According to pastor Rüdiger Kurz, the perpetrators set fire to a rubbish container on each of the nights from April 29th to May 2th. Passers-by called Kurz and he had notified the fire brigade so that the fires could be extinguished before buildings were damaged.

Kindergarten

Earlier, on the night of March 9th, unknown persons had set fire to four rubbish containers. The flames threatened to spread to the building of the community kindergarten - which the fire brigade prevented. Kurz told IDEA that he is concerned about the attacks. “I have the impression that the perpetrators deliberately chose our congregation for their attacks,” Kurz said. He did not know what motivation drove them.

A spokeswoman for the Bremen police told IDEA that in the case of the March 9th attack, there was a public call for wanted persons. For tactical reasons, she could not say whether any tips had been received or what the status of the investigation was.

Missionary active

The Abraham congregation has around 1,400 members. According to Kurz, the missionary active congregation has a very strong impact on its neighbourhood, among other things with the kindergarten, a music school, a café and a clothing store.

Before the Corona pandemic, the congregation had about 100 worshippers a week. Under the Corona conditions, it currently has about 40 visitors, Kurz said. It belongs to the association of theologically conservative Bremen congregations, the “Arbeitsgemeinschaft missionarische Kirche”. Other member congregations of the association are St. Martini, St. Markus, St. Matthäus, Epiphanias, St. Johannes-Sodenmatt and the Hohentorsgemeinde.