Herbert Hainer: 'Meeting instead of bubble, meeting instead of slogan'

Magda Eriksson, Mala Grohs and Katharina Naschenweng from FC Bayern Women were there for the first time, some guests travelled for many hours to attend, and a total of 500 applications were received – the joint Shabbat celebration, which FC Bayern has been organising with the Jewish Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria (IKGM) on the occasion of International Holocaust Remembrance Day for four years now, is becoming more and more of a magnet. The weekend dedicated to remembrance was once again rounded off by guided tours of the FC Bayern Museum; this year, for the first time, there was a special version for the German champions' TEENS CLUB.

In its ‘Red Against Racism’ initiative, FC Bayern has focused on the theme of “space for encounters”, explained Herbert Hainer in his opening speech at the Ohel Jakob Synagogue. "We need more exchange: not online, but locally! That is why we are so grateful for this tradition that we have established with the IKGM. Here, people who rarely have anything in common in their everyday lives come together to exchange ideas. And only those who talk to each other can understand each other – and find common ground. Meeting instead of bubble, meeting instead of slogan." Dr Charlotte Knobloch, who once again served as patron alongside the FCB president in her role as IKGM president, warned with regard to growing anti-Semitism in Germany that “the world's memory is no longer intact – a new, old hatred has re-emerged after decades beneath the surface”. We must never forget “what humans can do to other humans”, she reminded us, citing a vivid example: “The Jewish community in Upper Bavaria is so small that it would not even fill a third of the Allianz Arena. We need protection, support and friends – and fortunately, we have friends in FC Bayern and its members.”

Among the 130 members and employees were new FCB board member Rouven Kasper, the deputy chairwoman of the administrative advisory board Alexandra Schörghuber, administrative advisory board member Georg Fahrenschon, Adrian Sarmiento (managing director of FC Bayern Basketball) and the management of FC Bayern eV, Benny Folkmann and Kiki Hasenpusch. Knobloch said she was very pleased “that so many people from FC Bayern have been coming to this event for years, and I am proud that my FC Bayern not only has an eye for others on the pitch. I am so grateful to you all for your foresight: that is more important today than ever before.” A year ago, FCB goalkeeper Daniel Peretz, who is currently on loan to Southampton, took part in the event. This year, after the city tour, Grohs said that you learn a lot about the Nazi era at school, “but when it's specifically related to the club and the city, it's something else”. FC Bayern is very active in the social sphere, praised the goalkeeper – “I always want to get involved when I can”. Her teammate Naschenweng added: “We have to raise awareness of this issue,” while Swedish defender Magda Eriksson added that it is "important to exchange ideas and educate ourselves. Today, it was particularly interesting for me to learn more about president Kurt Landauer and what he did to promote reconciliation among people."

Accordingly, on Sunday, the city tours led by FC Bayern employees Alexa Gattinger and Michael Hellstern, which traced the history of the Nazi era, focused on special presentations for the German record champions’ TEENS CLUB. To process their impressions, the group enjoyed a meal together at the Jewish restaurant Nash, which Daniel Gitbud runs opposite the synagogue. “We want to break down barriers and help promote interaction between people,” he said, which is why he launched the ‘Coffee with a Jew’ initiative to discuss questions about Judaism in a relaxed atmosphere. “It's about people coming into contact with each other – just like this weekend with FC Bayern.” IKGM board member Guy Fränkel, co-initiator of the joint remembrance weekend, added: “In recent years, we have unfortunately experienced an earthquake of anti-Semitism, which is why dialogue is more important than ever.”

Ilan Brilovitch is originally from a town south of Tel Aviv, but is currently studying in Dortmund. He travelled to Munich for over 14 hours on 11 different trains especially for the event, as he’s been a fan of the German record champions since childhood. “You can't imagine what it means to me that my club FC Bayern invited me to such an event,” he said, followed by a WhatsApp message after the weekend: “Thank you for everything and thank you for showing me what ‘Mia san Mia’ means through the big FC Bayern family.” Also among the participants at the weekend were Eberhard Schulz, founder of the ‘!Nie wieder!’ (‘Never again!’) campaign, and Maximilian Lütgens from the Dachau Concentration Camp Memorial Site. In addition to Guy Fränkel, the IKGM was represented by vice president Peter Guttmann and managing director Steven Guttmann, while the ‘Red against Racism’ initiative was represented by Andreas Werner from the management team and team members Erik-Maurice Böhm, Theresa Grosfeld, Susan Theis, Harry Unwin, Lena Hoof and Barbara Reischl.

Long-standing Jewish president Kurt Landauer was “a unique role model for reconciliation because he reached out to Germans despite all the atrocities of the Second World War”, Hainer recalled. “He’s an inspiration for generations. Young people in particular can learn what we as a sports club can convey: moral courage begins with bravery – on a small scale, not in the spotlight.” With this in mind, he said he would “never tire of making it clear on behalf of the entire FC Bayern family, at a time when divisive forces are threatening our democracy: Never again! Not today, not tomorrow – and above all, not with us. Those who exclude others lose – in sport as in life. ‘Never again’ is not a phrase from the past, it is a mission for the future.”

More information on the ‘Red against Racism’ initiative: