The first witness today was Max-Florian B. B is suspected of having supported the NSU by providing Mundlos with his personal details for a passport and other documents. Accordingly he had a right to refuse to testify, of which he availed himself. However, B had made a number of statements to the police, and accordingly the police officers who had questioned him could be called as witnesses.

In his first testimony to police on 7 November 2011, three days after the death of Mundlos and Böhnhardt, he had claimed that Zschäpe and Mundlos had been random acquaintances who had spent one night in his apartment and had probably stolen his documents.

Two weeks later, in his first testimony to federal police detectives, he admitted that the he had given refuge to “the Three” as he considered them “comrades”. He also stated that Mundlos had persuaded him to give him his ID card for a time. In the following years, he had talked to Mundlos on the phone from time to time and there had been some visits, the last one in 2009/2010. All this time, he had provided further personal details, mostly without realizing.

B. stated that he had not had any idea of the crimes committed by the Three and that he had left the Nazi scene years ago. He was very sorry that he had unwittingly supported the crimes of the NSU and wanted to help uncover the truth. B. did indeed meet several times with detectives and provided further information, albeit often only after being asked concrete questions. Whether this is a result of the time that has passed and of his having suppressed his memories, or whether B knows more than he lets on and could do more to uncover the truth, remains unclear. The officer who was present at most of B.’s police interviews will continue his testimony in the next weeks.

Max-Florian B.’s testimony to the police, both as concerns his own person and as concerns the support given to “the Three” by other Nazis from Chemnitz, shows again that the NSU could count on a large number of dependable supporters. The assumption is still valid that this was the case not only shortly after their going undercover, but also for the time during which they committed their murders. In particular, B. had given evidence on André Eminger, who had long remained in contact with “the Three” and who had sent B a text with Nazi statements as late as 2010.

At the end of the trial day, victims’ counsel moved that the case file against Mandy Struck be made part of the court file. Struck, who has been called to testify in Munich next week, is also accused of supporting the NSU.