11 names the world must never forget: 54 years since the Munich massacre

Fifty-four years ago, on September 5, 1972, 11 Israeli athletes and coaches were murdered by Black September terrorists at the Munich Olympics, in one of the darkest moments in Olympic history.

The Israeli delegation had come to Germany to compete under the Israeli flag, just 27 years after the liberation of Auschwitz. After terrorists stormed their quarters, Moshe Weinberg and Yossef Romano were murdered and nine others taken hostage. A catastrophically failed German rescue attempt at Fürstenfeldbruck ended with every remaining Israeli hostage dead, along with German police officer Anton Fliegerbauer.

The Games resumed after only a brief suspension. It would take until 2021 for an official Olympic opening ceremony to observe a moment of silence for the victims. Fifty-four years later, their names remain the heart of the story: David Berger, Ze’ev Friedman, Yossef Gutfreund, Eliezer Halfin, Yossef Romano, Amitzur Shapira, Kehat Shorr, Mark Slavin, Andre Spitzer, Yakov Springer, and Moshe Weinberg.

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