The FC Bayern Museum features all the trophies Bayern have won, it includes worthy tributes to Franz Beckenbauer and the other defining figures at the club, and it is of course Germany's biggest club museum. But the 3000 m² exhibition at the Allianz Arena, bursting with trophies, images and stories, sets new standards for its lively presentation, interactivity and sheer volume of material.
Originally called the FC Bayern Erlebniswelt, literally ‘world of experience’, the doors of the FC Bayern Museum opened for the first time on Friday 25 May 2012. “All credit to those involved. This is sensational from A to Z, a milestone, and a gem in the Bayern collection," a thoroughly impressed Uli Hoeneß declared, “it's fantastic. I never imagined it would be like this."
Living history
The former club president has visited the museums operated by the likes of Manchester United, Ajax and Barcelona, “but I thought they were all a bit boring," he confided. Bayern's aim was for the Erlebniswelt to be significantly different. “We wanted an impressive retelling of Bayern's history in an entertaining way," explained Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, “we didn't want a boring museum, we wanted a living history of our club."
The result is an audiovisual treat. The project team joined forces with FCB partners like Audi and adidas to develop exclusive videos, commentaries and emotive music, immersing visitors in the fascinating history of Germany's biggest club.
The soul of FC Bayern
Giant video screens dot the exhibition space, showing memorable and historic footage including the goals from the 2–0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt which won Bayern their first German championship back in 1932, Katsche Schwarzenbeck’s exceptional long-range drive to earn a replay in the 1974 European Cup final against Atletico Madrid, Patrik Andersson's last-gasp goal to win the title in 2001, and Louis van Gaal’s speech from the town hall balcony in May 2010. An 11-minute cinema-scale movie invites viewers to explore the heart and soul of the club.
The Hall of Fame honours 18 outstanding former players, from Konrad Heidkamp, captain of the 1932 team, via Beckenbauer, Müller and Sepp Maier, through to Oliver Kahn, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Philipp Lahm. A display talks visitors through the core values of the club, such as family, tradition, confidence and respect, explained by a range of personalities including Karl Hopfner, Schwarzenbeck, Mehmet Scholl and Schweinsteiger.