Munich memorial display repaired after theft of Manchester United tributes

Items commemorating the victims of the Munich air disaster have been stolen from a display at Manchesterplatz, prompting the Manchester Munich Memorial Foundation to arrange repairs. According to BBC News, the foundation said the damaged glass was replaced on the same day and that it would pay the repair costs itself, despite an offer from Manchester United.

Watch the highlights:

German newspaper Hallo München reported that the theft happened on Monday. Munich Police told local reporters that a stone had been used to break the glass case and placed the incident between 08:00 and 13:00 local time. The BBC said it had approached both the police and Manchester United for comment on the damage and theft.

Mark Salzmann, chairman of Bayern Munich supporters' group Red Docs Munich, told the BBC that his mother discovered the damage while driving past. She stopped after noticing something was wrong. Salzmann said the missing objects included several medals and a glass sculpture that had originally been presented to Dieter Reiter, Munich's former mayor.

Red Docs Munich helps look after the memorial, collecting tributes left by visiting supporters and placing some inside the display. Salzmann said the stolen objects were distinctive and difficult to replace, although his group was considering working with the foundation to find replacements. Foundation chair Ifty Ahmed thanked the supporters' group for its quick response to the damage.

The memorial stands at the site of the crash that killed 23 people, including eight Manchester United players, on 6 February 1958. United were travelling home from a European Cup match in Belgrade when their aircraft stopped in Munich for fuel and crashed during takeoff. A memorial stone was installed in 2004; the display case followed in 2020 and was formally inaugurated in 2023.

Ahmed stressed the site's importance to bereaved families and United supporters worldwide, saying the theft could not erase their memories or the friendships surrounding the memorial. Salzmann also pointed to the messages of support he had received as evidence of its continuing significance and of the bond between Manchester and Munich.