Remembering the Munich Massacre: Never Should We Give Way to Terror By Peter Frenkel, Olympic 20 km walk champion 1972 in Munich. Survivors and family members of the victims of the 1972 atrocity in front of the memorial plaque at 31 Connollystrasse in the former Munich Olympic Village. Far right: Professor Shaul Ladany, who has held the world record in the 50 mile walk since 1972. He celebrates his birthdays in an idiosyncratic way. He covers a kilometre for every year of his life. Next year for his 77th birthday he will cover 77 kilometres. Photos: Peter Frenkel (2), Frank Siebeck (2) The Olympic idea enthused me even in early life. The he escaped that hell when his freedom was bought by fascination is all the stronger, when one has – like me – the “Kasztner-Transport”. On the other hand over 50 the good fortune to realise one’s own dreams with an members of his family fell victim to the Holocaust. Olympic victory. Munich 1972 gave me my happiest hour, 28 years later Munich intended to organize “Heitere but at the same time I experienced the dark side of this Spiele” (Lighthearted Games) in order to demonstrate great Olympic event, which is always in danger of being the another better Germany. But again, this time be- abused by forces alien to sport. cause of the inexcusable failure of the security forces, On 31st August 1972 I won the gold medal in the 20 km Shaul Ladany was again left fearing for his life. Once walk. When I appeared next day on the training track again, good fortune was with him on that fateful 5th there were many hands to shake, for the race-walk- September. Tragically there was no happy ending for ing fraternity has always enjoyed a close and warm eleven of his team mates who died in the attack by the relationship. Among those who congratulated me was Palestinian terrorist group. a small man from Israel, whom I had met briefly in 1968 After all that I could have well understood if Shaul in Mexico: Dr. Shaul Ladany, a professor of engineer- Ladany had avoided Germany for ever and if he had ing science. On 3rd September it was his turn to compete turned down my invitation to be a guest 40 years later over the 50 km distance. He came in a very respectable in my home town, Potsdam. However the opposite was 19th, but apart from that result I knew nothing more the case. There was a heartfelt reunion and after that about him at that time. we both attended the memorial ceremonies in Munich Only later did I discover that this was not his first and at Fürstenfeldbruck, where the attempt to free the stay in Germany. Shaul Ladany had been there once hostages had failed. before– in 1944 as an eight-year-old – when the Understandably our conversation revolved pri marily Nazis imprisoned him in the Bergen-Belsen concen- around that event, and in fact I myself had been an tration camp. Then fate treated him relatively well, for involuntary witness to the kidnapping. I was a member 14 of the GDR team and by chance, our quarters were evening there had been an attempt at rescuing the Negotiating for the directly opposite those occupied by the Israelis. It was hostages which completely failed, I found out only the lives of the hostages: shortly before 5 a.m. when I was wakened by shots and next day when there was a memorial service in the the leader of the noise in the hall. When I stepped out on to the balcony, I Olympic Stadium. I was very angry that I was not permit- terrorists (with white saw in the building diagonally opposite a masked man, ted by my team management to attend. hat) and Village Mayor who was explaining to the police who had hurried to Together with the other survivors of the massacre Shaul Walther Tröger, the scene that the Israeli sportsmen were being held as was flown out the next day. It must have been a dreadful Manfred Schreiber hostages. feeling for him to know that – in the hold of the aircraft- (Chief of Police), Hans- Fortunately Shaul Ladany was sleeping in another werfe the coffins of his teammates. He too argued with Dietrich Genscher building which was either not discovered by the his management, for he did not wish to leave. In his (Federal Interior terrorists or ignored by them. He believes the latter and opinion at least the Israeli flag, decorated with a flower Minister), Bruno Merk thinks that he owes his life to the two members of the of mourning, should have remained so that it could (Bavarian Interior shooting team with whom he shared accommodation be carried into the stadium at the Closing Ceremony. It Minister) and a secu- and of whose existence the Palestinians perhaps were is possible to take different views as to whether the IOC rity man (from right). aware. As he told me, on the evening before he with decision to refuse the victims of the Munich assassination Adjacent: sharpshoot- his team had attended a performance of the musi- a minute’s silence during the Olympic Opening Ceremony ers get into position. cal “Anatevka” (Fiddler on the Roof), and during the in London was correct. I am however in agreement with IOC Vice-President interval the whole team had been brought on stage for Shaul Ladany in saying that the Games must go on and Thomas Bach (below) a photograph. It was the last one with all of them alive. that we should never give way to terror. at the memorial event. When they returned to the village at midnight, he lent the wrestling coach Mosche Weinberg his alarm clock because he wanted to get up early. After that Shaul Ladany, who is a great collector, cut out news- paper articles, until he went to bed well after 3 a.m. Two hours later, when he was wakened by his roommates, Mosche Weinberg was already dead. He had tried in vain to escape. About 7.30 a.m. the GDR team learned that our house was being evacuated. Heavily armed security officers occupied the balcony. An hour and a half later we gath- ered in the underground garage, from where we were driven in buses to substitute team accommodation near Neuschwanstein. There we were condemned to inac tivity. What was happening meantime in Munich, where a tough bargaining process for the lives of the hostages had begun, was unknown to me. That in the JOH 3 | 2012 Remembering the Munich Massacre: Never Should We Give Way to Terror 15.