Arie Katzenstein
(23 November 1937 – 10 February 1970)
Arie Katzenstein was born on 23 November 1937 in Haifa. His father, Heinz Katzenstein, had fled Germany to Palestine as a teenager in 1933 to escape Nazi persecution.
Arie Katzenstein had many close ties with Munich: he had studied veterinary medicine there from spring 1959 onwards and later civil and structural engineering. His wife, Bilha, whom he married in Haifa in 1961, had worked as a teacher at the state institute for the deaf during that time. Their first child, a daughter, Miki, was born in Munich in 1964. The small family last lived in Tengstrasse. They had close friends in the neighbourhood and at university. Arie enjoyed watching football matches in Grünwalder Stadion. In October 1966, the Katzensteins returned to Israel where their children Tami and Ofer were born. In Haifa, Arie successfully established himself as an entrepreneur.
Arie Katzenstein and his father Heinz took the flight to London on 10 February 1970 for business reasons. When the violence caused by the Palestinian terror organisation escalated in the transit area at Munich Airport during a stopover there, both were already waiting in the shuttle bus to return to the aircraft. When an assassin threw a hand grenade into the bus, Arie Katzenstein recognised the danger and threw himself on the hand grenade. He was fatally injured and died on the bus. His action, however, saved the lives of the other passengers.
Arie Katzenstein was also remembered in Munich at the memorial service for the victims of the arson attack on the Jewish community centre in Reichenbachstrasse 27 on 18 February 1970. Arie Katzenstein was buried in Haifa.
