|
|
 |
|
|
Welcome to the EIG
– the Einwohner-Interessen-Gemeinschaft Olympisches Dorf e.V.
(Association For The Residents‘ Interests Of The Olympic Village)
|
|
|
|
We invite you to surf through Munich‘s Olympic Village. You will be able to see the extraordinary way of life that is on offer in this green oasis situated in the north of Munich.
The 1972 Olympic Games not only featured the so-called „happy games“, but also led to the development of the famous residential quarter which houses about 10 000 (!) people. Situated in a pedestrian park-landscape and connected directly to the city’s expansive subway-system, the Olympic Village offers an extremely high standard of living to all its residents, the young and the old, the sporty and the lazy, the healthy and the disabled
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
View of the Olympic Village (Connolly Street) from the west; to the right high rise buildings
The Olympic Village is the only housing estate in the whole world that has successfully created a split level system that separates the areas for motor vehicles and pedestrians. However, the large amount of concrete used to build the village at the end of the 60ies and beginning of the 70ies, meant that the press called the village many negative names like „concrete-citadel“ and „ghostcity“. Names that may well have been partly appropriate at first but – thanks to the efforts of the many creative and community minded people who love living in the village – it has now developed into a green paradise with birds singing in the trees and squirrels romping about balconies.
The Olympic Village and the Olympic Park with the athletic grounds the hill, the lake and the tower have been classified as a historical monument, a step that underlines the unique and extraordinary value of the whole composition.
Click here for a map of the Village
The EIG was founded at the end of 1973, in order to represent the interests of the owners and residents of the Olympic Village. A commitment that turned out to be very necessary as the hectic of constructing period before the Olympic Games revealed its “heritage”: many construction and law problems had to be faced. This civic group’s aim is to preserve the character of this unique housing within a park-like landscape with its architectural and social structure as an amiable home for us and future generations.
Interested in more information? Have a look to the following.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Olympic Part
|
|
|
The Olympic Park is much more than just an ordinary park. It is a green oasis in north Munich. It largely contributes to the city’s socio-cultural life and its architecture and structure has become a landmark of modern Munich and Germany.
The Park and its Hill
For decades the so-called Oberwiesenfeld, just four kilometres from Munich’s city centre, was used for many different purposes: The Bavarian Royal Army used it as a drill ground and Munich’s first airport for civil and sports aircraft was on this site. After the Second World War, when huge parts of the town had been destroyed by numerous bomb attacks, the rubble and the debris from the construction of the subway were piled up in the southern part of the park and became today’s famous Olympic hill, a place where children can ski and sledge, joggers and bikers can exercise and even snowboard championships take place. From here you often have an impressive panoramic view of the whole of Munich up to the Alps and Germany’s highest peak (Zugspitze, 2962 m).
|
|
|
|
|
Lots of trees and the Olympic Tower in the backgound
The Park and its Architecture
It took six years for the Olympic Park to be built. The Olympic Park is a composition of hills, a lake (80.000 m2), the Olympic Tower (290 m high with a gourmet restaurant and panoramic platform), modern sports arenas and halls, the Olympic Village and press and TV centres. The almost 75.000 m2 tent roof construction combining the stadium with the other halls and the Olympic Tower is well known and admired all over the world. The roof symbolises the architectural concept of the whole park: lightness and transparency, the trademark of the new German democracy after 1945. Right from the start the whole complex was constructed so that it could also be used and loved after the Games had ended.
Come together – The Park, its Motto and its Use
With its 850.000 m2, its lake, tower, soft hills, sport facilities, its many different events and offers like the famous summer festival „Tollwood“, Adidas street ball, beach soccer and volleyball, fleemarkets, and European and German championships , classical and pop concerts, almost 24 hours per day the park fulfils its motto “come together”. For residents and tourists alike, the park is an experience of its own.
|
|
|
|
|
|
In 28 years the park has sheltered 7.400 sports, cultural and commercial events.
