FC Bayern Munich will adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) definition of antisemitism to strengthen its culture of remembrance. This definition of antisemitism was adopted by the IHRA in 2016 and has since been adopted by 34 countries, as well as the European Parliament. In 2017, the German Bundestag followed suit, followed by the Bavarian State Government. In Bavaria, the definition is considered a working basis for the Bavarian judicial system.
FC Bayern will also donate €100,000 for the reconstruction of the synagogue on Reichenbachstraße in Munich.
“I would like to thank FC Bayern from the bottom of my heart for their generous donation to the preservation of the historic synagogue on Reichenbachstraße,” said Charlotte Knobloch, President of the Jewish Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria. “The club, which for many years has been so exemplary in its commitment to social issues and its support of the most vulnerable members of our society in so many places, is, with this donation, making an extraordinary contribution to the preservation and continuation of Jewish heritage in our city. For this, I would like to thank the club of the late Kurt Landauer on behalf of the city's entire Jewish community.”
“By adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's definition of antisemitism, FC Bayern Munich is once again sending an important signal of tolerance and the protection of human rights,” explained Ludwig Spaenle, who now serves as the Bavarian state government's ‘Commissioner for Jewish Life and the Fight against antisemitism, and for Remembrance Work and Historical Heritage’. Spaenle, who for many years was Bavarian Minister of Education and Cultural Affairs, is committed to combating antisemitism throughout society and across Europe.
In 2018, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights presented the world's largest-ever study on discrimination and hate crimes against Jews in the EU. The result for twelve European countries, including Germany, was an increasing rise in aggressive antisemitism.
The IHRA definition of antisemitism reads:
“Antisemitism is a certain perception of Jews, which may be expressed as hatred toward Jews. Rhetorical and physical manifestations of antisemitism are directed toward Jewish or non-Jewish individuals and/or their property, toward Jewish community institutions and religious facilities.”
Its dissemination is intended to increase knowledge about antisemitism and to contribute to the discourse on racism and discrimination.
FC Bayern CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge: “FC Bayern has a clear stance on racism and anti-discrimination. Antisemitism has no place in our society. Adopting the IHRA definition is a good example of how to counter discrimination and hatred as a society. That’s why we’re also pleased to be supporting the synagogue project in Munich.”
FC Bayern president Herbert Hainer: “For many years, FC Bayern has been pursuing a culture of remembrance in various ways with the aim of combating racism and discrimination of all kinds. It concerns the need to engage in a social debate on this and to reject any form of exclusion and hatred. Our entire club recently expressed its stance in the ‘Reds Against Racism’ campaign, and we will continue to engage in this important issue, such as now with the initiative to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism, thus seeking to raise awareness.”
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