This Tuesday (21 December 2021) marks the 60th anniversary of the death of Kurt Landauer, long-time president of FC Bayern and one of the great visionaries of German football in the years of the Weimar Republic. Already in 1922, Landauer was named honorary president for his services to the German record champions. In 2015, Kurt-Landauer-Platz was inaugurated on the walkway outside the Allianz Arena in his honour. Then in May 2019, a bronze statue of the former club president was unveiled at the training ground on Säbener Straße.
A visionary
“Kurt Landauer was one of the greatest, perhaps the greatest president of FC Bayern,” praised honorary president Uli Hoeneß. Landauer, born on 28 July 1884 in Planegg as the son of a Jewish merchant, originally joined the club as a player in 1901. He went on to occupy various roles at the top of FC Bayern Munich. Between 1913 and 1951, he was club president four times for a total of 19 years, during which time he gained great merit at the club. Under the visionary Landauer, FC Bayern celebrated their first German league title in June 1932.
Just nine months later, due to the new political landscape in Germany, he felt compelled to resign on 22 March 1933 because of his Jewish origin. In November 1938 he was detained at the Dachau concentration camp, but was allowed to leave after 33 days having fought in the First World War. On 17 May 1939, he emigrated to Swizerland.
Return to Germany and to Bayern presidency
Landauer returned to Munich in June 1947 following the Second World War. The ‘Sport Magazine’ reported: “Kurt Landauer, south German football pioneer, is back from emigration.” In 1947, FC Bayern again elected Landauer as president. His final term as club president ended in 1951. Ten years later, on 21 December 1961, Landauer died in Munich at the age of 77. Landauer “achieved pioneering work, and at a time that was difficult for FC Bayern”, as former CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said.