A fire in the Jewish section of a cemetery in Austria’s capital causes damage but no injuries

BERLIN (AP) — Austria’s main Jewish leader said Wednesday that a fire was set during the night in the Jewish section of Vienna’s central cemetery and swastikas were sprayed on external walls.

Jewish Community of Vienna President Oskar Deutsch wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that the fire burned the entrance lobby to a ceremonial hall but did not cause any injuries. The fire service and police were investigating, he said.

Fire service spokesperson Gerald Schimpf told the Austria Press Agency that the fire appeared to have broken out during the night and had largely extinguished itself by the time firefighters were alerted shortly after 8 a.m.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer said he condemned “the attack on the Jewish cemetery in the strongest terms.” He wrote on X that “ antisemitism has no place in our society” and added that he hoped the perpetrators would be found quickly.