List of school attacks in Germany

The following is a list of school attacks in Germany, including stabbings and shootings that took place in daycare centers, schools, universities and other educational centers.

List

German Empire 3 incidents. DateLocationPerpetrator(s)DeadInjuredTotalDescription25 May 1871Ludwigsgymnasium, in Saarbrücken, SaarlandJulius Becker (18)022An 18-year-old student opened fire at Ludwigsgymnasium, wounding two people.17 July 1912Secondary school in Heilbronn, Baden-WürttembergUnnamed 18-year-old male student01 (the perpetrator)1An 18-year-old student, armed with a revolver and a knife, fired shots at his teacher, missing them, before shooting and stabbing himself.20 June 1913St-Marien-Schule in Bremen, Free Hanseatic City of BremenHeinz Schmidt (29)5 (4 directly)2126Bremen school shooting: A 29-year-old unemployed teacher, Heinz Schmidt, who was rejected from being employed by the school, opened fire in the school, killing four girls and wounding at least 21 people before being subdued by school staff. A fifth child indirectly died while evacuating.

Weimar Republic 3 incidents. DateLocationPerpetrator(s)DeadInjuredTotalDescriptionDecember 1928University of Marburg in Marburg, HesseUnnamed perpetrator011A gunman opened fire and wounded a professor at a university in Hesse.December 1929Secondary school in Altona, Hamburg, HamburgUnnamed student101A student shot and killed a classmate inside a school.May 1932Secondary school in Wittlich, Rhineland-PalatinateUnnamed student000A student fired shots at his teacher, missing him, before being detained.

West Germany 6 incidents. DateLocationPerpetrator(s)DeadInjuredDescription11 June 1964Catholic Elementary School in CologneWalter Seifert (42)11 (including the perpetrator)2233Cologne school massacre: A 41-year-old mentally ill man, Walter Seifert, attacked the people at the school with a home-made flamethrower and a spear, killing eleven people and wounding twenty-two others. When police arrived at the scene, Seifert fled from the school compound, poisoned himself, and died the same evening.17 July 1964University of Bonn in Bonn, North Rhine-WestphaliaUnnamed 24-year-old student2 (including the perpetrator)02A student killed his 21-year-old classmate at the University of Bonn before killing himself with arsenic.16 January 1982Secondary school in Giengen, Baden-WürttembergUnnamed 19-year-old male student022A student shot and wounded two teachers after receiving low grades.20 December 1972University of Erlangen–Nuremberg in Erlangen, BavariaRobert Kausler3 (including the perpetrator)1316Robert Kausler initiated a shooting and arson attack at the University of Erlangen–Nuremberg, killing two people and injuring thirteen others. Kausler died in the fire.3 June 1983Freiherr-vom-Stein Gesamtschule in EppsteinKarel Charva6 (including the perpetrator)1420Eppstein school shooting: 34-year-old Karel Charva fatally shot three students, a teacher and a police officer and injured another 14 people using two semi-automatic pistols, before committing suicide.25 January 1984University of Cologne in Cologne, North Rhine-WestphaliaSabine S. Gehlhaar112Two teachers were shot by Sabine S. Gehlhaar, resulting in the death of Hermann Greive.

