The Manchester Munich Memorial Foundation is heartbroken after important items honoring the victims of the 1958 Munich Air Disaster were stolen from a memorial in Germany.
According to a report from the BBC on Friday, thieves took the items from a glass display case at Manchesterplatz in Munich on Monday. They smashed the case with a stone.
Munich Police told local news that the theft likely happened between 08:00 and 13:00 local time.
The memorial marks the spot of the plane crash on February 6, 1958, which killed 23 people, including eight Manchester United players. They were returning from a European Cup match against Red Star Belgrade in what used to be Yugoslavia.
The plane had to stop in Munich to refuel and crashed while trying to take off again.
Mark Salzmann, who chairs Red Docs Munich, said a glass sculpture given to the city’s former mayor, Dieter Reiter, was among the stolen items. Several medals were also taken.
His group, made up of Bayern Munich fans, helps look after the memorial. They collect tributes from football fans worldwide and put some of them in the display case.
Ifty Ahmed, the chairman of the Manchester Munich Memorial Foundation, said this theft would not erase the memories of the lives lost or damage the bond between the two cities.
"Those responsible may have damaged a display case and stolen treasured items, but they cannot steal our memories, diminish our friendship or destroy the legacy of those we remember," he said.
Ahmed pointed out that the memorial is very important for the families of the victims and Manchester United fans everywhere. He also thanked Red Docs Munich for their quick action in responding to the theft and helping to fix the damage.
The foundation mentioned that Manchester United offered to pay for the repairs, but they chose to handle the costs themselves. They replaced the broken glass on the same day.
Salzmann shared that his mother saw the damage while driving by the memorial and stopped because she noticed something was wrong.
He described the stolen items as unique and hard to replace. His group is considering working with the foundation to find replacements.
Salzmann added that the messages of support received after the theft showed how important the memorial is and highlighted the lasting friendship between Manchester and Munich.
The BBC reported that they had reached out to Munich Police and Manchester United for comments.
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