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Paper short abstract:

After the end of WW II largely destroyed Munich was re-constructed. With the 1972 summer Olympics urban pattern was re-figured with thoughts of modernity. Re-writing the city’s biography by deconstruction nowadays comes along with deleting and not reflecting the past.

Paper long abstract:

In the 1960s the city has experienced a formative phase. Against national monumentalism Architect Guenter Behnisch realised a democratic stadium among a landscape scaled by human standard. Designer Otl Aicher let the colours of the rainbow re-present Munich, Germany and the 1972 games. While his concept was antifascist former national socialists were re-installed in office. The atmosphere was vibrant when eleven sportsmen from Israel and a Bavarian police officer got assassinated in the Olympic village.

Until today Munich is affected by modern planning and signature buildings of the 1960s in everyday life – the subway with a differentiated colour-approach or the Olympic Park. Nevertheless, landmarks from the post war era are not valued very much at the beginning of the 21st century. During the last years the headquarter of a supermarket from times of economic miracle was re-placed as well as the familiar architecture of the public transport system from the late 1960s. However, re-building properties of this seminal period means re-writing Munich’s biography as it comes along with deleting knowledge.

In course of the 50th anniversary of the games in 2022 the keyword is “celebrating” not revealing. The important process of re-orientating as a democratic society is not on display of municipal events, and there is no main symposium or exhibition asking for the political and economic constellations. Supplemented by a memorial für the murdered people, iconic buildings like the Olympic Stadium seem to be landscaped legacy that are asked to be quiet – not releasing reflections about the modern past.