Munich massacre
The Munich massacre was an attack that happened on 5-6 September during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. 11 members of the Israel Olympic team were murdered after being taken hostage. A German police officer was also killed.[1]
| Munich massacre | |
|---|---|
 Front view of Connollystraße 31 in 2007. The window of Apartment 1 is to the left of and below the balcony. | |
| Location | Munich, West Germany |
| Coordinates | 48°10′47″N 11°32′57″E / 48.17972°N 11.54917°ECoordinates: 48°10′47″N 11°32′57″E / 48.17972°N 11.54917°E |
| Date | September 5, 1972 – September 6, 1972 4:31 am – 12:04 am (UTC+1) |
| Attack type | |
| Deaths | 17 total (12 victims, 5 perpetrators; see list)
|
| Perpetrator(s) | Black September |
The terrorists demanded the Israeli government to release 234 prisoners held in Israeli jails.[2] Of the eight attackers, five were killed by the police and three were arrested. The three were released from jail.
List of fatalities
- Shot during the initial break-in
- Moshe Weinberg, wrestling coach
- Yossef Romano, weightlifter
- Shot and killed by grenade in eastern-side helicopter D-HAQO
- According to the order in which they were seated, from left to right:
- Ze'ev Friedman, weightlifter
- David Berger, weightlifter (survived grenade but died of smoke inhalation)
- Yakov Springer, weightlifting judge
- Eliezer Halfin, wrestler
- Shot in western-side helicopter D-HAQU
- According to the order in which they were seated, from left to right:
- Yossef Gutfreund, wrestling referee
- Kehat Shorr, shooting coach
- Mark Slavin, wrestler
- Andre Spitzer, fencing coach
- Amitzur Shapira, track coach
- Shot in control tower during gunfight
- Anton Fliegerbauer, West German police officer
- Palestinian terrorists shot dead by West German police
- Luttif Afif ("Issa")
- Yusuf Nazzal ("Tony")
- Afif Ahmed Hamid ("Paolo")
- Khalid Jawad ("Salah")
- Ahmed Chic Thaa ("Abu Halla")
Munich Massacre Media
Memorial plaque in front of the Israeli athletes' quarters. The inscription, in German and Hebrew, translates as: "The team of the State of Israel stayed in this building during the 20th Olympic Summer Games from 21 August to 5 September 1972. On 5 September, [list of victims] died a violent death. Honor to their memory."
Munich Massacre by Mark Podwal, published in The New York Times in 1972
Memorial panel for the victims of the attack on the site of the Munich Olympic Park
Memorial for the dead athletes in front of the airport in Fürstenfeldbruck. The names of the victims are engraved.
Place of memory in Ben Shemen forest in Israel
Graves of five victims of the Munich massacre at the Kiryat Shaul Cemetery, Tel Aviv, Israel. From left to right: André Spitzer, Mark Slavin, Eliezer Halfin, Kehat Shorr and Amitzur Schapira.
References
- ↑ Breznican, Anthony (22 December 2005). "Messages from 'Munich'". USAToday (Gannett Co.). https://www.usatoday.com/life/movies/news/2005-12-21-munich_x.htm. Retrieved 17 April 2009.
- ↑ Karon, Tony (12 September 2000). "Revisiting the Olympics' Darkest Day". Time. http://www.time.com/time/arts/article/0,8599,54669,00.html. Retrieved 13 May 2010.
Other websites
Media related to Munich massacre at Wikimedia Commons
- The Israeli Response to the 1972 Munich Massacre – Includes an extensive overview of the Munich massacre
- A Tribute to the 1972 Israeli Olympic Athletes – Includes biographies and photographs for each of the 11 Israeli athletes killed
- Time Magazine Archived 2013-06-16 at the Wayback Machine, 4 December 2005
- Special Publication of Israel State Archives: The Fortieth Anniversary of the Massacre of the Israeli Athletes in Munich Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine
