Eighteen individuals were injured in a knife attack at Hamburg Central Station in Germany on May 23, 2025, during the evening rush hour. The attack took place around 6:00 p.m. local time on the platform between tracks 13 and 14, targeting passengers waiting for an Intercity Express train heading to Fulda, Germany.
Police in Hamburg apprehended a 39-year-old German woman named Lydia S. at the scene without incident. Surveillance footage analysis showed she acted alone. Authorities revealed she had been released from psychiatric care at a hospital in Cuxhaven, Germany, just a day prior to the attack on May 22, 2025.
Four victims sustained life-threatening injuries, including a 24-year-old woman, a 24-year-old man, a 52-year-old woman, and an 85-year-old woman. Six others were seriously injured, while seven sustained minor wounds. As of May 24, 2025, all critically injured victims were reported in stable condition at hospitals in the Hamburg area.
Witnesses described the attacker moving through the crowded platform, shouting incoherently and moving her arms in a swimming-like motion. The knife was not immediately visible, and bystanders only realized the gravity of the situation when victims started screaming and holding their wounds. Two passersby, reportedly of Syrian and Chechen nationality, assisted in subduing the suspect before police arrived.
Hamburg police spokesperson Florian Abbenseth stated there was no evidence of political motivation for the attack. “Rather, we have information, based on which we now want to investigate, whether she may have been experiencing a psychological emergency,” Abbenseth told journalists on May 23. Police confirmed they had “concrete evidence” that the suspect suffers from mental illness.
The suspect had been known to police in Lower Saxony since 2021, having appeared at police stations multiple times showing clear signs of mental illness. Officials from the Lower Saxony Health Ministry reported she had been treated at a psychiatric institution in Cuxhaven for three weeks after being found in a state of helplessness in early May 2025.
A magistrate judge charged Lydia S. with 15 counts of attempted manslaughter in conjunction with dangerous bodily harm on May 24, 2025. The charges pertain to victims who suffered direct knife wounds of varying severity. The remaining three victims sustained injuries from shock or falls during the chaos. Hamburg prosecutors confirmed the suspect confessed to her actions when she appeared before the investigating judge.
Hamburg Central Station, Germany’s second-busiest railway hub that processes about 550,000 travelers daily, had instituted weapon bans in October 2023 and alcohol restrictions in April 2024 to combat rising violence. Despite heightened security measures that led to the confiscation of over 500 weapons, including 350 knives, in 2024, the attack took place during peak travel time on the Friday evening before the Pentecost holiday weekend.
Emergency services responded with approximately 410 police officers and 50 firefighters. Four tracks at the station were closed, causing significant delays and diversions for long-distance trains. Railway services resumed by 7:00 p.m., except for tracks 11 through 14 surrounding the affected platform. Deutsche Bahn officials expressed being “deeply shocked” by the attack.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz contacted Hamburg Mayor Peter Tschentscher on May 23 to receive updates on the situation. Merz described the attack as “upsetting” and conveyed that his thoughts were with the victims and their families. Federal Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt echoed similar sentiments, calling it “shocking when travelers are attacked in a treacherous and cowardly manner.”
The Hamburg attack is the latest in a series of knife attacks across Germany in recent months. On May 18, 2025, four people were injured in a stabbing at a bar in Bielefeld, Germany, with federal prosecutors taking over the investigation after the Syrian suspect claimed jihadist beliefs. In August 2024, a Syrian man killed three people and injured eight others at a festival in Solingen, Germany, in an attack motivated by the Islamic State terror group.
Hamburg authorities had previously identified the central station as a hotspot for violent crime and drug activity. Despite the presence of Quattro-Streifen patrols, a joint formation of Federal Police, State Police, Deutsche Bahn security, and Hochbahn security officers that started regular operations in spring 2023, the facility’s security challenges became apparent. While overall violence incidents decreased from 720 cases in 2023 to 546 in 2024, knife-related crimes increased from 12 to 23 incidents during the same period.
The suspect remains in psychiatric custody as investigations continue into her background and mental health history. Hamburg police confirmed the attack was captured on surveillance cameras, providing additional evidence for the ongoing investigation. The incident has renewed discussions about security measures at major transportation hubs and mental health support systems in Germany.
