David Berger National Memorial
Encyclopedia
David Berger National Memorial honors the memory of David Mark Berger
, a U.S. citizen who competed for Israel and was one of the 11 Israeli athletes killed in the Munich massacre
at the 1972 Summer Olympics
. Berger was a 28-year-old weightlifter. The memorial is dedicated to his memory and to the memory of the ten other athletes whose lives were taken.
The black steel sculpture, a design of broken Olympic rings
, is meant to symbolize the interruption of the Munich games by the tragic events, and the eleven segments on which the rings rest represent each athlete whose life was taken. The sculpture was fabricated by Romanian-born David E. Davis.
The sculpture was installed on the front lawn of the Mayfield Jewish Community Center
at 3505 Mayfield Road in Cleveland Heights, Ohio
in 1975. The national memorial
designation was authorized on March 5, 1980. Because of the demolition of the Mayfield Center in 2005, the memorial was moved to the Mandel Jewish Community Center at 26001 South Woodland Road in Beachwood, Ohio
. Although formally under the authority of Cuyahoga Valley National Park
, maintenance of the memorial is handled by the community center.
David Mark Berger
David Mark Berger was an American-born weightlifter for the Israeli Olympic team in 1972. A lawyer by education, Berger was one of 11 members of Israel’s Olympic team who were taken hostage and subsequently murdered by Arab terrorists at the Munich Olympic Games.Berger was born in Cleveland, Ohio...
, a U.S. citizen who competed for Israel and was one of the 11 Israeli athletes killed in the Munich massacre
Munich massacre
The Munich massacre is an informal name for events that occurred during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, Bavaria in southern West Germany, when members of the Israeli Olympic team were taken hostage and eventually killed by the Palestinian group Black September. Members of Black September...
at the 1972 Summer Olympics
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
. Berger was a 28-year-old weightlifter. The memorial is dedicated to his memory and to the memory of the ten other athletes whose lives were taken.
Olympic symbols
The Olympic symbols are icons, flags and symbols used by the International Olympic Committee to promote the Olympic Games. Some—such as the flame, fanfare, and theme—are more common during Olympic competition, but others, such as the flag, can be seen throughout the year.-Motto:The Olympic motto is...
, is meant to symbolize the interruption of the Munich games by the tragic events, and the eleven segments on which the rings rest represent each athlete whose life was taken. The sculpture was fabricated by Romanian-born David E. Davis.
The sculpture was installed on the front lawn of the Mayfield Jewish Community Center
Jewish Community Center
A Jewish Community Center or Jewish Community Centre is a general recreational, social and fraternal organization serving the Jewish community in a number of cities...
at 3505 Mayfield Road in Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Cleveland Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States, a suburb of Cleveland. The city's population was 46,121 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Cleveland Heights is located at ....
in 1975. The national memorial
National Memorial
National Memorial is a designation in the United States for a protected area that memorializes a historic person or event. National memorials are authorized by the United States Congress...
designation was authorized on March 5, 1980. Because of the demolition of the Mayfield Center in 2005, the memorial was moved to the Mandel Jewish Community Center at 26001 South Woodland Road in Beachwood, Ohio
Beachwood, Ohio
-External links:* *...
. Although formally under the authority of Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Cuyahoga Valley National Park
Cuyahoga Valley National Park preserves and reclaims the rural landscape along the Cuyahoga River between Akron and Cleveland in Northeast Ohio. The park is the only national park in Ohio.Cuyahoga means "crooked river" in Mohawk....
, maintenance of the memorial is handled by the community center.
External links
- Official NPS website: David Berger National Memorial
- David Mark Berger website