Residents of Herdecke woke Tuesday to a police cordon and the sound of helicopter rotors after the town's newly elected mayor, Iris Stalzer, was found critically wounded in her apartment, authorities said. Emergency services transported her by air to a nearby trauma center; her condition was described as critical.

"We are treating this as an attempted homicide and are following several lines of inquiry," a North Rhine-Westphalia police spokesperson said. Investigators sealed off the scene, canvassed neighbors and forensics teams were reported on site. No arrests have been announced and police declined to speculate on motive.

The attack, captured in photographs by local and national agencies showing emergency crews and a rescue helicopter outside the building, has reverberated through this town of roughly 25,000 on the Ruhr's southern edge. Stalzer, whose victory in the municipal election marked a change in Herdecke's local leadership, had not yet been widely known beyond the region. The assault has prompted sympathy from political rivals and calls for calm from community leaders.

"This is a brutal act that touches not only Ms. Stalzer and her family but all of us who serve the public," said a municipal council member, speaking on condition of anonymity to convey the atmosphere in the chamber. "We must allow the police to do their work and support measures to protect local democracy."

Germany has, in recent years, grappled with violent attacks on public figures and increasing intimidation of politicians, particularly at the local level. The 2019 assassination of Regierungspräsident Walter Lübcke by a right-wing extremist remains a potent reminder of the dangers faced by officials across the political spectrum. Security experts say regional mayors — who often work in close contact with residents and appear publicly — are especially exposed.

"The office of mayor is both highly visible and, in many cases, lightly protected," said an academic who studies political violence in Europe. "If this assault was politically motivated, it will feed a long-simmering debate in Germany about how to safeguard local authorities without shutting down open civic life."

Federal and state authorities have in recent years discussed stepped-up protections and digital-security training for elected officials, but measures vary widely across municipalities. Critics argue that local budgets and a reluctance to militarize civic spaces have left many communities vulnerable.

For now, investigators are piecing together the timeline of Tuesday's events, seeking surveillance footage and witnesses in the quiet residential neighborhood where the attack occurred. Police have asked anyone with information to come forward while urging the public not to speculate on motive.

The stabbing has also sparked brief national attention to the rhythms of small-town governance — the precinct meetings, citizen forums and street-level disputes that constitute daily democracy. Herdecke, like many towns across Europe, is defined by active civic life; residents say the assault has cast a pall over community institutions that pride themselves on openness.

As emergency teams continue to coordinate with law enforcement, the immediate priority remains Stalzer's medical care and the criminal inquiry. The investigation may take days or weeks to yield answers; in the meantime, the incident has reopened questions about political safety and the resilience of local institutions in an era of heightened polarization.