Unknown individuals vandalized a memorial plaque at the Jewish cemetery in Berlin’s Mitte district, local police said. The damaged plaque was discovered earlier this week by a staff member at the site, who alerted authorities.
Officers who arrived at the scene found shards of glass on the ground and the metal frame to which the plaque had been attached damaged. The investigation has been transferred to the state security unit of the criminal police and is being handled as suspected malicious damage to property. No suspects have been arrested so far, and police have not released details about those involved.
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Monument to the Jewish victims of fascism in the Old Jewish Cemetery in the Mitte district of Berlin
(Photo: Achim Wagner/Shutterstock)
The Old Jewish Cemetery, located on Grosse Hamburger Strasse, is considered one of the oldest documented Jewish burial sites in Berlin. It was established in the late 17th century, after Jews were permitted to resettle in the city. Until its closure in 1827, thousands of people were buried there, including prominent figures in the history of Berlin’s Jewish community, among them the philosopher Moses Mendelssohn.
During the Nazi era, the cemetery was partially destroyed, and a nursing home built at its entrance was used as a collection point for Jews prior to their deportation. After World War II, the site was returned to the Jewish community and was gradually transformed into a memorial.
Today, the cemetery serves as a place of remembrance for the long history of Berlin’s Jewish community, commemorating the victims of Nazism and preserving the site as a space for memory and education.
First published: 13:55, 02.11.26