Gundolf Köhler
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Gundolf Wilfried Köhler (27 August 1959 - 26 September 1980) was a German far-right terrorist who perpetrated the 1980 Oktoberfest bombing, a terrorist attack that killed 13 people (including himself) and injured 213. This is considered the second most deadly terrorist attack in the history of Germany after World War II, only surpassed by the Munich Massacre.
Biography edit
Köhler was born on August 27, 1959 in the town of Schwenningen am Neckar in Baden-Württemberg. His parents, Werner and Martha Köhler, had lost their first son Gerald after he drowned in 1957, so two years later they decided to have Gundolf.
During his youth, Köhler participated in various events of the neo-nazi National Democratic Party and was a member of the neo-nazi group Wiking-Jugend. In 1975 he established connections with the neo-nazi militia Wehrsportgruppe Hoffmann (WSG Hoffman) and became interested in explosives, and was seriously injured in the face when he performed a chemical experiment later that year. A year later he participated in violent confrontations led by WSG Hoffman.
He served in the West German Army for three months where he attempted to be trained in explosives creation, but was rejected. In 1979, he began studying geology at the University of Tübingen, where witnesses claim that he was an antisocial person who would lock himself in a basement to handle explosives. However, he did maintain contact with some right-wing students.
After failing a university exam, Köhler returned to his hometown. He allegedly talked to friends of his about a false flag attack which he would blame on a left-wing group and thereby increase support for right-wing parties for the 1980 federal election.
On September 26, 1980, Köhler placed an explosive device at an entrance to Oktoberfest, which exploded prematurely and instantly killed Köhler and 12 others who were nearby. Another 213 people were injured.
After the attack, the police found a portrait of Adolf Hitler in Köhler's bed. The investigation has concluded that Köhler was the sole perpetrator of the attack, but some investigators suspect that there may have been more people involved in the attack.
Victims edit
- Gabriele Deutsch (17 years)
- Robert Gmeinwieser (17 years)
- Axel Hirsch (23 years)
- Markus Hölzl (44 years)
- Paul Lux (52 years)
- Ignatz Platzer (6 years)
- Ilona Platzer (8 years)
- Franz Schiele (33 years)
- Angela Schüttrigkeit (39 years)
- Errol Vere-Hodge (25 years)
- Ernst Vestner (30 years)
- Beate Werner (11 years)