Horst Mahler, a former Marxist revolutionary who later became one of Germany’s most notorious far-right extremists and Holocaust deniers, died in a Berlin hospital at the age of 89.

Born on January 23, 1936, Mahler first rose to prominence in the late 1960s as a defense attorney for radical leftist activists. In 1969, he represented Andreas Baader and Gudrun Ensslin—key figures in Germany’s radical scene—before joining them the following year in founding the Red Army Faction (RAF), also known as the Baader-Meinhof gang.

The RAF emerged from a wave of student unrest and opposition to the Vietnam War and soon embarked on a campaign of violence targeting what it described as “American imperialism” and capitalist elites. Over the next two decades, the group killed 34 people and injured hundreds in bombings, shootings, and kidnappings. The RAF maintained ties with Palestinian terrorist groups, with members receiving training in Jordanian camps. The group officially disbanded in 1998.

Mahler’s role in the RAF ended abruptly in 1970 when he was arrested and later sentenced to 14 years in prison for bank robberies carried out in support of the group’s anti-capitalist agenda. During his decade in prison, Mahler publicly renounced his radical leftist beliefs. He was released in 1980 and eventually reinstated to the bar in 1987, aided by his then-attorney Gerhard Schröder—who would go on to serve as German chancellor.

But Mahler’s ideological transformation did not end there. By the 1990s, he had swung to the far-right, joining the ultranationalist National Democratic Party of Germany (NPD), a group monitored by German authorities for its extremist views. In 2001, he represented the NPD in a case defending its legal right to operate.

Mahler’s far-right activism escalated into open Holocaust denial and antisemitism. He was charged with inciting racial hatred and denying the Holocaust in public speeches and publications, including materials calling for violence against Jews. Throughout his trials, Mahler remained unrepentant, using court appearances to reiterate his denial of the Holocaust and express support for others sharing similar views, such as British Bishop Richard Williamson.

Over the years, Mahler was convicted multiple times for his rhetoric and ultimately received a cumulative prison sentence of about ten years. While incarcerated, he wrote a 200-page antisemitic manifesto, which was later published online by unidentified parties.

In 2017, Mahler fled to Hungary in an attempt to avoid further imprisonment but was eventually extradited back to Germany. He was released on health grounds in October 2020 and spent his remaining years living near Berlin. A new case against him was suspended in 2023 due to his declining health and was never resumed.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)