Items Stolen From Munich Memorial Honouring Manchester United Disaster Victims

The Manchester Munich Memorial Foundation has expressed sadness following the theft of treasured items from a memorial in Germany dedicated to victims of the 1958 Munich Air Disaster, which claimed the lives of 23 people, including eight Manchester United players. According to a BBC report on Friday, the items were stolen from a glass display case at Manchesterplatz in Munich on Monday after it was reportedly smashed with a stone. Munich Police told local reporters that the incident was believed to have occurred between 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m. local time. The memorial marks the site where the aircraft carrying Manchester United’s team crashed on February 6, 1958, while attempting to take off after stopping to refuel in Munich. The team had been returning from a European Cup match against Red Star Belgrade in what was then Yugoslavia. Among the stolen items was reportedly a glass sculpture originally presented to Munich’s former mayor, Dieter Reiter, alongside several medals, according to Mark Salzmann, chairman of Red Docs Munich, a group of Bayern Munich supporters involved in maintaining the memorial.

Chairman of the Manchester Munich Memorial Foundation, Ifty Ahmed, said the theft would not erase the memories of those who died or weaken the longstanding friendship between Manchester and Munich. He described the memorial as particularly significant to victims’ families and Manchester United supporters around the world, while thanking Red Docs Munich for its swift response and efforts to repair the damage. The foundation disclosed that Manchester United had offered to cover the cost of repairs, but it chose to meet the expense itself, with the broken glass replaced on the same day. Salzmann said his mother discovered the damage while driving past the memorial and stopped after noticing that something was wrong. He described the stolen objects as unique and difficult to replace, although his group was considering working with the foundation to source replacements. He added that messages of support received after the incident reflected the memorial’s importance and the enduring bond between the two cities.

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