Police appeal after medals and sculpture stolen from Munich air disaster memorial

Police in Munich have appealed for information after a glass sculpture and medals were stolen from a memorial to the victims of the 1958 Munich air disaster. BBC News reported that the items were taken from a display case at Manchesterplatz, where tributes commemorate the 23 people killed in the crash, including eight Manchester United players.

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Munich Police said someone smashed the glass case with a rock between 08:00 and 13:00 local time on Monday, 26 October. No suspects had been arrested, according to the report, and officers asked witnesses or anyone with information to come forward. The Manchester Munich Memorial Foundation said the damaged glass was replaced that day, although some of the objects inside remained missing.

Foundation chair Ifty Ahmed told the BBC that the theft had caused emotional harm to families whose relatives died in the disaster. He said the memorial had offered comfort to bereaved families and urged the return of the items. The exact number of medals missing was still unclear. Ahmed also said Manchester United had offered to fund the repairs, but the foundation had already agreed to meet the cost itself.

Mark Salzmann, chairman of the Bayern Munich supporters’ group Red Docs Munich, said his mother discovered the damage while driving past. His group helps look after the memorial and gathers tributes left by visitors, placing some in the display case. Salzmann said the missing sculpture had originally been presented to Munich’s former mayor, Dieter Reiter. He described the objects as difficult to replace, with his group and the foundation discussing possible replacements.

The memorial stands at the location where the aircraft crashed during take-off on 6 February 1958. Manchester United were returning from a European Cup match in Belgrade, and the plane had stopped in Munich to refuel. A memorial stone was installed in 2004. The display case was added in 2020 and formally inaugurated in 2023, according to BBC News.

The foundation said around 1,500 people from across the world attended the annual remembrance service at Manchesterplatz in February. Ahmed reported messages of support from Liverpool, Manchester City and Leeds supporters following the theft. Salzmann also pointed to the support he had received as evidence of the memorial’s importance and the enduring connection between Manchester and Munich.