Prison Conversion: The Neo-Nazi Thug Who Found God
German Neo Nazi Turned Pastor Writes Book About His Conversion
At 17, Johannes Kneifel beat a man so brutally that he later died. In prison, the neo-Nazi converted to Christianity, and soon he will qualify as a church minister. But a new witness in the case has raised doubts about his guilt.
Sometimes when he appears in public he gets angry letters. “I wish you nightmares for the whole of your life,” read one Facebook message.
Johannes Kneifel looks calm as he describes the hate mail. The 30-year-old is sitting in a cafe in Elstal, a town just outside Berlin. “I’ve never dreamt about the crime,” says Kneifel.
The crime he is referring to took place 13 years ago, but it still dominates his life. Back then he wore steel-toed boots. Today he is wearing white sneakers and a white T-shirt, and his reddish blond hair is cut short. Back then, he was a violent neo-Nazi. Today, he is close to completing his theological studies. “I am grateful for this second chance,” he says.
On Aug. 9, 1999, Kneifel, who was 17 at the time, was drinking with a friend at a children’s playground in Eschede, a town in the state of Lower Saxony. Then the two neo-Nazis headed to the apartment of a man called Peter Deutschmann. The 44-year-old was considered a “hippie” in the town. He had criticized Kneifel’s friend because of his right-wing views. They wanted to teach him a lesson in return.