The 50th anniversary of the "Darkest Day of the Olympics" Germany has finally declassified, apologized, repented and paid reparations
Dark horse watching the ball
Yesterday, September 5, "the darkest day in Olympic history" — the 50th anniversary of the 1972 Olympic terrorist attacks in Munich. For the first time, German President Frank Walter Steinmeier officially apologized that his predecessor "betrayed the trust placed in them by the Israeli team at the 1972 Munich Olympics" and called the German government's delay in compensating victims "shameful." IOC President Bach emphasized: "The values of human solidarity and peace are stronger than all the forces of hatred and division." ”
On September 5, 1972, a terrorist attack took place at the Olympic Games in Munich, known as "the darkest day of the Olympic Games".
To commemorate the tragedy of the terrorist attacks fifty years ago, several commemorative events were held yesterday in the Olympic Park in Munich, Germany, and at Fuerstenfeldbrook Airport. On September 5, 1972, 11 members of the Israeli team and 1 German policeman were killed in a terrorist attack against the Israeli Olympic delegation, which was called "the darkest day in Olympic history".
The airport, one of the places where the massacre took place, was placed with wreaths of mourning from Germany and Israel.
Fifty years have passed in the blink of an eye, and this high-level commemoration ceremony is even more meaningful at a time of extraordinary world turmoil today. IOC President Thomas Bach represented the International Olympic Movement, and the ceremony was attended by German President Steinmeier and Israeli President Herzog, both of whom addressed the audience. The meeting was also attended by the families of the victims and the President of the Israeli National Olympic Committee, Arad.
German President Steinmeier (second from left) attended the commemoration yesterday
German President Steinmeier's speech was the most striking. He confessed publicly for the first time: "This attack was a mistake, a fatal miscalculation, and we were not prepared to deal with such an attack." "Previously, the German government has decided to declassify the files involved in the terrorist attack and make them public." 50 years later, there are still too many questions that remain unanswered," Steinmeier said, "and the attack was followed by years of indifference, which was also a failure." Steinmeier also questioned the refusal of The German authorities to allow Israeli troops to help with any rescue operations. Steinmeier told the relatives of the victims: "This is a pain that we have not fully recognized for a long time. ”。 He concluded: "The result today may be that we Germans must act to prove that we are worthy of the asset that was badly damaged 50 years ago – trust." ”
Israeli athletes killed in the massacre (partial)
Declassifying half a century of archives and formally apologizing and repenting for the first time, the Most critical measure taken by the German government was to reach a compensation agreement with the victim's family. Previously, the victim's family, represented by Ankie Spitzer, the widow of the victim's fencing coach Andrei, had been denouncing the "inaction" of successive German governments in reparations. Spitzer and other representatives of the victims' families have long declared that if the German government does not resolve the issue of reparations, they will boycott yesterday's 50th anniversary commemoration and refuse to attend. Under strong pressure from all walks of life, the German government finally decided to compensate the victims' families for a total of 28 million euros, and the two sides reached a settlement, so Spitzer and other family representatives also appeared in Munich yesterday.
Spitzer and other victims' families at the commemoration site
"September 5, 1972, was the darkest day in Olympic history. It began so peacefully and pleasantly, and ended with unimaginable pain. We share the suffering of the 11 Israeli victims and the relatives of the German police. To this day, this barbaric attack fills us with fear, shame and disgust," IOC President Bach reminded in his speech that the attack was also an attack on the Olympic Games and Olympic values. "That is why our commemorative ceremony today takes on a deeper meaning: we stand together, united in our remembrance, and also in our commitment to the peaceful mission of the Olympic Games. In this way, we have shown that the values of human solidarity and peace are stronger than all the forces of hatred and division. ”
Bach's speech, which once again emphasized the peace and unity of The Olympic values, has a profound meaning.
The IOC said Bach would then visit Israel and planned to form an independent commission of inquiry to investigate the 1972 Munich Olympics.
The commemoration paid tribute to the 12 deceased.