Questions and Answers about the Nomination

The term “World Heritage” was defined in 1972 by the International World Heritage Convention. The guiding principle of the Convention and its resulting World Heritage List is to protect sites of outstanding universal value as the heritage of humanity – both now and in the future. Recognition by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site leads to inclusion on the World Heritage List.

For successful recognition as World Heritage, certain prerequisites must be met – such as prior inclusion of the site on the country’s Tentative List. After that, a comprehensive nomination dossier containing all required information is prepared and submitted to UNESCO. The dossier is then reviewed and evaluated by UNESCO’s advisory bodies based on established criteria. This process can take several years. Finally, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee decides, based on the recommendations of its advisory bodies, whether the site will be inscribed on the World Heritage List.

The Olympic Park demonstrates global uniqueness in several aspects. Both the sculpted architectural and park landscape and the Olympic roof as an engineering masterpiece represent key values of the site. Another defining feature is its human-centered design, reflecting the need for participation and self-determination – evident in all elements of the ensemble.

The reuse concept, planned from the outset beyond the 1972 Olympic Games, has shaped the park into what it is today: a popular sports and event venue. Internationally, there are few sites that embody comparable value concepts. The Olympic Park could fill a gap on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a living legacy from the 20th century.

World Heritage status draws international attention to the Olympic Park and emphasizes the importance of its protection and preservation. It can also open up additional funding opportunities, provided relevant programs exist – such as the German Federal Government’s former investment program for national UNESCO World Heritage sites.

The proposed World Heritage title strengthens efforts in monument and nature conservation, sustainable development, education, and intercultural understanding within the Olympic Park. At the same time, the title honors the overall achievement and the courage of its creators. It highlights their architectural, design, and technical innovations and underscores the global significance of the Olympic Park. As a result, World Heritage status can further deepen the connection that Munich’s residents feel with their Olympic Park.

Yes, events and major gatherings can still be held in the Olympic Park, as long as they align with the core principle of the park’s continued use. This is actually in harmony with the central value of post-Olympic utilization. To this day, not only are the sports venues still in use, but also the facilities for housing and recreation. The Olympic Village, for example, remains a popular residential area within the ensemble. This unique mix of uses is not only intended to be preserved but also to be sustainably developed in the future.

The 2040 Olympic bid will be coordinated with the World Heritage nomination and monument protection. It builds on the existing sports facilities, which could be supplemented with temporary structures.

Citizen participation is expressly desired by UNESCO, as only applications that are supported by the owners and citizens have a chance of success. The World Heritage nomination process is accompanied by various forms of public relations work. The World Heritage Management Plan for the Olympic Park is currently being developed. Information events for the public were held on 24 March 2025 and 20 October 2025. Another event is planned for 2026.

The management plan outlines how the Olympic Park can be permanently protected, preserved and carefully developed. The document is scheduled for completion in 2026. The plan sets out objectives and measures for the following key areas:

• Protection and preservation of the Olympic Park so that its unique architecture, park landscape and design are preserved for future generations
• Use and further development so that the Olympic Park remains a popular and vibrant part of Munich in the future
• Communication of the exceptional universal value of the Olympic Park so that everyone can understand what makes this place so special

The Olympic Park is already protected as a historic monument and as part of a designated ensemble, which means it enjoys a comprehensive level of protection. As part of a World Heritage nomination, it must be demonstrated which protective mechanisms help preserve the site for future generations. UNESCO does not impose its own regulations but relies on the existing protection instruments of each country. In Bavaria, this is the Bavarian Monument Protection Act. Therefore, the inscription as a World Heritage Site will not result in any legal changes or stricter regulations.

As part of the application process for inclusion on Germany’s tentative list, it was decided that the World Heritage designation should be limited to the area of the “Olympic Park” ensemble as defined in the Bavarian Monument List. This includes the designed landscape park, the constructed sports venues along with their athletic and functional auxiliary facilities, the Olympic Tower, the transportation infrastructure, and the Olympic Village. Changes to this scope are not excluded in the further nomination process.

The Press City is a high-quality residential complex and a historical document of the 1972 Olympic Games. Due to its significance, the Bavarian State Office for Monument Protection is currently reviewing its designation as a protected ensemble. However, compared to the Olympic Village and the Olympic Park with its main sports venues, the Press City lacks the exceptional international uniqueness required for World Heritage inscription.

New buildings in the Olympic Park must blend harmoniously into the existing overall design. They are required to respect the principles of reuse and design that define the Olympic Park, and must comply with the development plan as well as monument and nature protection laws. Importantly, open spaces and green areas are not to be built upon.

Sightlines from the city to the Olympic Park and vice versa must not be obstructed. This means that from the Olympic Hill, there must be an unobstructed view over the iconic tent roof silhouette – toward the green landscape in the north and toward the city and the Alps in the south. Large new buildings that interfere with these views can compromise the World Heritage Site’s “visual integrity.” Therefore, a buffer and visual protection zone has been established around the heritage site. Construction projects within this zone are carefully reviewed. For high-rise buildings, urban compatibility studies are conducted. The current high-rise study already includes height restrictions for the area surrounding the Olympic Park.

The Olympic Park in Munich was added to the German tentative list in December 2023. The management plan, together with the other nomination documents, is expected to be submitted to UNESCO for preliminary review in 2034. Until then, as many of the management plan's objectives and measures as possible should be implemented and achieved, even though there is no obligation to do so. Before the official submission to UNESCO, the management plan will be updated again and the experiences from the past period will be evaluated and incorporated.