Kassel sees “abstractly high danger situation”

After fatal knife attack in Solingen: Discussion about security at major events in Kassel. Is a weapons ban zone coming?

Kassel – The knife attack at the city festival in Solingen, North Rhine-Westphalia, in which a 26-year-old Syrian killed three people and injured eight on Friday evening, once again caused people in Kassel to think about security at major events.

In this context, the CDU has been calling for the establishment of a weapons ban zone in the city center for years. The SPD has also made this demand following the knife attack on Friedrich-Ebert-Straße in early June, and is also calling for a weapons ban in the area around the pub district.

As reported, the CDU and SPD in Kassel are also in favor of expanding the city police force to include a fourth service group. A greater presence of law enforcement officers in the city area should contribute to greater – at least perceived – security.

Data shows: Knife attacks are also increasing in Kassel

The Greens, the largest partner in the Jamaica coalition with the CDU and FDP in Kassel's city council, have so far been rather cautious. The financing of an increase in the city police force must first be clarified in the upcoming discussions on the 2025 budget, said parliamentary group leader Christine Hesse. The coalition has also not yet discussed a possible extension of a weapons ban zone to Friedrich-Ebert-Straße, and data on such incidents is also still pending.

The data that already exists on this also shows a clear trend in Kassel. According to the police, the number of knife attacks in Kassel has risen massively in the past five years. When Hesse's Interior Minister Roman Poseck (CDU) made his inaugural visit to the North Hesse Police Headquarters in April, he spoke of a “strong increase”. “Unfortunately, more and more people are carrying a knife.”

In numbers, this means: In 2023, there were 225 crimes in the city of Kassel in which an attack with a knife was threatened or carried out directly against a person. In 2019, the number was 133 cases. But these crimes have not only increased significantly in the city. In the district of Kassel, the number of knife attacks rose from 37 cases (2019) to 60 crimes in the previous year.

SPD in Kassel calls for an increase in the city police force and a weapons ban zone

Where things will go in terms of security in Kassel's city politics could become clear in the next few days. Several motions have been submitted to the city council meeting on September 9th and the committees meeting starting this week. In them, the SPD is calling for the city police to be increased and wants the establishment of a weapons ban zone in the Friedrich-Ebert-Straße area to be examined.

A motion from the coalition and one from the SPD are on the agenda for the safety requirements for organizers of large festivals (such as the Zissel), which have also already been discussed in Kassel. The SPD wants the city to adopt a concept for financial support for organizers. Jamaica will first ask the city council for a report on “developments to secure the future of Kassel's folk festivals.”

The police have been assuming an increased danger situation for some time

Large outdoor events are also planned again in Kassel this weekend, such as the Sola Festival in front of the Orangery and the 950th anniversary celebrations in Harleshausen. When asked whether the city of Kassel feels compelled to tighten measures after the knife attack in Solingen, a spokesman said on Monday: “The security authorities have long assumed that there is a high level of abstract danger when holding large events.”

Taking current events into account, the requirements for security measures are constantly being reassessed. The assessment and measures could change at any time. However, the city clarified that the specific design or details are not intended for publication. In addition, the intention remains to test a weapon-free zone in Kassel's city center. (Andreas Hermann and Ulrike Pflüger-Scherb)