A wave of bomb threats swept through schools in Germany on Monday, apparently affecting more than 300.
According to new information, 35 regular schools in Thuringia (police had initially estimated 36) where the final math exam was to be held received bomb threats . In Rhineland-Palatinate, at least 50 schools received emails with identical content, and in Saxony, 25.
The Baden-Württemberg State Criminal Police Office reported 180 threatening emails to schools across the state that afternoon. Isolated threats were also reported in North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria, and Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania.
Patrick Martin (56), spokesman for the Thuringia State Police Directorate, told BILD: “The emails to regular schools in Thuringia were already sent on Sunday. They contain identical content.” He added: “The threatening emails were sent to
schools across the state.” In Erfurt alone, twelve schools raised the alarm.
The police are taking the threats seriously, “even if the risk of actual damage is low,” the spokesperson said. Police officers have been searching some of the affected regular schools since this morning. Patrick Martin: “We’re first looking for signs of forced entry to determine whether any objects could have been placed in the buildings.”
The all-clear was quickly given at 31 schools. “At only four schools did the threatening letter lead to delays, interruptions, or cancellations of classes,” the police spokesperson explained. Two 10th-grade classes at one school were ultimately unable to take the exam. The exam will be repeated.
In Rhineland-Palatinate, a police spokesperson spoke of a “wave of threats.” The emails were worded identically to the
bomb threats against schools that had already been received across Germany on Friday.
When asked, the Rhineland-Palatinate State Criminal Police Office stated: “Based on our experts’ analyses, the threats are currently not considered serious.” However, each threat is carefully examined, and investigations have begun.
Rhineland-Palatinate Education Minister Sven Teuber (SPD) said: “These threats are despicable attacks on places that are supposed to provide protection, education, and cohesion.” According to the Ministry of Education’s preliminary information, there were no school closures on Monday.
Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania: Threat related to IS
In Neubrandenburg (Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania), a school received a threatening email that, according to police , contained “typical references to the terrorist organization Islamic State.” Police did not disclose whether these references were also contained in the other emails.
Austria also affected
Many educational institutions in neighboring Austria also received threatening letters. More than 50 institutions, primarily schools, have been affected in the past three days, said Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, head of the Austrian Office for the Protection of the Constitution (DSN).
