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Memorial commemorates Feb. 6, 1958, plane crash in which 23 people lost their lives, including eight players and two staff members from the British football club
By Oliver Towfigh Nia
BERLIN (AA) - Unknown perpetrators vandalized the Munich memorial honoring the victims of the 1958 Manchester plane crash, local press reports said Friday.
Marc Salzmann, an orthopedic surgeon from Trudering and the man behind the football players’ memorial at Munich’s Manchester Square, found the display case attached to the memorial stone with its glass smashed on Monday afternoon, according to daily newspaper tz.
“The crime likely took place on Monday between 8:00 am and 1:00 pm. The glass was smashed with a rock, and some exhibits were taken,” Munich police said.
According to Salzmann, police seized the tool used in the crime, a concrete block, in the hope of tracking down the perpetrators. Four commemorative medals and a crystal trophy, which former Munich Mayor Dieter Reiter had received as a gift from Manchester United, are missing.
The memorial and display case commemorate the crash of British European Airways Flight 609 on Feb. 6, 1958. The plane had made a refueling stop in Munich while en route from Belgrade to Manchester.
After an engine failure prevented the plane from taking off, it crashed through the airport fence into a fuel storage facility and exploded. The entire Manchester United football team was on board.
Since its installation in 2004, the monument has served as a pilgrimage site for Manchester United fans, who leave jerseys, medals, and other memorabilia there. Visiting the site is a tradition for fans traveling to Munich for a Manchester United game.
