140 photographs from 1965 to 1973 offer the visitors an opportunity to delve into an exciting, euphoric international event of recent history, which finally ended disastrously with the terrorist attack. The images are from the photo archives of famous Munich photographers, such as Max Prugger, Karsten de Riese, Georg Fruhstorfer and Felicitas Timpe, which are curated by the BSB. Further, the exhibition includes photographs from the stern Photo Archive – shown in an exhibition for the first time since the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek took over the analogue photo archive of the journal stern.

The exhibition visualises the Munich Games in five modules: The first part shows the development of Munich, with the new underground and urban-suburban commuter train networks, which still characterises the city’s appearance. The second exhibition part addresses the transformation of the Oberwiesenfeld area in the north to become the Olympic site with the competition sites and the accommodations. The transition can be reconstructed in detail on the basis of highly informative areal images by Max Prugger in particular. The novel design, the extensive, cosmopolitan cultural programme and finally the broad media presence form the focal point of the third module. The images convey the unique, positive atmosphere during the Games. The terrorist attack of 5 September 1972, in which eleven members of the Israeli Olympic team were killed, shocked the world public and cast a shadow over the Games. An extra module is dedicated to this attack, tracing the appalling events. They were captured in pictures by photographers working for the journal stern.

The history of the Olympic Games of 1972 in Munich would be incomplete without addressing the "aftermath" of the Olympic site. Today, the Olympiapark is not only a venue for large-scale events and as such a magnet for a national and international public, but also a leisure and recreation area for the Munich population, as can be seen in the images of the last module.

Dr. Klaus Ceynowa, Director General of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek: "I am very pleased and also moved by being able to tell the story of the Olympic Games of 1972 in this exhibition, in particular pointing out their social, political and cultural dimensions for Munich. This is only possible thanks to the acquisitions by and donations to our photo archives in recent years."

11 May 2022 – 4 September 2022
The Olympic Games 72 in Images
Photographs from the collections of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek

Information about the exhibition, guided tours, the supporting programme, as well as the virtual exhibition can be found at
www.bsb-ausstellungen.de

Opening hours
Sunday through Friday 10:00 – 18:00 (closed on Saturdays and bank holidays)

Audio guide
Free-of-charge audio guide available in the German language

Admission free

Catalogue
Published by the Volk Verlag, available at the exhibition for € 24.90.
With the kind support of the association Förderer und Freunde der Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek e. V.

Venue
Bayerische Staatsbibliothek, Ludwigstrasse 16, 80539 Munich
Underground lines U3/U6, bus lines 58/68/153/154, station Universität
bus lines 100/153, station Von-der-Tann-Strasse

Press release for download  (PDF, 224 KB)

Contact persons
Dr. Cornelia Jahn
Department of Maps and Images
Phone  +49 89 28638-2287
cornelia.jahn@bsb-muenchen.de

Peter Schnitzlein
Press and Public Relations
Phone +49 89 28638-2429
presse@bsb-muenchen.de