September 5, 1972
Black September Attacks the Israeli Olympic Team
Historical context
On September 5, 1972, eight Black September gunmen attacked the Israeli team at the Munich Olympics. Eleven Israelis were murdered.
Archive record
Read the event, then follow its documented sources and archive threads.
- Date
- September 5, 1972
- Verified sources
- 2
- Archive threads
- 3
On this day, eight members of Black September climbed into the Olympic Village in Munich and attacked the Israeli team. The German historical commission on the attack records that they murdered Moshe Weinberg and Yosef Romano in the village and held nine others. A police rescue at Fürstenfeldbruck Air Base failed. The nine remaining hostages were murdered. A German policeman was also killed. Five of the eight attackers died.
The Institute for Contemporary History records that eleven Israeli athletes, coaches, and officials died in the attack and the failed rescue.
Research trail
Sources and further reading
- The 1972 Olympic attack · Historical commission on the 1972 Olympic attack · Aufarbeitung Olympia 1972 View source
- Munich 1972 · Institute for Contemporary History · Institut für Zeitgeschichte View source
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