Son of former German president stabbed to death on stage while giving lecture
Attacker's motive is unknown, police say
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The son of a former German president has been murdered on stage while delivering a medical lecture in Berlin, police have said.
Fritz von Weizsacker was stabbed to death at a Charlottenburg hospital where he worked as a senior physician after the attacker jumped up from the audience.
An off-duty police officer who tried to intervene was seriously injured, Berlin Police said.
Mr von Weizsacker died from injuries at the scene of the Schlosspark hospital attack.
The suspect was apprehended by several people and has been arrested, police said.
“We cannot yet say anything about the attacker’s motive,” said police spokesman Michael Gassen.
The 59-year-old victim’s father, Richard von Weizsacker, was one of Germany’s most esteemed presidents – a largely ceremonial post – between 1984 to 1994.
The former head of state, who oversaw Germany’s reunification, used his office to denounce intolerance towards immigrants and address Germany’s Nazi past.
The physician was one of the ex-president’s four children.
Mr von Weizsacker studied and worked at several hospitals in Germany and abroad, including the Harvard Medical School in Boston, US, and a hospital in Zurich, Switzerland.
He specialised in gastroenterology and internal medicine. On Tuesday night, he was giving an open lecture about fatty liver disease.
The murder of Mr von Weizsacker echoes a similar incident in 2016, when a man fatally shot a doctor at Berlin’s Benjamin Franklin Hospital before killing himself.
Christian Lindner, leader of the Free Democrats, called him “a passionate doctor and a fine person” on Twitter.
“He was at our house the other day for a barbecue. I am stunned and must share my grief”.
“Once again, you wonder what world we live in”.
Associated Press contributed to this report
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments