German prosecutors identify likely suspect in deadly 1970 Munich Jewish center arson
On the evening of 13 February 1970, the building of the Jewish Community of Munich at 27 Reichenbachstraße in Munich, which was also a retirement home, was set alight using a petrol mixture.
On 13 February 1970, a petrol mixture was used to set fire to the Jewish Community of Munich's building at 27 Reichenbachstraße, causing the deaths of seven Holocaust survivors and injuries to 15 others. The case remained unsolved for 56 years until the Munich Chief Public Prosecutor's Office reopened it in April 2025 following a tip-off.
A witness provided credible information about a suspect in close contact with a relative, who died in 2020. Investigators verified the suspicion by examining archived files, interviewing witnesses, and finding links to far-right circles. The suspect, a 25-year-old German man at the time of the arson, was described as an antisemite with a Hitler obsession.
Family members confirmed his remarks about wanting to set the Jewish retirement home on fire. The offender profile drawn up by the Bavarian Operational Case Analysis Unit matched the deceased suspect. However, prosecution is not possible in Germany for deceased defendants, so the investigation has resulted in no legal conclusion.
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