburg as State Security Opens Probe

Police say the repeat desecration is politically motivated following evidence collection.

Overview

  • A photographer discovered the markings around 4 p.m. Sunday at Ohlsdorf Cemetery and alerted police.
  • The graffiti consisted of orange swastikas sprayed over the names and life dates on the grave plate, with four symbols reported.
  • Officers secured traces at the scene and then covered the Nazi symbols with paint.
  • The Staatsschutz has taken over the investigation, and authorities have not identified suspects or established a motive.
  • Police note a near-identical defacement of the same grave in December 2023 using the same color.