Identifying the suspect in an arson attack targeting a Jewish center in Munich in 1970

The Munich Public Prosecution said that it had identified the suspect in an arson attack that targeted a Jewish community center and a nursing home in the city in 1970, killing 7 people and wounding 13 others, including Holocaust survivors.

Investigations said that the suspect, known as “Bernd F.”, was linked to neo-Nazi ideas and open anti-Semitism, and that he died in 2020, which prevents his prosecution.

The authorities reopened the file after receiving new information from a witness in 2025, concluding that the suspect was the likely perpetrator of the attack.

The fire occurred on February 13, 1970, when wooden stairs were set on fire in a building housing the Jewish nursing home on Reichenbach Street in Munich. According to new information, the attack came after a failed attempt by the suspect to rob a jewelry store, followed by his making anti-Jewish threats to burn down the center.

For decades, the case remained one of the most prominent unsolved anti-Semitic crimes in Germany after World War II, with previous investigations focusing on hypotheses related to extremist left-wing groups or Palestinian organizations.