Hitler devotee identified as perpetrator of 1970 arson that killed 7 Holocaust survivors

German investigators have identified the perpetrator of a 1970 arson attack on a Jewish community center in Munich — one of the worst antisemitic attacks in postwar Germany — 56 years after the crime.

Munich prosecutors named far-right extremist Bernd V. as the culprit and closed their reinvestigation, according to Der Spiegel and other outlets Thursday. Bernd was 25 at the time of the attack and died in 2020, making prosecution impossible.

The attack occurred around 9 p.m. on Feb. 13, 1970, at a Jewish community building in Munich. About 50 people were inside at the time. Seven Holocaust survivors, aged 59 to 71, who lived in a nursing home in the building were killed and 15 others were injured.

Authorities at the time placed far-left anarchist groups and Palestinian terrorists among their suspects and offered a reward of 100,000 deutsche marks — the largest in German history at the time. Bernd was questioned as a suspect in 1972, but the investigation was dropped for lack of evidence.

The case was reopened last April after a key informant came forward. The informant said a relative who had committed thefts with Bernd had told them about his movements on the day of the attack.

According to the informant, Bernd had attempted to rob a jewelry store near the Jewish community building that day but failed. He then said, "The Jews have everything. I'm going to burn them," and a fire broke out at the building about 15 minutes later.

Prosecutors subsequently identified Bernd as the perpetrator after combining additional witness statements with forensic evidence. "The results of the reinvestigation clearly support the suspect's culpability," prosecutors said.

Der Spiegel reported that Bernd was a Hitler devotee with extreme antisemitic views. He kept recordings of Hitler's speeches, and court records from a past theft trial show he testified that he had learned his "love for the Führer" from an uncle who had served in the Nazi SS.