September 5th

On this day – 5th of September – 1972 – Started the tragic Munich Massacre

The year was 1972 and Munich was well into the second week of hosting the XX Summer Olympic Games. Then, on the 5th of September was 11 Israeli Olympic participants taken hostages by a Palestinian group known as “Black September”. The five hostage-takers had entered the participant’s village during the night, and although several of the Israel weightlifters put up a fight, they did not stand a chance against the AKM rifles. The hostage-takers demanded the liberation of Palestinian prisoners in Israel. Israel refused. Sadly, all 11 hostages, five of their hostage-takers and one German police officer were all killed in the days the hostage situation lasted and the rescue attempt which ended the conflict.