Decades-Old Munich Arson Linked to Neo-Nazi Extremist After Shocking Revelation
A long-unsolved arson attack in Munich, once blamed on left-wing militants, has now been linked to a neo-Nazi extremist. The 1970 fire at a former Jewish retirement home in Berlin killed seven people, marking the deadliest anti-Jewish assault in Germany since World War II. New evidence has pointed to Bernd V., a convicted far-right extremist with a 'Hitler fixation,' as the likely perpetrator.
On February 13, 1970, a fire tore through a building in Munich's Reichenbachstraße, killing five men and two women. Initially, the urban guerrilla group Tupamaros West Berlin claimed responsibility. However, co-founder Dieter Kunzelmann later denied any involvement, leaving the case unresolved for decades.
The attack followed another incident months earlier. On November 9, 1969, Peter Urbach—a paid informant for Germany's domestic intelligence—placed a bomb inside a vending machine at Berlin's Jewish Community Center. The device failed to detonate, with around 250 people inside the building at the time.
In 2025, a witness came forward with information implicating Bernd V. in the Munich arson. By January 2026, Munich's federal prosecutor's office named him as the prime suspect, citing overlooked evidence. Yet, criminal charges are no longer possible—Bernd V. died in 2020, along with any alleged accomplices.
Authorities are now examining whether others knew of or assisted in the crime.
The case has shifted from left-wing extremism to far-right violence. Bernd V.'s suspected role redefines the historical understanding of the attack. With no living suspects, the investigation focuses on uncovering any remaining connections to the crime.
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