Man killed by falling tree as severe storms batter Germany, Rathen theater cancels shows
A sudden violent thunderstorm swept through the Saxon Switzerland region late on 31 July 2026, killing a man near the open-air Felsenbühne in Rathen and seriously injuring three others. The storm also brought down trees and flooded roads in Hamburg and Stuttgart, while rescuers used a police helicopter with thermal imaging to search for missing people in difficult terrain.
Fatal storm in Saxon Switzerland
A highly localised thunderstorm cell hit the small spa town of Rathen in Saxon Switzerland on Friday evening. A man walking on an access path to the Felsenbühne open-air theatre was struck and killed by a falling tree, police said. Three other people suffered serious injuries, while two more were lightly injured on the same path, according to the theatre's operations director. A dpa report initially cited ten further injured, but the final tally remained unclear. The Bergwacht mountain rescue service and a drone team from the German Red Cross were deployed to the rugged, rocky terrain to assist.
It seems to have been a very locally restricted and very strong thunderstorm cell.
Search for missing persons
Immediately after the storm, rescue workers reported that several people were unaccounted for. A police spokesperson described the scene as extremely chaotic: "It is very confusing on site. Some are missing." A police helicopter equipped with a thermal imaging camera circled above the rocky gorge in the darkness, trying to spot anyone trapped. Hours later, officials announced that no one remained missing and the search had been concluded.
Performances cancelled
The theatre's management cancelled all shows through Monday. Friday's scheduled performance of "Der kleine Horrorladen," Saturday's romantic opera "Der Freischütz" by Carl Maria von Weber, and Sunday's family musical "Der Traumzauberbaum" will not take place. Johannes Gärtner, the head of operations, said the ensemble was unharmed and the venue's stage itself saw no casualties, but damage assessments were ongoing.
I have cancelled operations until Monday.
Wider impacts across Germany
The German Weather Service (DWD) had issued warnings for heavy rain, hail, and wind gusts of up to 100 km/h for large parts of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The storm also lashed Hamburg and Stuttgart, where fire brigades responded to dozens of calls for flooded underpasses, uprooted trees, and endangered roofs. No injuries were reported in those cities.
- DIE WELT reports a man killed by falling tree in Rathen; DWD warnings active.
- Police confirm search for missing persons underway near Felsenbühne.
- Helicopter with thermal camera deployed; terrain hinders rescue efforts.
- Search concluded; no further missing persons found.
- Theatre director Johannes Gärtner cancels all performances through Monday.
