Items stolen from Man Utd air disaster memorial in Munich
Items commemorating victims of the 1958 Munich air disaster were stolen from a memorial in Munich after its glass display case was smashed. The memorial honours 23 people killed when a plane carrying Manchester United’s team crashed during take-off, including eight players; the theft has upset the foundation that maintains the site and the families and supporters who visit it.
The theft is believed to have happened between 08:00 and 13:00 on Monday, with police saying a stone was used to break the case. Stolen items included several medals and a glass sculpture once presented to Munich’s former mayor. The case was repaired the same day by Red Docs Munich, a Bayern supporters’ group; Manchester United offered to pay for repairs, but the foundation chose to cover the cost.
In short
- Memorial items were stolen in Munich after a display case was smashed.
- The theft included medals and a glass sculpture.
- The damaged case was repaired the same day.
Explained simply
In February 1958, a plane carrying Manchester United’s team crashed while taking off from Munich after stopping to refuel on the way home from a European match. Twenty-three people died, including eight United players. The disaster became a defining event in the club’s history.
A memorial in Munich honours those who died and is visited by relatives, supporters and others. It is maintained by a foundation, while a Bayern Munich supporters’ group helped repair its damaged display case. The memorial links the city where the crash happened with the people and club affected by the loss.