Baden-Baden (dpa / lsw) - After a devastating fire with millions of dollars in damage in the luxury hotel "Badischer Hof" in Baden-Baden, the public prosecutor's office has temporarily stopped the investigation. The suspicion of arson is directed against a former employee who is said to be abroad. The authorities there have now announced that a possible address is incorrect, said a spokesman for the Baden-Baden public prosecutor on Tuesday. Therefore, the authority currently has no further power. Südwestrundfunk (SWR) had previously reported on it.
The "Badische Hof" is the oldest palace hotel in Germany. Many great personalities were guests there. After being taken over by a hotel group, the hotel was renovated and reopened in mid-July last year. The major fire at the beginning of September caused considerable damage in a historic, listed part of the building. The police and public prosecutor's office recently estimated this at around 55 million euros, of which around 50 million were on the building and 5 million on the inventory. Around 160 guests were brought to safety. According to information on the website, the "Badische Hof" is currently being renovated. The opening is planned for 2024.
The spokesman for the public prosecutor's office did not say in which country the 37-year-old ex-employee should be staying. There is no urgent suspicion against the man, just a simple suspicion. The spokesman did not explain the details. If there are new clues in the case, the investigation would continue.
