workingclasshistory:

On this day, 18 October 1977, former Nazi war criminal and SS officer Martin Schleyer was killed by the Red Army Faction (aka the Baader-Meinhof group).
After World War II, Schleyer was briefly imprisoned as a prisoner of war for his SS activities, but he got a shorter sentence by lying about his rank and pretending to be more junior than he was. Like many former Nazis in West Germany, Schleyer was swiftly installed back in a position of power, and became head of the German Employers’ Association, known for his tough opposition to unions and strikes.
The RAF kidnapped him on September 5, demanding an exchange for 11 RAF prisoners. However, when three of the prisoners were found dead, the RAF shot Schleyer and left his body in the boot of a car in Mulhouse, France.
Learn more about the RAF in this extensive, two-volume documentary history of the group here: https://shop.workingclasshistory.com/collections/all/red-army-faction https://www.facebook.com/workingclasshistory/photos/a.296224173896073/2112291735622632/?type=3