The present study compared cases of attempted and completed homicide in Hamburg from 1984 to 1989 and from 1995 to 2000 (n = 887). Data collection was performed using the police records. Attempted homicide showed a significant increase (34.8% vs. 57.9%, P <0.0001). The majority of the victims and offenders were male with the share of male victims increasing from 59.7% to 74.2% (P <0.0001). The age of the victims and offenders ranged between 22 and 40 years in both periods. The share of persons with a nationality other than German increased both in the victims (23.1% vs. 37.2%, P <0.0001) and in the offenders (26.8% vs. 37.2%, P <0.0001). The most common motives were interpersonal conflicts and robbery. The most frequently used forms of violence were sharp force, blunt force and strangulation.
