Munich massacre

Munich massacre
AP Photo/Kurt Strumpf (? – 2014) · Public domain · source
Title	Munich massacre
Location	Munich, West Germany
Date	5–6 September 1972
Target	Israeli Olympic team
Type	Hostage-taking, mass murder
Fatalities	17 (11 Israeli athletes and coaches, 1 West German police officer, 5 perpetrators)
Perpetrators	Black September

Munich massacre. The Munich massacre was a terrorist attack carried out during the 1972 Summer Olympics in West Germany. On 5 September 1972, members of the Black September militant group took eleven members of the Israeli Olympic team hostage. The ensuing standoff and a failed rescue attempt by West German authorities resulted in the deaths of all eleven hostages, a West German police officer, and five of the eight perpetrators.

Background

The 1972 Summer Olympics, held in Munich, were intended to showcase a new, democratic West Germany, distinct from the legacy of Nazi Germany and the Berlin Wall. The International Olympic Committee and Organizing Committee for the Games of the XX Olympiad promoted an atmosphere of peaceful competition, later termed the "Happy Games." However, the Israeli Olympic Committee delegation, which included survivors of the Holocaust, arrived with minimal security. The Palestinian militant group Black September, linked to Yasser Arafat's Fatah organization, planned the operation to draw global attention to the Palestinian cause and secure the release of prisoners held in Israel, including members of the Red Army Faction.

The attack

In the early hours of 5 September, eight Black September operatives, armed with AK-47 assault rifles and grenades, scaled the fence of the Olympic Village. They forced their way into the apartment housing the Israeli team at 31 Connollystraße. Wrestlers Moshe Weinberg and Yossef Romano fought the attackers; both were killed during the initial assault. The militants then seized nine other athletes and coaches, including weightlifter David Berger and fencing coach André Spitzer. Demands were issued for the release of 234 prisoners from Israeli prisons and two from West German jails. Negotiations were led by West German officials, including Interior Minister Hans-Dietrich Genscher and Munich police chief Manfred Schreiber, with the Israeli government, under Prime Minister Golda Meir, refusing to negotiate.

Aftermath and rescue attempt

After a day of negotiations, the militants and their hostages were transported by helicopter to Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base, where West German police had planned an ambush. The rescue operation was poorly coordinated and under-manned, with only five sharpshooters present. A botched assault began when the militants realized the ambush. In the ensuing firefight, all nine remaining hostages were killed, along with police officer Anton Fliegerbauer. Five of the eight terrorists were killed by police fire. The three surviving perpetrators, Said al-Mughassil, Adnan Al-Gashey, and Jamal Al-Gashey, were captured. They were later released after the hijacking of Lufthansa Flight 615 by Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine associates, an act linked to the German Autumn.

Victims

The eleven Israeli victims were: Moshe Weinberg (wrestling coach), Yossef Romano (weightlifter), Ze'ev Friedman (weightlifter), David Berger (weightlifter), Yakov Springer (weightlifting judge), Eliezer Halfin (wrestler), Yossef Gutfreund (wrestling referee), Kehat Shorr (shooting coach), Mark Slavin (wrestler), André Spitzer (fencing coach), and Amitzur Shapira (track coach). The German victim was police officer Anton Fliegerbauer. A memorial service was held at the Olympic Stadium, with Avery Brundage, President of the International Olympic Committee, controversially declaring "the games must go on."

International response

The attack provoked global condemnation and intensified the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The Israeli government, led by Golda Meir, authorized Mossad to launch Operation Wrath of God, a covert campaign targeting those involved in the planning. This operation included events like the Lillehammer affair. In West Germany, the incident led to the formation of the elite counter-terrorism unit GSG 9. The United Nations did not formally condemn the attack, reflecting the complex political divisions of the Cold War era. The event fundamentally altered security protocols for major international events, including future Olympic Games.

Legacy and memorials

The Munich massacre left a profound legacy on international security, counter-terrorism, and the Olympic movement. For years, the International Olympic Committee resisted official commemoration at the Games. A permanent memorial, the Munich Memorial, was eventually erected at the Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base. In Munich, a memorial at the Olympic Village site was dedicated. The London 2012 Olympics saw the first official moment of silence in the Olympic Village. The event has been depicted in numerous films and documentaries, including Steven Spielberg's Munich and the documentary One Day in September. Category:1972 in West Germany Category:Black September Category:History of Munich Category:Terrorist incidents in 1972