Olympiastadion (Olympic Stadium) (Munich)

The Olympiastadion is situated at the heart of the Olympiapark München in northern Munich. It was built as the main venue for the 1972 Summer Olympics, when it hosted the Ceremonies, Athletics, Modern Pentathlon, and the Football finals. With a capacity of 69,250, the stadium hosted venues including the 1974 World Cup Final, the 1979 European Cup Final, and the 1988 European Championship Final.

Designed by the German architect Günther Behnisch and the engineer Frei Otto, the Olympiastadion was considered revolutionary for its time: large sweeping canopies of plexiglass stabilised by steel cables were used for the first time in a large scale. The idea was to imitate the Alps and to set a counterpart to the Berlin Summer Olympics of 1936, which were held under the Nazi-Regime. The sweeping and transparent canopy was to symbolize the new, democratic and optimistic Germany. This is reflected in the official motto: "The happy Games" ("die heiteren Spiele"). The stadium was built by the construction company Bilfinger Berger from 1968 to 1972.

However, the stadium and its adjoining Olympic Village became infamous for the tragic events of the 1972 Olympics, rather than celebrated as the site of the great athletic achievements of competitors such as United States' swimmer Mark Spitz and sprinter Mary Peters.

Following the Olympics, the stadium became the home of FC Bayern München, with their rival TSV 1860 München moving in during the 1990s. These two teams coexisted in the Olympiastadion until 2005, when both clubs moved to the purpose built Allianz Arena.

In addition to hosting the 1972 Olympic Games, the Olympiastadion also saw the legendary final of the 1974 World Cup, which resulted in a 2-1 victory for Germany against Holland. The stadium is also famous in English football lore as the site of the England's 5-1 win over Germany in September 2001.

In addition to being a sports venue, the Olympic Stadium plays host to many open-air concerts by the likes of Jon Bon Jovi, Robbie Williams, and The Rolling Stones. Guns N' Roses filmed parts of their Estranged video there when they visited Munich in June 1993.


www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1Jf2TToswY

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