In May 2019, media reported that the investigations into the disastrous 1980 Munich Oktoberfest radical right bombing are going to be closed. According to the federal prosecutor who has opened the investigations for a second time, there has been no breakthrough and therefore no clarification on what could be achieved during the inquiries.
On 26 September 1980, one of the most devastating terror attacks in the history of post-WWII-Germany took place, directed at visitors of that year’s Oktoberfest: 12 festival guests were killed in the explosion as well as the perpetrator, a 21 year old student by the name of Gundolf Köhler. Over 200 people were wounded in the attack, some severely. Shortly afterwards, Köhler was not only identified as the perpetrator but his radical right background was revealed, too. He had participated in several military training exercises organized by the Wehrsportgruppe (WSG) Hoffmann (Paramilitary Sports Group Hoffmann), a radical right paramilitary organisation led by Karl-Heinz Hoffmann. This group mainly operated in Bavaria until it was banned before the attack in January 1980.
The motivation for this bombing remains as yet an unresolved question. An explanation might be that the attack aimed at adding fuel to an already fractious political climate by putting the blame on left-wing terrorists. In the politically tense election year of 1980, debates on “internal security” and terrorism were highly polarized; both among politicians and within the media. It is also possible that the attack was inspired by another far-right terrorist attack; directed shortly beforehand at the Bologna railway station in Italy on August 2, 1980, killing 85.
