Vintage Goebel Plate Commemorating the 1972 Olympics, Munich, shops West Germany, Site of 11 Munich Massacre

This is a lovely Goebel 1972 Olympic Plate that reads "1972, Munchen, Weltstadt Mit Herz, "Metropolis With a Heart." It measures 7-1/2" in diameter and commemorates the ill-fated Olympics in Munich, Germany in 1972. In the center of the plate is a 3-D depiction of the St Peter Cathedral and Munich's City Hall. Made in West Germany by Goebel, it is in mint condition as it has no chips, cracks or crazing. This beautiful classic blue and white commemorative plate is inscribed on the front with the Olympic rings; inscribed on the back is: "Frauenkirche, with city hall and cathedral, St. Peter in Munich, LMun47 W. Goebel, Bavaria, W. Germany". It measures approximately 7-1/2". As you will remember the 1972 Olympics resulted in the deaths of 11 members of the Israeli Olympic Team when terrorists attacked the Israeli athletes' housing facility. This treasure is in excellent condition, free from chips, cracks, or crazing. An excellent addition to any collection of commemorative plates, Olympic sports items, or items commemorating fallen heroes, least we forget their sacrifices.

Munich Massacre: Just before dawn on September 5, a group of eight members of the Black September terrorist organization broke into the Olympic Village and took eleven Israeli athletes, coaches and officials hostage in their apartments. Two hostages, who resisted, were killed in the first moments of the break-in; the subsequent standoff in the Olympic Village lasted for almost 18 hours. Late in the evening of September 5, the terrorists and their nine remaining hostages were transferred by helicopter to the military airport of Fürstenfeldbruck, ostensibly to board a plane bound for an undetermined Arab country. The German authorities planned to ambush them there, but underestimated the numbers of their opposition and were thus undermanned. During a botched rescue attempt, all of the Israeli hostages were killed. Four of them were shot, then incinerated when one of the terrorists detonated a grenade inside the helicopter in which the hostages were sitting. The 5 remaining hostages were then machine-gunned to death. All but three of the terrorists were killed as well. Although arrested and imprisoned pending trial, they were released by the West German government on October 29, 1972, in exchange for a hijacked Lufthansa jet. Two of those three were supposedly hunted down and assassinated later by the Mossad. Jamal Al-Gashey, who is believed to be the sole survivor, is still living today in hiding in an unspecified African country with his wife and two shops children.