Munich is commemorating another FC Bayern icon. Franz Beckenbauer, who passed away in January, is to be honored with a statue in front of the Allianz Arena, just like Gerd Müller before him
A bronze statue, 1.5 times life-size, on a pedestal in the shape of the Bavarian rhombus. The “Kaiser” will have his memorial in Munich, as the Kurt Landauer Foundation announced on Sunday. It had also initiated a statue for the former “Bomber of the Nation” Gerd Müller, who died on August 15, 2021.
Meanwhile, Beckenbauer, the former conductor of the Bayern game, is to be commemorated in an elegant pose in front of the Allianz Arena. On January 7, the FC Bayern icon was different
Thanks to previous experience, those responsible expect the Beckenbauer project to take around 18 months to complete. “The elegant captain Franz and his friend Gerd Müller will then together cast their shadows positively on the present day and the awareness of our great club history will be carried on into the next generations and firmly anchored,” explained Christian Kröll from the Kurt Landauer Foundation.
“For the Kaiser, for rooting history “
Bayern CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen had already said at the end of January: “If you look at the monument in honor of Gerd on the esplanade in front of the Allianz Arena: Franz fits in well next to it.”
Beckenbauer won the 1974 World Cup together with Müller – in the final at Munich’s Olympic Stadium. As team manager, he won the title in Italy in 1990. “We would like to take this opportunity to thank the Beckenbauer family and FC Bayern Munich for the trust they have placed in us and their support for this new project! Let’s tackle it together again – for the Kaiser, for rooting history in front of our stadium,” continued Kröll, who also called for donations for the statue.
Culture of remembrance at FC Bayern
The Kurt Landauer Foundation says its aim is to “commemorate the former president of FC Bayern Munich, Kurt Landauer, his history and the values he represented, as well as other personalities and events from the history of FC Bayern Munich” through its activities.
Under Landauer, a son of Jewish merchants, FC Bayern celebrated its first German championship in 1932. Landauer was later deported to Dachau by the Nazis and emigrated in 1939. In 1947, FC Bayern elected Landauer as president once again. He died in 1961 at the age of 77.
