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Bank robbery in Munich 1971: hostage taking in the focus of the story!
On August 4, 1971, a group from Graz attacked the Deutsche Bank in Munich, taking hostages and causing a national crisis.
Bank robbery in Munich 1971: hostage taking in the focus of the story!
A dramatic chapter of Munich comes to life as we reflect on the deadly bank robbery of 1971. On August 4th of that year, two masked men entered the Deutsche Bank on Prinzregentenstrasse: Dimitri Todorov and Hans Georg Rammelmayr, who were equipped with submachine guns and led the events in the city to culminate in a fatal hostage-taking. While the bank employees were preparing for the end of the day, the two robbers demanded two million marks and a quick getaway vehicle.
A total of 18 people were taken hostage, including the cashier Ludwig Kelnhofer, who wanted to leave early because of his son's doctor's appointment. The perpetrators' tactic of using the hostages as human shields shows the brutality and determination with which they acted. The police were completely unprepared for the situation - improvised operations centers were set up and communication breakdowns were the order of the day, as ZDF did in its documentary “XY History” describes.
Public attention and escalation
The hostage crisis attracted around 5,000 onlookers who watched the action from the street, while some toasted with champagne from Feinkost Käfer. The mood outlined a tension between fear and hope; In the midst of this, the hostages were given champagne to calm them down. But the situation escalated shortly before midnight when the perpetrators tried to escape. A power struggle between the police and the public prosecutor's office, led by senior public prosecutor Erich Sechser, dominated the negotiations.
Prominent guests, including Franz Josef Strauß and Interior State Secretary Erich Kiesl, watched the dramatic events from a restaurant opposite. Shortly before 11 p.m. the requested ransom was finally provided. The first hostages left the bank, but the shocking moment followed when Rammelmayr got into the escape vehicle with a hostage and the police opened fire - tragically, Rammelmayr was fatally shot and the hostage, Ingrid Reppel, died despite emergency surgery.
Consequences and innovations in the security area
Todorov remained in the bank with the remaining hostages and was later pinned under a desk and arrested. This attack had far-reaching consequences: It led to a fundamental overhaul of security protocols in Germany and the establishment of special operations commandos (SEK). The legal framework for taking hostages has also been redefined. Todorov was sentenced to life in prison and released early after 22 years in prison.
In the period that followed, police statistics regarding hostage-taking changed. According to that Federal Criminal Police Office, a large number of such incidents were recorded between 2014 and 2024, but they cannot be compared with the tragedy of the Munich attack.
This incident remains a powerful example of how a single day in the history of a city can influence so many people and their fates. May the memory of the events of 1971 serve to ensure that we always have a good hand for the safety and well-being of everyone.