Police in Berlin are investigating an assault on a group of young Hertha Berlin fans. According to media reports, the incident occurred on Friday evening at the Schönhauser Allee S-Bahn station. The perpetrators are alleged to be supporters of the rival club, 1. FC Union Berlin. The young Hertha fans, aged between 14 and 17, were reportedly surrounded, intimidated, and robbed. Their mobile phones and money were stolen. Investigators from the sports violence unit are examining the circumstances of the event.
Assault at train station
The incident occurred on Friday evening at the Schönhauser Allee S-Bahn station in the Prenzlauer Berg district. A group of young Hertha Berlin fans was allegedly attacked there by older Union Berlin supporters.
Victims are teenagers
The victims are young Hertha supporters aged between 14 and 17. They were surrounded by a group of about 20 older individuals identifying with Union Berlin. They were reportedly intimidated and robbed of their mobile phones and money.
Police investigation
Berlin police confirmed they are conducting an investigation into the case. The matter has been taken over by the department for sports-related violence. No suspects have been arrested so far. Witness searches and analysis of evidence are ongoing.
Context of the Berlin derby
The incident fits into the long history of rivalry between supporters of Berlin's two main football clubs: Hertha Berlin and 1. FC Union Berlin. The capital's derby is considered one of the most fiercely contested fixtures in the German Bundesliga.
Berlin police are investigating an assault on a group of young Hertha Berlin fans, which allegedly occurred on Friday evening at the Schönhauser Allee S-Bahn station. According to reports in German media, the perpetrators are supporters of the rival club, 1. FC Union Berlin. The victims are teenagers aged 14 to 17, who were reportedly surrounded by about 20 older individuals identifying with Union. The young fans were intimidated and robbed – their mobile phones and money were stolen. The incident took place in the Prenzlauer Berg district. The investigation has been taken over by the police department for sports-related violence. No suspects have been arrested so far; witness searches and evidence analysis are ongoing. The rivalry between Hertha Berlin and 1. FC Union Berlin, known respectively as the 'Old Ladies' and the 'Iron Ones', has deep social and historical roots. Hertha, founded in 1892, is traditionally associated with the western part of the city, while Union, established in 1906, has a strong base in East Berlin. After German reunification, the rivalry took on a new dimension, and the capital's derby is one of the most exciting, yet conflict-ridden, fixtures in German football. All cited German media, including 'Der Tagesspiegel', 'Süddeutsche Zeitung', and 'ZEIT ONLINE', use the formulation 'sollen' ('allegedly') in their headlines, emphasizing that the report is based on accusations and reports, not court verdicts. Information about the victims' age (14-17) and the number of perpetrators (about 20 people) appears consistently across all sources. However, none of the media outlets provide the exact time of the incident or specify the exact amounts of stolen money. As reported, Berlin police are not commenting on the details of the ongoing investigation, which is standard procedure. This incident fits into the broader context of problems with football hooliganism in Germany, although direct attacks on such young fans are relatively rarely described. The department for sports-related violence, which is leading the investigation, specializes in such cases. The football clubs, Hertha Berlin and 1. FC Union Berlin, have not yet issued official statements regarding the incident. The Berlin derby, despite its heated atmosphere, has not been the scene of large-scale clashes in recent years. However, the current investigation shows that tensions between fan groups can still escalate into violence and crime.