Olympics in Olympiadorf

Location: MUNICH, GERMAY

Every morning since my arrival I have woken up in the 1972 Munich Olympic Village. I sit in my living room and see the Olympic Stadium, home of the Schwimmhalle, Radstadion, Boxhalle, Volleyballhalle, Hockeyanlage, and the Sporthalle. I take beautiful black and white photos of the now defunct OlympiaStadion train station. But, the site that I see while I drink my coffee is 31 Connollystraße. 

At the Munich Olympics, American swimmer Mark Spitz won seven Gold Medals. The Olympic Officials took the Olympic Oath for the first time at these Games. The U.S. lost to the U.S.S.R. in basketball, a game the U.S. still considers the “most controversial game in international basketball history” and their silver medals are yet to be claimed. 

But the 1972 Munich Olympics were only remembered for the massacre of 11 members of the Israeli team by members of the terrorist group, Black September. And every morning that I wake up in my apartment, I am reminded of the killings in the apartment, just adjacent to my own. A little historical reminder with a side of caffeine. 

Although the site is a bit depressing, I was looking forward to celebrating an Olympics while living in Olympiadorf. I had been in Beijing for the five weeks leading up to the 2008 Summer Olympics, studying abroad and watching the Chinese meticulously “edit” their country: closing down factories to halt the smog production, cleaning up streets, indoctrinating their countrymen on etiquette and producing positive articles through Xinhua, the government-run news outlet. However, the opening ceremonies were disrupted by the South Ossetia War between Georgia and Russia, though unlike the 1916, 1940 and 1944 Games, the Olympics were not cancelled. But only a few days following, the parents of former American volleyball Olympian, Elisabeth Bachman, who is also married to the coach for the U.S. Men’s Indoor Volleyball team, were attacked in Tiananmen Square’s Drum Tower. Her father was murdered and her mother was injured during a knife attack. The attacker jumped to his death moments after the attack, with seemingly no reason. 

Now, in recent events at the Vancouver Games, another somber shadow was cast, this time on the luge practice course, where Georgian luger, Nodar Kumaritashvili crashed and subsequently died of his injuries. His death, unfortunately, marks the fifth death at a Winter Olympics. And it seems like many Olympics in recent memory are plagued with these horrible accidents, while others with horrible atrocities.
As with the Munich, Atlanta and Beijing Olympics, the show in Vancouver must also go on. It is a horrible tragedy and will likely dampen some of the Games. But I’ll continue to drink my coffee and look out my front window every morning. This time I will be watching the rest of the Vancouver Olympics. A little history in the making with a side of caffeine.