Manchesterplatz: There is a Corner of Munich that is Forever Manchester

Manchesterplatz: There is a Corner of Munich that is Forever Manchester

By  Monday, 9.3.2015, 15:39    Tourist Sites

It could quite possibly be the smallest square in the world.

It is certainly one filled with emotion and memory, and one that few people even in the neighbourhood (including taxi drivers) have even heard of.

As a Manchester boy, my first childhood association with Munich was linked to the tragedy of February 6, 1958, when a plane crash in the snow claimed the lives of 23 people, including 8 players from the amazing Manchester United team that has been christened the Busby Babes, after their manager Sir Matt Busby, who was also seriously injured in the crash. 

They were the finest team of the generation, one sadly cut short in the wintry conditions at Munich Airport. They had not even been playing in Munich, but had stopped for refuelling after a 3-3 draw in Belgrade had seen them qualify for the European Cup semi-finals.

It was not to be, and just as the world of football mourned then, so that fateful day is forever etched in the history and psyche of the club.  

In 2004, Manchester United built a lasting memorial on the spot where the accident took place, whose main piece is a football pitch with the names of those who died etched into a football pitch. It was the club's way of thanking the people of Munich for their care and support of the people of Manchester.

A new street name was formed - Manchesterplatz. It is a square between two streets, with no buildings or features at all apart from the monument. It is tucked away a short walk from the U- and S-Bahn station Trudering. 

To reach it from the station, go to Birthälmerstr, then right to Kirchtruderingerstr, which turns into Emplstr. on the corner of Rappenweg. If asking for directions from locals, ask for Kirchtruderingerstr, which is much better known.  

There is not much to see apart from the monument, but it is a quiet spot, offering plenty of opportunity for pause and reflection.  

As you can see from the picture below, apart from the monument, there is very little of Manchesterplatz, making it a contender for the smallest square in the world. 

And just 50 metres away is open grounds and the way to the Munich Riem fairgrounds, with the old airport in the background. Plenty of pause for thought when thinking back to events of 1958.

Follow Total Munich on Facebook.  

Rate this
Paul Bradbury

After 12 years living on the most gorgeous island in the world, Hvar in Dalmatia, I have begun to wonder if there is still life beyond its shores. Prior to discovering Paradise in 2002, I was a world traveller, living and working in Japan, Georgia, Somalia, Rwanda, Russia... and Munich.

After 95 countries and some 25 years have passed, the memories of my year in the hotel industry in the Bavarian capital (fired by the Sheraton for losing our pet snake, the first male chambermaid at Hotel Arabella, and a truly eye-watering introduction to five-star living in  my days as a bellboy in luxury Hotel Vier Jahreszeiten) are strong, and the call of Munich has been a constant theme over the last quarter century. 

And so here I am, answering the call some 25 years later. Twelve years of island living have changed me for sure, but also left me curious about life in a big city, and whether or not I could adapt to it after such an insular decade. 

I was surprised to see that for such a magnificent multi-cultural city, English-language blogs and regularly updated information are not that available. Static tourism information, such as that provided by the excellent tourist board website yes, but accounts of daily life delivered daily? Hard to find.

And so I have decided to take a break from my idyllic island and see if I could live in a city again. And what better way to try than to discover modern Munich in all its facets after so many years. It is a journey of discovery which I am relishing, and I hope the site proves to be of interest for Munich residents and its numerous visitors.

About Paul Bradbury

Author of Lebanese Nuns Don't Ski, Lavender, Dormice and a Donkey Named Mercedes and Hvar's first comprehensive guidebook, Hvar: An Insider's Guide to Croatia's Premier Island, as well as co-author of Split: An Insider's Guide with Mila Hvilshoj, I have lived in Dalmatia full time since 2003. In addition to running Total Munich, I also run Total Split (www.croatia-split.com), Total Hvar (www.total-hvar.com) and Total Inland Dalmatia (www.total-inland-dalmatia.com), as well as being an accredited Google News journalist for Digital Journal in Canada.

I also have various blogging clients, including the Central Dalmatia Tourist Board, European Coastal Airlines, Touristar TV and Andro Tomic Wines, and print clients include Qatar Airways inflight magazine, Out! magazine from New York, and Croatian Hotspots. 

In December 2014 I was delighted to receive the Marko Polo 2014 Award from FIJET Croatia (Federation of International Travel Writers and Journalists)  at a ceremony for the Croatian Journalists Society for the best international tourism promotion of Croatia. More here.

Ongoing writing projects:

A History of Hajduk Split, co-author with Frane Grgurevic - in 2015

Around the World in 80 Disasters - out in 2015

Total Hvar in the Media:

Interview of the Month, Croatian Embassy in Washington (May 2013)

Special Feature in Globus Magazine (May 2013)

Featured on Croatian TV show, More (2012) - watch the report here

Interviews in Slobodna Dalmacija, Dalmacijanews, Radio Split

I am available for writing services. Please contact me on [email protected] or visit my main writing website, www.bossandblogger.com 

Website: total-hvar.com Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
<< Expand >>
>> Collapse <<