Cologne mayor able to take over duties month after near-fatal stabbing by anti-immigrant man

BERLIN – Cologne's new mayor has started her city hall duties, about a month after she was stabbed by a suspected anti-immigrant extremist.

Henriette Reker was stabbed in the neck in October as she campaigned the day before the election, and hospitalized with life-threatening wounds.

She was elected while still in an induced coma. The dpa news agency reported her recovery has gone well and she was able to take over her duties as mayor Friday.

Federal prosecutors are investigating the 44-year-old alleged assailant, who has told authorities he wanted to take a stand against the growing number of refugees in Germany.

Reker, who was in charge of housing refugees in Cologne, ran as an independent but was backed by Chancellor Angela Merkel's conservative Christian Democrats and two other parties.