Fire in Clausthal-Zellerfeld: Police suspect serious arson!

Fire in Clausthal-Zellerfeld: Police suspect serious arson!

On the night of Sunday, July 20, 2025, a devastating fire broke out in the historic market church “Zum Heiligen Geist” in Clausthal-Zellerfeld. The fire department was alerted at 12:40 a.m. after the church's fire alarm system triggered an emergency signal. The fire had quickly spread to the east side of the church, from the floor to the roof overhang. The extinguishing work continued for several hours until the flames were finally extinguished in the morning.

The Marktkirche is considered the largest wooden church in Germany and was built in the 17th century. It is one of the few surviving wooden churches in Germany and is an important monument of the North German Baroque. Fortunately, there were no injuries in the incident. However, it remains unclear how much damage was caused; Due to the circumstances of the fire, the responsible authorities seized the scene of the fire and initiated an investigation on suspicion of serious arson. The Goslar police ask anyone who has information or observations about how the fire started to call 05321/3390 to report.

The importance of the market church

The market church “Zum Heiligen Geist”, which has a capacity of almost 2,000 people, was extensively renovated just a few years ago for around 10 million euros. The impressive dimensions of 57 meters long and 26 meters wide make it an important cultural heritage of the region. The church's tower is made of 56 tons of wood, further emphasizing the importance and effort that went into its construction. Entire forests were cut down to obtain the required material.

The fire brigade was on duty for hours and the big challenge was to get the fire under control as the flames spread unhindered. Despite the horrific incident, the community remains hopeful. The Market Church is valued as a cultural monument of national importance and has not only historical but also emotional weight for the people in the region.

The fire and its suspected cause raise many questions. What could have motivated those responsible to start such a devastating fire? The police will investigate at full speed and the municipality is hoping for information from the public in order to quickly track down the perpetrator.

For the residents of Clausthal-Zellerfeld, the Marktkirche is not just a place of worship, but a piece of home and identity. In these difficult times it is important to stand together and not give up hope that this valuable building can soon shine again in its full splendour.

Further information and current developments can be found at NDR, Göttingen Tageblatt and Catholic.de.