Foto: Karsten de Riese
50th Year Anniversary
of the Olympic Games
in Munich
Munich on a Path
to the Future
1972–2022–2072
2022: 50 Years Olympic Games in Munich
The Games of the XX Olympiad in 1972 shaped the city of Munich. Both the joyful spirit of the games as well as the tragic attack on the Israeli Olympic team are rooted in the city’s collective memory. On the occasion of the 50th anniversary, Munich commemorates the democratic, holistic and visionary approach of these games with a diverse program. In 2022, exhibitions and events will take place in public spaces and online in the fields of sports, culture, design, architecture, the culture of remembrance and democratic shared life under the heading of “Munich on a Path to the Future 1972–2022–2072”. A portion of program will also be set aside for an appropriate memorial of the attack.
From July 1st to 9th 2022, the Olympic park will be the stage for a festival of the games, sports and the arts with numerous artistic and cultural projects and the finale of the 2022 European Championship in Munich. These events will be complemented by activities in the city neighborhoods throughout June and July.
Direction: Department for Culture and the Arts of the City of Munich. Partner: Olympiapark München GmbH, German Olympic Sports Confederation as well as multiple partners, organizations, institutions and players.
Information about the anniversary program
The 1972 Munich Olympic Games
The Summer Olympics in Munich were not only a sports event: they sought to convey a new image of Germany as a modern, democratic country and marked Munich’s growth into a major international city. The anniversary celebration highlights the joyful games that united sports, art and culture and people, while at the same time recalling the tragic attack on the Israeli Olympic team on September 5, 1972.
The 2022 Anniversary Program
The Festival of the Games, Sports and the Arts in July 2022 is just one of the highlights of the 50th anniversary of the Olympic Games in Munich. Throughout the year, numerous exhibitions and programs throughout the city will commemorate the spirit of optimism of the joyful Games and their visionary design. The commemoration will include a memorial of the victims of the attack and personal stories connected with the Olympic Games in Munich. All these events invite us to discover and learn.
The Attack
The attack in the Olympic Village and the tragic events in Munich and Fürstenfeldbruck are inextricably linked with the history of the Olympic Games in Munich. In addition to a memorial event on the 50th anniversary, the twelve victims will be remembered throughout 2022 and remembrance in the form of dialog will be initiated.
Design of Tomorrow
Architecture, design, art and culture are as important to the Munich Games as sports. Envisioning the future was the goal of the creative minds and the political visionaries involved in planning the Games. The public spaces of the Olympic Park are still inviting today and demonstrate democratic togetherness, sustainability and beauty, as well as playful spaces for social cohesion and imagining a new future.
The Finale and the Future
What have we learned from 1972? How do we envision living and working together? Covid-19, climate change, traffic change, housing pressures, anti-Semitism and racism are just some of the challenges of the present. The world, society and culture are in profound change, just as they were in 1972. The 50th anniversary of the Games is an occasion to remember, to critically question the present and, at the end of the anniversary year, to look forward.
Urban Society gets Involved
Numerous organizations, companies, associations and players from a wide range of fields have been inspired by the 1972 Munich Summer Games. In 2022, they offer guided tours, concerts, exhibitions and projects that go beyond the anniversary program to reflect Munich’s diversity since 1972.