Overview
- The orange 'Maus' statue outside WDR was set on fire and damaged on 26 July 2025, and investigators say an unknown person lingered at the scene for more than an hour trying to feed the blaze before fleeing by bicycle.
- On Monday, July 6, 2026, the public prosecutor provisionally closed the case against unknown suspects because there are no current traces to follow, while reserving the right to reopen the files if new, concrete indications emerge.
- Police published photos of a possible suspect in November 2025 but removed them from the public wanted page weeks ago after the judge’s permission to show the images expired, limiting ongoing public appeals.
- The attack prompted strong public sympathy, with fans applying plaster 'bandages' to the statue’s burn wound and WDR returning a refurbished Maus to its spot at the end of August 2025.
- The pause reflects two practical limits on the hunt for the arsonist: degrading forensic leads over time and legal limits on publishing suspect images, both of which mean the case will only move forward if fresh, verifiable evidence appears.