Relatives, Athletes Remember 11 Killed at Munich Olympics

A small group of athletes and relatives of the 11 Israelis killed at the 1972 Munich Olympics gathered for a memorial service Sunday, standing in a moment of silence, listening to songs and speeches and promising not to forget the victims.

The one-hour ceremony took place in cool, drizzly weather amid extraordinary security at the monument to the victims, a large stone tablet placed at the bridge linking the former Olympic village to the Olympic stadium. The victims’ names are etched in the Roman alphabet and in Hebrew, with the words: “In honor of their memory.”

An Israeli flag was draped across the tablet, with 11 candles burning and fresh wreaths laid at the foot of the monument. Six Israeli flags fluttered in the wind.

In addition to 25 relatives of the athletes who were killed, the 17-member Israeli team participating in the European athletics championship, a track and field competition that ended Sunday in Munich, took part in the remembrance. This year’s European championship was the first time since the 1972 Olympics that international athletes have competed in the village, which is normally used as a student dormitory.

During the ceremony, police helicopters circled above, the main highway passing under the bridge was closed off in both directions and police sharpshooters scanned the area from atop the bridge supports.

On Sept. 5, 1972, Palestinian terrorists stormed an Olympic village apartment building, killing two Israeli athletes and holding nine others hostage in an effort to gain the freedom of 200 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel.

In a botched rescue attempt after a 20-hour standoff, the nine hostages--as well as five terrorists and a German policeman--were killed.

Ankie Spitzer, the widow of fencing coach Andre Spitzer, one of the 11 victims, criticized the rescue attempt as “incompetent and stupid.”

“We are here not to forget and not to forgive,” said Spitzer, who was at the games with her husband.

Michal Rot, the 20-year-old daughter of Esther Rot, an Israeli athlete who escaped capture because female competitors were in a different building, sang and performed on the guitar a song she composed in memory of the tragedy.