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Before the match in Germany on Saturday between Bayern Munich and Holstein Kiel ( which ended 4-3 in favor of Bayern), Bayern fans at the Allianz Arena created an impressive display in honor of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, which was observed on January 27. The display featured signs with images of club members who suffered persecution by the Nazis, alongside the caption "In memory of the persecuted Bayern members. Never again!"
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Bayern Munich fans pay tribute to victims of the Holocaust
(Photo: Lukas Barth-Tuttas / AFP )
The teams also came together before the start of the game and issued a joint statement as part of Holocaust Remembrance Day observances, saying: "Never again." Bayern Munich's statement read: "We remember the crimes of Nazism. We want to stop all forms of discrimination and exclusion." Before the opening whistle of the game, a moment of silence was held in memory of the victims of the Nazi regime.
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This week, Bayern organized an event in memory of the team's legendary president Kurt Landauer, who was persecuted by the Nazis and whose brothers all were murdered in the Nazi death camps. Landauer managed to escape the Nazis, and after World War II he returned to his position as club president.
At an event attended by family members of Holocaust survivors and fans, current club president Herbert Hainer said: "Kurt Landauer is a unique figure in our history, he is an inspiration for future generations, and today he is more relevant than ever. In an era when partisan forces like the AfD party are trying to endanger our democracy, we stand against them. We will not let them raise their heads here." The statement was met with prolonged applause.
"Just remembering the Holocaust is not enough," said Hainer. "We must actively act against the rise of anti-democratic forces in our country and in Europe."