Olympic design from Munich 1972, 50 years on

Light blue and white: The Bavarian state colors determined the design of the outfits worn by over 1,000 Olympic hostesses. They contributed to the youthful, cheerful and cosmopolitan image the Summer Games '72 wanted to carry into the world. The young women came from 17 countries and spoke 18 languages.

The hostesses were to provide advice and assistance to the visitors. Some of them, such as Silvia Sommerlath (pictured here holding tickets to the games), accompanied prominent guests. During the event, she met her future husband, Crown Prince Carl Gustaf. Today, she goes by the name of Queen Silvia of Sweden.

Perfect styling also meant an Olympic hairstyle for the ladies. This model's hairdo involves strands artfully twisted to form bangs shaped like the five Olympic rings — a style that called for quite some hairspray. In a simpler version, the hair was pinned up into a chignon held by a hairpin adorned with the five rings.

In the 1970s, clothing was often made entirely of synthetic materials. These tracksuits at least boasted 30% wool, combined with the polyacrylic fabric. The blue and yellow stripes, a flared collar, the patch pocket and the gold medals completed the picture. The photo shows the German 4x100m relay team after their Olympic victory.

When they weren't wearing jerseys or tracksuits, the athletes were still expected to wear a certain style of clothes. In addition to the outfits for the official march at the opening ceremony, both men and women were provided with so-called city attire for an evening or day on the town, complete with a lightweight summer coat for rainy weather.

Designer Otl Aicher shaped the graphic look of the Munich Games. He designed the Olympic Spiral with the help of a computer, which at the time was innovative. He and his team had been working on the design for the 20th Olympic Games since 1967. It was based on a universal visual language of colors, shapes and fonts — a language understood by everyone.

Aicher wanted to clearly distinguish the 1972 games from the 1936 Olympic Games, which the Nazis had instrumentalized. The result was a colorful and modern overall concept that is still today inseparably associated with the Munich games. Certainly his pictograms are the games' most famous trademarks, considered icons of contemporary culture.

In 1972, Germany hosted a major international sports event for the first time since World War II. The country wanted to present itself as democratic and modern. The Munich Games were more than a sporting event, they had political and cultural significance. The design of the posters was a symbiosis of art, design and sport. Today, they sell for hundreds of dollars.

Otl Aicher's team designed the first official Olympic mascot in the history of the Olympic Games — Waldi, the colorful striped dachshund. Back then, the dachshund was the most popular dog in Germany, along with the German Shepherd. Smart and diligent, the little dogs also stood for athletic virtues like resilience and endurance.

The proceeds from sales were supposed to help finance the games and benefit German sports aid, but Waldi — made of wood or plush or terry cloth, in the form of a soft cuddly toy, puzzle, pillow or on wheels, on posters and stickers — did not sell as well as expected. Despite a major advertising campaign, other Olympic souvenirs did better, and after the Games, Waldi languished on the shelves.

Architects Günter Behnisch & Partner were commissioned to build the stadium and park. Again, the overriding idea was openness and transparency. The architects came up with a construction of roofs that seem to float. It is unique worldwide and has lost none of its fascination to this day.

An Olympic Village of high rise flats was built to house the athletes and journalists, with separate sections for men and women. Today, this "city within the city" is one of Munich's most popular residential areas. This photo from 2010 shows how vegetation on rooftops and balconies reflected the concept of the "green Olympic Games."

Tragedy struck on September 5, 1972, when Palestinian terrorists raided the Israeli team's quarters, killing two people and taking nine hostage. All hostages, five terrorists and one policeman died hours later. Photos of the policeman in the red tracksuit in the middle of the housing complex went around the world. The victims' families battle for compensation from Germany is still ongoing.

German cartoonist Rainer Hachfeld portrayed the world's top politicians at the time as vultures sacrificing the "youth of the world" for the Olympic rings, criticizing the fact that the games continued after a 34-hour suspension. The vultures include Bavarian politician Franz-Josef Strauss, Soviet head of state Leonid Brezhnev, US President Richard Nixon and Israeli politician Moshe Dayan.