Overview

• On June 6, a fire gutted the former Staatsoperette in Dresden-Leuben, collapsing the main hall and inflicting over €1 million in damage despite an 18-hour effort by 150 firefighters.
• Polizeidirektion Dresden named two 11-year-olds and one 12-year-old girl on June 10 as suspects who allegedly entered through an open window and ignited paper inside the abandoned building.
• Investigators have reviewed video footage and multiple witness statements, including reports of a young female voice, to support the theory of deliberate ignition.
• Local politicians and the Bürgerinitiative ‘Alte Operette – Leuben beleben’ have criticized the city administration for ignoring repeated calls to secure the site with proper closures and surveillance.
• Officials are gathering further evidence to determine the exact cause of the fire and legal standing of the case, and to consider stronger security measures for other vacant heritage buildings.