Berlin shop owner repeatedly attacked after displaying posters condemning antisemitism
Attacks said to begin after Oct. 7 anniversary, when six youths twice came to store to allegedly insult and physically attack him; another group vandalized store Friday
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleZev Stub is the Times of Israel's Diaspora Affairs correspondent.
A 67-year-old wheelchair-bound shop owner in Berlin has been repeatedly attacked after displaying posters condemning antisemitism and the October 7, 2023, Hamas massacre, according to German media reports on Saturday.
Hans-Georg Lindenau suffered injuries to his head and left hand in the attacks after his shop in the Kreuzberg neighborhood began displaying the posters, including one reading, “Fight against antisemitism. We will dance again,” according to Der Tagesspiegel.
According to a report in Bild, the attacks began this past October 7, the third anniversary of the Hamas massacre, when around six youths entered his store, insulted him and sprayed him with pepper spray.
The following evening, the group allegedly returned and attacked him again. Lindenau said the assailants called him a “son of a bitch” and asked whether he was Jewish. He also said he was struck with what appeared to be a blank-firing pistol.
On Friday, up to eight youths reportedly returned on electric scooters, kicked and punched the shop’s entrance door, broke it open and sprayed pepper spray before fleeing.
Berlin police have opened an investigation into suspected aggravated assault, insult and property damage. The State Criminal Police Office’s State Security Unit is investigating it as a politically motivated crime, according to the report.
#Berlin|er Verhältnisse:
"Am 7. Oktober – dem dritten Jahrestag des Hamas-Massakers – wurde Lindenau zumersten Mal körperlich angegriffen. Gegen 19.20 Uhr betraten etwa sechs Jugendliche den Laden. Sie beleidigten den auf einen Rollstuhl angewiesenen Mann und besprühten ihn mit… pic.twitter.com/lGHKhU0C5c
— Je suis occidental (@OpferdesIslam) October 11, 2026
Lindenau’s store, M99, has been known locally for decades for its left-wing and revolutionary merchandise. Lindenau tells Der Tagesspiegel the store was intended to welcome everyone regardless of background, religion or skin color, but visitors must respect his opposition to antisemitism.
The assault came amid persistently high levels of antisemitism in Germany since Hamas’s October 7, 2023, onslaught on southern Israel and the war that followed.
The Federal Association of Departments for Research and Information on Antisemitism, known as RIAS, said in May that many members of the Jewish community in Germany avoid displaying religious symbols or speaking Hebrew openly amid harassment, intimidation and violence in public spaces.
According to a report in July by the J7 Task Force, an organization representing major Jewish communities across seven nations, Germany documented 8,725 antisemitic incidents in 2025, marking a 215% spike over five years.
That represented the highest per capita rate in the world, with nearly 70 incidents per 1,000 Jewish residents, as attacks by both far-right groups and far-left anti-imperialist networks surged. Researchers also flagged an accelerating erosion of Holocaust memory and awareness, particularly among younger demographics.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
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