© FC Bayern
Until 27 September, the Bavarian State Ministry of Health, Care and Prevention is once again focusing on the issue of dementia – for the seventh time. FC Bayern, which three years ago developed the Forever Number One memory case (email HERE for order details and further information) to bring moments of joy to those affected by the condition and to support their families, is also getting involved during this campaign period with a special video clip.
The club aims to “highlight ways of preventing people with dementia from feeling permanently isolated”, explained president Herbert Hainer, who, together with honorary president Uli Hoeneß, is stepping up his support for FC Bayern’s memory case’. “Our aim is to keep drawing attention to this issue and to show that nobody is alone. That is why we have had members of our PACK MA’S volunteer programme trained to use our memory case. As the FC Bayern family, we want to do our bit and help as best we can.” Judith Gerlach, Bavarian Minister of State for Health, Care and Prevention, added: “A strong team leaves no one behind. That applies on the football pitch and especially when dealing with people with dementia and their relatives.”
Uli Hoeneß presents the contents of FC Bayern’s memory case, which is designed to help people with dementia. | © FC Bayern
In the clip, club icons Giovane Elber, Raimond Aumann, Karin Danner and Viktoria Schnaderbeck raise awareness of this important social issue under the theme ‘holding on to what unites us’. The quartet explain that “dementia must never lead to people feeling excluded”. To drive home the message, the four legends tie symbolic knots in a supporters’ scarf.
The FC Bayern memory case includes an audio file narrated by Hoeneß, which is intended to evoke memories for those affected by the illness. Jerseys, balls, photographs, newspaper articles and other memorabilia can evoke further emotions and personal experiences. To mark the 50th anniversary of the FC Bayern Women’s first championship, a jersey in the design of the 1976 team has also been included. Cases were provided by Manuel Neuer, Joshua Kimmich, Giulia Gwinn and others.
A look inside the memory case. | © FC Bayern
In collaboration with the Munich Alzheimer Society e.V., FC Bayern has trained members of its PACK MA’S volunteer programme to work with the memory case. Together with Kim Krämer, the fan liaison officer for people with disabilities, and dementia support worker Sibylle Hinrichsen from the FC Bayern Museum, they regularly visit care homes. There, they take residents and their relatives on a special journey back in time to the 1970s at FC Bayern. The highlight of these visits is often singing ‘Gute Freunde kann niemand trennen’ together – the hit song by the club’s icon, Franz Beckenbauer.
As part of Dementia Awareness Week, numerous events are being held across Bavaria, offering those interested a wide range of activities centred on the topic of dementia. During the 2025 campaign period, around 1,700 events were organised. For more information, visit https://demenzwoche.bayern.de.