The perpetrator of the 1970 arson-murder of Holocaust survivors, considered one of postwar Germany's worst anti-Semitic terrorist attacks, has been identified as a neo-Nazi.
According to weekly magazine Der Spiegel and other sources, the Munich Prosecutor's Office in Germany identified the perpetrator on August 20 (local time) as Bernd V., a far-right sympathizer who was 25 years old at the time, and concluded the reinvestigation.
He died in 2020, making prosecution impossible.
The fire occurred at around 9:00 PM on February 13, 1970, at a Jewish community building in Munich.
At the time, about 50 people were inside the building.
Seven Holocaust survivors aged 59 to 71, who lived in the nursing home inside the building, died, and 15 others were injured.
Authorities suspected a far-left anarchist group and Palestinian terrorists, offering a reward of 100,000 marks, the largest in history at the time.
Bernd was also placed on the list of suspects and questioned as a suspect in 1972, but the investigation was suspended due to a lack of evidence.
The investigation resumed in April of last year when a crucial informant came forward.
The informant stated that they heard about the suspect's whereabouts on the day of the crime from a relative who used to commit thefts together with the arsonist.
Bernd had attempted to rob a jewelry store near the Jewish community building, but when it failed, he said, "The Jews have everything. I'm going to burn them out," and a fire broke out 15 minutes later.
Prosecutors combined additional statements and forensic evidence, stating, "The results of the reinvestigation clearly support the suspect's crime."
Der Spiegel reported that Bernd was a fanatical anti-Semite and Hitler worshipper.
He owned a record containing Hitler's speeches.
Records show that during a theft trial, he stated that he learned his "love for the Führer" from his uncle, who had been a member of the Nazi SS.
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