Twelve Months – Twelve Names

July AMITZUR SHAPIRA

The terrorist attack during the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich will be commemorated for the 50th time in 2022. In memory of the twelve people killed, institutions from Munich and Fürstenfeldbruck are dedicating each month to one victim, his life and fate.

In July, the Jewish Museum Munich is commemorating the murdered track and field coach Amitzur Shapira with a façade installation. The father of three sons and a daughter had been coach to the Israeli Olympic athletes since the 1964 Summer Games in Tokyo. In Munich he coached Israel’s greatest medal hope, Esther Shahamorov—to date the best female runner in the country’s history. With Shahamorov qualifying for the semi finals in the hurdles, Shapira’s life-long dream came true. However, before her event took place, he and his colleagues were attacked by terrorists in the 1972 Munich Massacre. Amitzur Shapira was killed and Esther Shahamorov accompanied her coach’s coffin back to Israel instead of taking part in the competition.
The façade installation shows Shapira as a passionate athlete, coach and family man.

Commemoration Project
Twelve Months – Twelve Names
50 Years Olympic Massacre Munich

To mark the 50^th anniversary of the Summer Olympics in Munich, the Munich Massacre of September 5–6 , 1972 is to be commemorated throughout 2022. Every month one victim will be at the focus of attention. A variety of different actions in public spaces is planned, ranging from installations lasting the entire month to activities on one specific day.

This commemoration project has been conceived and coordinated by the Jewish Museum Munich in conjunction with the Munich Documentation Centre for the History of National Socialism and the Consulate General of the State of Israel. 

It will be implemented with cooperation partners including the Amerikahaus Munich, the Landkreis Fürstenfeldbruck, the Deutsches Theater, the Police College—Hochschule für den öffentlichen Dienst in Bayern – Fachbereich Polizei, and the Munich Police Headquarters, as well as other cultural and educational institutions and interested parties.

The Jewish Museum Munich is also accompanying the commemoration project on its blog and its social media channels under the hashtag #MunichMassacre72.