Over 132.5 million visitors have enjoyed its beauty and variety while watching among others 26 World Championships, 11 European Championships, 77 German Championships, circus shows, ballet, folkloric events, exhibits, congresses and uncountable pop concerts and shows with stars like the Rolling Stones, Michael Jackson and U2.
On weekends up to 30 000 people seek relaxation in the green oasis.
|
|
|
|
|
Close to the tents, close to the lake - the "Summer Festival"
|
|
|
|
The EIG - An active Force in Munich`s Civil Society
|
|
|
|
Like every other village in the German countryside the Olympic Village has written its own history. However seeing as how it is an extra special village its history is a little different:
The planning and building of the Olympic Village in the 60ies was an extraordinary experiment in urban development in the city of Munich. This type of separation of traffic and living-area was as new as the bridge-construction for pedestrian-„streets“ above real streets. The whole constructing period was kept as short as possible. But although the idea was greatly admired at first, the problems later residents had to face after moving in were immense. For example:
|
|
- The 42.000 m2 pedestrian zone with its shop-plaza is one of Germany’s biggest bridge-constructions. But as the planners could not agree on whether or not to build it until the very end of the planning period, the construction work was carried out in a very sloppy manner. As a result water is dropping into the car-level and damaging the concrete (one third of the zone had been repaired by 2001).
- Even though the huge terraces and balconies (up to 24 m2) served many residents as a second living-room during the summer time, due to the large amount of uncovered concrete they gave the whole village a kind of stone-desert look.
The pedestrian areas have never been declared public property. Thus the Olympic Village has the longest public used streets, that have to been cleared, lighted and maintained by private people, the inhabitants of the Olympic Village. This unique siutation imposes a heavy burden on them. Never-ending lawsuits between the village and the city have been the consequences of this legal flaw.
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
No traffic, no noice, no danger - the pedestrian level above the car level
After the Olympic Games in 1972 it turned out, that the whole idea of a prosperous, happy and caring lifestyle community in the Olympic Village was a wonderful dream, a model on paper, but not reality – not yet.
In order to make this dream come true the EIG was founded at the end of 1973. Several groups were initiated and named according to their purpose; „Our village shall become more beautiful“, „law“, „playgrounds“, „environment“, „artists“ and many more. From their very beginning every single group gave its very best to give impulses and improve life in the village.
|
|
|
|
Since its foundation in 1973 the EIG has become a recognized actor in the village and played an important part in many of the village’s achievements:
- Establishing an operating company for the whole village.
- Revitalizing and promoting a community feeling by sponsoring political and social events, parties as well as publishing a regular newspaper.
- Improving of the village‘s appearance (greens, public areas),
- Transforming the plain grey house fronts into blooming “hanging gardens” by means of a flower competition.
- Years of litigation and opposition against a chemical production plant near the village which eventually led to the company having to move its premises.
- Demanding that BMW minimise the smells and gases produced during the spraying of the cars. BMW complied by using water paints.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
- Opposing the construction of a marshalling yard near the village resulting in a residential friendly implementation of the project.
- Co-initiating the successful “Community action against the new stadium” on the neighbouring university sports ground and convincing city and state official to bury plans for a “monster stadium” which would have serverely disrupted village life.
- Campaigning for the acceptance of the reconstruction of the public bypasses and pavements and securing 15 million Marks in city funds for the repair work.
- Co-operating with the planners for the extension of the underground to Olympic Park North and achieving notable improvements, for example for the disabled.
|
|
|
|
|
Restoration of the pedestrian area is ongoing for many years
Have a look
Whenever you come to Munich you should visit the Olympic Park. And if you can spare some additional time come and have a look to our Olympic Village. Walk through the idyllic pedestrian streets, sea the many playgrounds for the children, the church, the school, the kindergardens, the shopping mall; take part in the live of a very normal village in the middle of a big town.
|
|
