German investigators have identified a suspect in the 1970 arson attack on a Jewish community center in Munich that killed seven people, according to a BBC News report. Prosecutors believe the perpetrator was a 25-year-old lone neo-Nazi with a history of antisemitic opinions.
The fire occurred on February 13, 1970, at a retirement home housed within the Jewish community building on Reichenbachstrasse. Prosecutors state the suspect poured gasoline onto a wooden stairwell and ignited it, causing the fire to spread rapidly. Seven Holocaust survivors, aged 59 to 71, died in the blaze, and 15 others were injured. Four victims died in the stairwell, while another succumbed after jumping from a window.
Authorities now assert they have "compelling grounds" to believe the deceased suspect, identified by Der Spiegel magazine as Bernd V, was responsible. This conclusion is based on "credible information" provided by a woman who came forward last year. She reported that the suspect had made remarks near the community building expressing antisemitic sentiments, stating "the Jews had everything" and he wanted to "set them on fire." These statements have reportedly been corroborated by other family members of the witness.
Further details emerged suggesting the suspect had a "Hitler-fixation" and listened to recordings of Nazi dictator speeches in his youth. He had also received a juvenile conviction for blowing up two phone kiosks. According to Der Spiegel, a relative of the female witness, who was part of a burglary gang, participated in a failed jewelry store raid on the night of the arson. This incident reportedly fueled Bernd V's rage and motivated the attack.
The investigation into the arson attack was initially closed in 2017 due to insufficient evidence. It was reopened last year following the new witness testimony. Prosecutors emphasized that the presumption of innocence still applies, even posthumously, and stated there is no reliable evidence to suggest other individuals were involved.
Despite the recent identification, the case is likely to be viewed as a historical failure by German authorities. Bernd V's name had reportedly been brought to investigators' attention in the early 1970s by a former cellmate, but the case was dropped due to a lack of conclusive evidence at the time. The suspect himself died in 2020, meaning no legal justice can be sought for the victims of the 56-year-old crime.