Munich Jewish centre arson suspect identified

German investigators said they had identified a deceased far-right suspect who likely carried out a 1970 arson attack on a Jewish centre in Munich that killed seven Holocaust survivors.

Police and prosecutors in Munich said the renewed investigation “strongly” indicated that the German man was the perpetrator. They said a conclusive legal finding was not possible because charges cannot be brought against a dead person under German law. The suspect died in 2020.

The February 13, 1970, attack targeted a building that served as a retirement home and guest house. Seven residents were killed and 15 people were injured, four of them seriously.

Officials said the case had been shelved in 2017 after decades of investigation and speculation about whether a Middle Eastern terrorist or far-left militant was responsible. It was reopened in April last year after a female witness came forward with new information.

Police and prosecutors said the suspect was 25 at the time, belonged to a right-wing milieu and was described by witnesses as antisemitic. They did not name him. Der Spiegel magazine partially identified him as Bernd V.

Officials said the suspect was allegedly near the scene on the day of the attack and made antisemitic remarks shortly before the building caught fire. He is suspected of pouring petrol on the wooden staircase and setting it alight.

Investigators said they could not determine whether he acted as part of a group, though they had no solid indications that others were involved.

Germany's domestic intelligence agency said in a 2025 report that 58,700 people were classified as right-wing extremists in Germany, up 17 percent from the previous year. It said 15,600 were considered potentially violent.