The special exhibition “Kaiser. Kalle. Bomber.” at the Erlebniswelt is FC Bayern’s thank you to three club legends, for 861 goals, 1614 matches and a combined total of 200 years of loving football on behalf of the German record champions. Two of those legends, Franz Beckenbauer and Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, were personally present to open the exhibition on 9 May 2015.
The year 2015 is full of milestone birthdays for FC Bayern, and of course a very special year for the honoured legends themselves, as Franz Beckenbauer will turn 70, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge 60, and Gerd Müller 70. “It’s a long time since we were together on the pitch, but our friendship has lasted to this day. We’ve won many titles for the club, but the club has given us so much as well,” said Beckenbauer on his first walk through the exhibition which extends beyond the installation itself to the whole of the club museum. Life-size displays recall important and outstanding moments in these careers – and when they examined some of the pictures, even the two sports legends had to chuckle.
Exhibits and exclusive films
The honours collection amassed by the three Bayern stars contains countless titles and accolades, but every single triumph comes with numerous anecdotes. The exhibits reflect life away from the pitch, hobbies and curious items too. Beckenbauer and Rummenigge were talkative when recalling their careers at the launch. “The watchword ‘Mia san Mia’ that we at FC Bayern live to this day has its roots in that period. Franz, Gerd and also yours truly are proud to have helped shape the appeal and values of this magnificent club,” Rummenigge commented. The exclusive film material enables the visitors to get to know the two former forwards and the sweeper at first hand and on a very personal level, for instance in a documentary and a talk between Rummenigge and Beckenbauer, hosted by Thomas Müller.
The three legends have substantially contributed to the large-scale exhibition which runs at the club museum until 31 December 2015. All three have browsed through their private collections and provided select items, be it a youth jersey worn by Karl-Heinz Rummenigge or a tennis racket used by Gerd Müller. Each item tells a highly personal story.
