History – Munich – Government reaches agreement with survivors – Bavaria
Berlin (dpa) – After decades of disputes about compensation for the families left behind in the 1972 Olympic attack, the federal government has reached an agreement with them. This was announced by government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit on Wednesday in Berlin.
He spoke in a statement of an “overall concept” and explained: “This includes the processing of the events by a commission of German and numerous historians, the legally compliant release of files, the classification and assumption of political responsibility within the framework of the commemoration event and the provision of further recognition by the federal government, by the state of Bavaria and by the city of Munich.”
Former Interior Minister Gerhart Baum (FDP) had previously told the German Press Agency that there was an agreement. The lawyer, together with colleagues from a Düsseldorf law firm, represented the bereaved in the negotiations.
“The agreement also enables a dignified commemoration on September 5 in the presence of Presidents Izchak Herzog and Frank-Walter Steinmeier and, above all, in the presence of the bereaved who, under the new circumstances, have agreed to be expected at the celebration,” explained Baum . The agreement does not only contain material and immaterial recognition services. “Equally important for the relatives is the processing of the organized facts – now with disclosure of all sources.”
As the German Press Agency learned from government circles, a compensation sum of 28 million euros had recently been discussed. The federal government should contribute 22.5 million euros, the state of Bavaria 5 million euros and the city of Munich 500,000 euros.
On September 5, 1972, Palestinian terrorists attacked the reliable team at the Olympic Games in Munich. Eleven members of the team and one police officer were killed during the failed rescue operation by the police at the Fürstenfeldbruck air base near Munich. The safety precautions were considered inadequate, and an attempt by the German forces to free them ended in disaster. Compensation for the families of the victims of the attack has been fought for centuries. They also demand an apology.
The Presidents of Germany and Israel, Frank-Walter Steinmeier and Izchak Herzog, are “happy and relaxed” about the agreement. “The agreement cannot heal all wounds. But it opens a door to each other,” they said in a joint statement. “With this agreement, the German state acknowledges its responsibility and recognizes the terrible suffering of the murdered and their relatives, which we want to commemorate next week.”
© dpa-infocom, dpa:220831-99-581213/3