Neunkirchen - Investigation: Fire in Honecker's birthplace points to defect
After the fire at the birthplace of former GDR State Council Chairman Erich Honecker in Saarland, Neunkirchen, investigations point to a technical defect as the cause. There is no evidence of arson, a police spokesperson said on Thursday. The house caught fire on Tuesday. The flames spread to two neighboring buildings as well. A neighboring house was slightly damaged, while the other two multi-family houses were uninhabitable according to the police.
Initially, emergency services were searching for two missing children. However, it later emerged that all the inhabitants and occupants of the building had been able to leave unharmed. Forty people had to spend the night in emergency shelters after the fire. The fire investigators estimate the damage at around 750,000 Euro. The investigation into the cause of the fire continued on Thursday as well.
The former chairman of the GDR State Council, Erich Honecker, was born in the house where the fire broke out in 1912. Honecker served as the head of state and SED party leader of the GDR from 1971 to 1989.
Fire Department Communique from Wednesday
The house where the fire occurred is known as Erich Honecker's birthplace, hailing from Germany's Saarland region, specifically Neunkirchen. Despite the initial concern for two missing children, all residents and occupants managed to evacuate safely. The fire, which began on Tuesday, resulted in extensive damage, forcing 40 individuals to seek shelter temporarily. Although the investigation into the cause of the fire continues in Germany, current findings suggest a technical issue as the likely culprit, not arson as previously speculated by some.
