MUNICH 2018 – 1936 GAMES EXHIBITION OPENS IN GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN TO PROMOTE LEARNING AND HEALING – Munich 2018 sports ambassador joins Mayor of Garmisch-Partenkirchen for educational 1936 exhibition opening

Garmisch-Partenkirchen: An exhibition about the 1936 Olympic Winter Games in Garmisch-Partenkirchen (Bavaria) opened today in the mountain resort, designed to help visitors from Germany and around the world learn lessons from the past and help ensure that history will never be repeated.

The exhibition was opened by the Mayor of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Thomas Schmid, as the region prepares to welcome the IOC Evaluation Commission from 1 March. The Evaluation Commission will review Munich's bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games in 2018, which includes the proposed use of the 1936 Olympic Ski Stadium.

Thomas Schmid, the Mayor of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, said at the opening:

‘I have often been asked in recent days: is the bid for the Games in 2018 to compensate for the shadow of the past? I always say that it is not as there will always be a shadow. But we can show, in 2018, that there is an alternative. One must accept what is shown in the exhibition, however we want to have honest and open times, which are what we are working towards.'

Dr. h.c. Charlotte Knobloch, President of the Jewish Community of Munich and Upper Bavaria, Vice-President of the World Jewish Congress and a member of the Munich 2018 Board of Trustees, was also present at the opening. She said:

‘This exhibition is very important for the fight against forgetting the past. I love sport and, without exaggerating, I'm delighted at how openly Garmisch-Partenkirchen presents its past in an open and friendly environment. So we can stand up optimistic and excited about Munich 2018. Here, preserving the memory of the past is very important as it shows that the lessons of history have been understood.'

Munich 2018 sports ambassador, Christian Neureuther, attended the launch of 'The other side of the medal' (‘Die andere Seite der Medaille') exhibition to learn about the events of 1936. The exhibition, which will be open from 16 February to 1 May in the Kurhaus in the World Championships Park, honours the 75th anniversary of the 1936 Olympic Winter Games held in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Bernhard Schwank, CEO of the Munich 2018 Bid Committee, said:

‘The Munich 2018 Bid Committee has a huge responsibility to ensure that lessons from Germany's history are never forgotten. We also have to move forward and show Garmisch-Partenkirchen as the vibrant winter sports hub that it is today.'

Christian Neureuther, Munich 2018 sports ambassador, said:

‘Hosting Olympic and Paralympic alpine events at Garmisch-Partenkirchen is an opportunity to show the world the modern face of Germany. In the 21st century, Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a world-class alpine sports venue which has staged many World Cups and World Championships, including the recent FIS Alpine World Ski Championships which showcased Munich 2018's Festival of Friendship concept. The event, attended by thousands of passionate, friendly and knowledgeable fans, adds to Bavaria's wealth of experience in hosting global sports events and assures a world-class venue and experience for all of the Olympic family in 2018.'

Background
Munich, in collaboration with Garmisch-Partenkirchen and Berchtesgadener Land, is applying to host the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. The application will be put together and managed by Bewerbungsgesellschaft München 2018 GmbH, with Karatina Witt as Chair, Bernhard Schwank as CEO and Jürgen Bühl as Managing Director. Shareholders in the application organisation are the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) with 51 per cent, the City of Munich (30 per cent), the Free State of Bavaria (nine per cent), the market town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen (eight per cent) and the district of Berchtesgadener Land (two per cent). The bid is being supported by national sponsors Adidas, Allianz, the BMW Group, BayWa, Deutsche Bahn, Deutsche Post, Flughafen München GmbH, Lotto Bayer n, Deutsche Lufthansa AG and the Sparkasse Finance Group, along with national suppliers ARGE (Albert Speer & Partner and PROPROJEKT), Deloitte, Getty Images, GfK Verein, IMMO 2018, Messe München GmbH, Norton Rose LLP, Munich Olympic Park, pilot sport and Stadtwerke München GmbH. More information about the concept, the progress of the application and many other aspects can be found at www.muenchen2018.org.