The news was shared by current Bethlehem singer Yvonne "Onielar" Wilczynska. On Instagram, Onielar wrote (as translated from German), "He has died many times... But death was only temporary. After a serious illness, perseverance, and great fighting spirit, our beloved friend and esteemed founder of Bethlehem - Jürgen Bartsch - passed away on August 27, 2025. In deep sorrow and with a broken heart, In the name of Bethlehem, We will never forget you, Jürgen. Rest in peace."
When he discovered black metal, I followed him there too. Soon, my bedroom began to resemble a mausoleum: there were band posters featuring men made up to look like corpses glowering into Nordic fog, and CDs with tracklists that looked more like incantations than music. I began dressing the part black on black on black. I scoured forums for rare pressings and live bootlegs.