on 27 february, soon after the appointment of adolf hitler as chancellor, the reichstag was set on fire and dutch council communist marinus van der lubbe was found near the building. the nazis publicly blamed the fire on communist agitators in general, although in a german court in 1933, it was decided that van der lubbe had acted alone, as he claimed to have done. the following day, hitler persuaded hindenburg to issue the reichstag fire decree. it suspended the civil liberties enshrined in the constitution, ostensibly to deal with communist acts of violence.