Germany 26 incidents. DateLocationPerpetrator(s)DeadInjuredTotalDescription9 November 1999Franziskaneum Gymnasium in Meissen, SaxonyAndreas S.1 01A 44-year-old teacher identified as Sigrun L. was stabbed 22 times by 15-year-old Andreas S., who used a knife in the crime. The teacher managed to escape, crawled close to the stairs, but ended up dying. The student was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison.16 March 2000Secondary school in Brannenburg, BavariaUnnamed 16-year-old male student11 (the perpetrator)2The 57-year-old director was shot by a 16-year-old student and later died in hospital. The student attempted suicide by shooting himself and is in a coma in the hospital.19 February 2002Landkreis Freising Wirtschaftsschule in Freising, Bavaria; an Eching companyAdam Labus (22)4 (including the perpetrator)26Adam Labus, 22 years old, a Polish man who lives in Germany, armed himself with a pistol and homemade bombs, Lubus went to his company where he previously worked in a taxi and shot two employees, the manager died at the scene and the foreman succumbed to his injuries later. Labus took the taxi again to go to a business school, where he killed the director and shot a teacher, before shooting himself in the head and dying.26 April 2002Gutenberg-Gymnasium in Erfurt, ThuringiaRobert Steinhäuser (19)17 (including the perpetrator)117Erfurt school massacre: 19-year-old expelled student Robert Steinhäuser shot and killed 16 people, including a police officer before killing himself.2 July 2003Coburger Realschule 2 in Coburg, BavariaFlorian K. (16)1 (the perpetrator)12Coburg shooting: 16-year-old Florian K. fired a handgun during a lesson in an attempt to kill his teacher. A second intervening teacher was lightly injured after being shot in the thigh before the shooter killed himself.20 November 2006Geschwister-Scholl-Schule in Emsdetten, North Rhine-WestphaliaSebastian Bosse (18)1 (the perpetrator)37382006 Emsdetten school shooting: Former student Sebastian Bosse shot and wounded 8 people and set off several smoke bombs before committing suicide. A teacher was injured when a smoke bomb hit her face. 28 others were injured as a result of smoke inhalation.6 July 2007Schüler der Kuseler Berufsschule in Kusel, Rhineland-PalatinateMichael B. (24)1 (the perpetrator)12Michael B., a 24-year-old man suffering from cancer, met at the bus stop with his ex-girlfriend, a 16-year-old student who didn't want to talk to him and ran away to school. Michael chased the student and shot her in the thigh while she was at the entrance to the institution. The teachers who realized what happened chased Michael and, when Michael realized this, he shot himself in the head with his pistol and died in the hospital.11 March 2009Albertville-Realschule in Winnenden, Baden-WürttembergTim Kretschmer (17)14 (including the perpetrator)7252009 Winnenden shootings: A former student opened fire in the school and fled in a stolen car. He killed 2 and injured 2 more at a car dealership and killed himself after a shootout with police.11 May 2009Albert Einstein Gymnasium in Sankt Augustin, North Rhine-WestphaliaTanja O. (16)011A 16-year-oñd student at the Albert Einstein gymnasium, armed with a tear gas pistol, flamethrower, Molotov cocktails and five kilos of gunpowder, slashed a classmate. O. escaped from school and went home, where she was later detained.17 September 2009Gymnasium Carolinum in Ansbach, BavariaGeorg Riess (18)016 (including the perpetrator)16Ansbach school attack: A school student attacked the school, armed with knives, Molotov cocktails, and an axe, he injured 15 before being shot and arrested by police.9 November 2011Wolterstorff-Gymnasium in Ballenstedt, Saxony-AnhaltUnnamed 13-year-old female student000A 13-year-old girl set two fires in a school restroom before threatening a student outside with a knife. The attacker was arrested outside. No injuries occurred.26 February 2013Hauptmann-Gymnasium in Wernigerode, Saxony-AnhaltUnnamed 15-year-old male student022A 15-year-old student shot two classmates in the neck and face with a blank gun before being restrained.24 January 2022University of Heidelberg in Heidelberg, Baden-WürttembergNikolai G. (18)2 (including the perpetrator)35Heidelberg University shooting: Nikolai G., an 18-year-old student at Heidelberg University, fired shotgun blasts into the freshmen's hall, where there were 30 students participating in chemistry classes. Four people were hit, one woman died in hospital and the other three were injured and survived. Nikolai G. killed himself after the shots.19 May 2022 in Bremerhaven, BremenBerkan S. (21)011A teacher was seriously injured by 21-year-old former student Berkan S., who used a crossbow, two knives and two bladed weapons in the attack. The perpetrator then ran outside, fired several more bolts, and then laid down on the floor as police arrived. He was arrested and later sentenced to 8 years' imprisonment with psychiatric care for attempted murder. During his trial, he was diagnosed with depression and a psychiatric disorder, and had reportedly been hoping responding police would shoot him dead.10 June 2022Hochschule Hamm-Lippstadt (HSHL) in Hamm, North Rhine-WestphaliaUnnamed 34-year-old man134An unidentified 34-year-old man attacked a teacher and three students with a knife on the school campus, one teacher died days after the attack, and the other victims recovered. The man was arrested and later convicted.3 May 2023 Evangelische Schule Neukölln in BerlinUnnamed 38-year-old man022A 38-year-old man broke into the school courtyard and stabbed two students aged 7 and 8, causing minor injuries to the two victims and the suspect was arrested.24 May 2023Vocational school in Wildeshausen, Lower SaxonyUnnamed 17-year-old male student011A 17-year-old student stabbed another 16-year-old student in the institution's bathroom, the student was rescued and is doing well. The student was detained after the attack.23 August 2023Primary school in Bischofswerda, SaxonyUnnamed 16-year-old male student02 (including the perpetrator)2A 16-year-old former student at a primary school surprised an 8-year-old student, stabbing him and seriously injuring him. Before that, the former student set himself on fire and was rescued and taken to the hospital, where he remained in a coma.9 November 2023Secondary school in Offenburg, Baden-WürttembergMateja Z. (15)101Mateja Z., a 15-year-old student, shot twice at a classmate of the same age who died in the hospital. The student was talked into dropping the weapon by an adult, upon arrival of the authorities he was arrested.22 February 2024Wilhelm Dörpfeld Gymnasium in Wuppertal, North Rhine-WestphaliaUnnamed 17-year-old male student04 (including the perpetrator)4A 17-year-old student stabbed three other students during a break in lessons, before severely injuring himself also.19 July 2024Secondary school in Wedel, Schleswig-HolsteinUnnamed perpetrators016Four people have been arrested on suspicion of stabbing and seriously injuring a 67-year-old music teacher.2 December 2024Georg-Zacharias-Grundschule in BerlinUnnamed man04444A man sprayed animal repellent at children at a Berlin school, injuring 44 students, one of them seriously.7 January 2025Unamed school busUnnamed 14-year-old male student011An undentified 13-year old stabbed a 14-year old as he was entering a school bus. The attack happened around 07:00 AM at a bus stop on Rothenburger Straße in Schnelldorf, as students waited for their school bus.5 September 2025·Bildungspark vocational college in Essen, North Rhine-WestphaliaErjon S. (17)02 (1 outside the school)2Erjon S., a 17-year-old Kosovar citizen, stabbed a man on a bus, then attacked a teacher and injured them at a vocational college. The student was confronted by police in a park and arrested after being shot.8 October 2025Westfalenkolleg in Paderborn, North Rhine-WestphaliaUnnamed 25-year-old man011A 25-year-old man stabbed a woman at a vocational school.8 July 2026Welfen-Gymnasium in Schongau, BavariaUnnamed 16-year-old student022A self-identified incel, armed with a knife and gun stabbed two girls at a school before being apprehended.27 August 2026Docemus Privatschulen – Campus Neu Zittau in Gosen-Neu Zittau, BrandenburgUnnamed 19-year-old man2022026 Gosen-Neu Zittau school stabbing: A man entered at around 1:45 p.m. the schoolyard of the private school and killed his 18-year-old ex-girlfriend and a 30-year-old school staff member with a knife. The suspect was arrested by police.

See also

List of mass shootings in Germany List of mass stabbings in Germany

References