Violence and fires at the turn of the year: Pinneberg in excitement!

Violence and fires at the turn of the year: Pinneberg in excitement!

Today, January 1, 2026, Schleswig-Holstein welcomes the New Year with mixed feelings. While many enjoyed the festivities, the events of New Year's Eve were anything but peaceful. There was a tumultuous incident in Pinneberg when around 50 people from Syria and Egypt clashed at a private party. This argument, which began with verbal altercations, quickly escalated, resulting in physical injuries. Twelve people then had to be taken to hospital with minor injuries. The police were able to de-escalate the situation, but the background to the dispute remains unclear. NDR reports on the tense moments and the challenges that the law enforcement officers were faced with.

But Pinneberg was not the only place where the situation was tense. In nearby Handewitt, a 31-year-old driver caused a serious incident when he injured two men (68 and 32 years old) with his vehicle. These injuries occurred when residents sought to confront the driver after observing him speeding. The police arrested the driver shortly afterwards.

Fire and chaos on New Year's Eve

The fire brigade had to record significantly more operations on New Year's Eve than on a normal day. A total of 136 operations were reported in the Segeberg region, including many due to property damage and physical altercations. For example, on December 31st at 6:37 p.m., a hedge in Henstedt-Ulzburg caught fire, causing property damage of almost 3,000 euros. The cause of the fire was probably spent fireworks. News.de notes that the weather conditions in the region led to a decrease in operations compared to the previous year.

The fire department also had its hands full in Elmshorn. A Mercedes E-Class burned down completely, and a carport and several cars were also affected by a large fire. At around 2:15 a.m. another fire broke out in a snack trailer, which caused preliminary property damage of around 15,000 euros. There could be a connection to firecrackers here. There was also a house fire in Quickborn that caused maximum property damage, but luckily no one was injured.

A turn of the year in the shadow of injuries

A look back at New Year's Eve 2025/2026 shows that, despite many celebrations, injuries caused by fireworks were also recorded. According to Tagesschau, a “peaceful New Year's Eve” was observed throughout Germany, but there were still tragic accidents in which at least five people died. Schleswig-Holstein was spared the most serious incidents, but the emergency services reported various physical altercations that marred the celebratory mood.

In summary, it can be said that the turn of the year in Schleswig-Holstein was marked by challenges. Even if one can speak of a decline in the number of uses overall, the incidents and the number of injuries are shocking and raise a serious discussion about the use and safety of fireworks. At a time when weather conditions already seem to be taking a toll on the celebrations, one can only hope that understanding and respect for the festival will increase in the years to come.