German neo-Nazi suspected of deadly 1970 fire at Jewish retirement home

German authorities now suspect a neo-Nazi of igniting a deadly fire at a Jewish retirement home in 1970, an incident long considered among the most severe assaults on Germany's post-war Jewish community.

Investigators in Germany believe they have identified the arsonist responsible for the 1970 fire at a Jewish community center in Munich, which resulted in seven fatalities. For decades, the perpetrator's identity remained unknown. However, Munich prosecutors now suspect the individual was a 25-year-old solitary neo-Nazi with documented antisemitic views.

All seven victims were Holocaust survivors, ranging in age from 59 to 71. Additionally, 15 people sustained injuries. The prosecutors' findings come too late for the victims to receive justice, as the suspect, identified by Der Spiegel magazine as Bernd V, passed away in 2020.

According to prosecutors, at approximately 8:40 PM on February 13, 1970, the assailant allegedly poured gasoline into the wooden stairwell of a retirement home located within the Jewish community building on Reichenbachstrasse, then set it ablaze. The fire rapidly ascended to the building's top floor. While many occupants escaped to the roof or were rescued by firefighters, four victims perished in the stairwell, and another died after leaping from a window.

Prosecutors now assert they have "compelling grounds pointing to the (deceased) suspect being the perpetrator," based on "credible information" provided by a woman who came forward last year following the death of a close relative who had known the man well.

According to prosecutors, the suspected killer was reportedly heard claiming in the immediate vicinity of the community building that "the Jews had everything" and he intended to "set them on fire." Fifteen minutes later, the building was engulfed in flames. Authorities state these remarks have been corroborated by other members of the witness's family. Other witnesses reportedly described the man as having a "Hitler-fixation" and recalled him listening to recordings of speeches by the Nazi dictator in his youth.

One head teacher informed investigators that the suspect had apparently used a Hitler-youth dagger, given to him by his father, during a confrontation. He later received a juvenile conviction for detonating two phone kiosks.

Spiegel reports that the female witness's relative had previously been part of a burglary gang. On the night of the arson attack on the retirement home, they had reportedly participated in an unsuccessful raid on a jewelry store in nearby Gärtnerplatz. The relative stated that the botched burglary had enraged Bernd V and provoked an antisemitic fury.

The investigation into the arson attack was closed in 2017 due to insufficient conclusive evidence, before being re-opened last year. Prosecutors emphasize that the presumption of innocence still applies, even after a suspect's death, and they have also stated there is no reliable evidence to suggest anyone else was involved in the attack.

Fifty-six years later, German authorities are now confident they have solved a notorious antisemitic crime. However, the case will likely be viewed as a historic failure by the police. According to Spiegel, Bernd V's name was brought to the attention of investigators in the early 1970s by a man who shared a prison cell with him. Nevertheless, they lacked sufficient evidence and subsequently dropped the case against him.