The Reichstag fire trial took place in 1933 following the burning of the Reichstag building in Berlin, which housed the German parliament. The fire occurred on February 27, and the Nazi government, led by Adolf Hitler, quickly blamed the incident on communists, claiming it was part of a larger conspiracy to overthrow the state. The trial began in July 1933 and focused on Marinus van der Lubbe, a Dutch communist who was arrested at the scene. Despite his claims of acting alone, the trial was heavily influenced by the political climate, leading to the conviction of van der Lubbe and several other defendants, further consolidating Nazi power.