You might not expect to find security guards at an opera house, but Saturday’s premiere of Echo 72: Israel in Munich at the Hannover State Opera was no ordinary night. The new opera, by Michael Wertmüller, revisits the harrowing 1972 Munich Olympics attack where Palestinian militants murdered Israeli athletes. With tensions over the war in Gaza running high, the performance felt even more significant—and tense.

Artistic director Laura Berman shared how fear hung over the project. “The fear is everywhere,” she said, referencing the charged atmosphere in Germany’s cultural scene. Since Hamas’s attack on October 7, 2023, and Israel’s response in Gaza, many German artists have faced cancellations and protests for even indirectly addressing Middle East issues.

The opera, originally planned in 2021, arrived at a time when Germany’s relationship with its past—and Israel’s present—feels especially fraught. It’s not alone: the movie September 5, which also dramatizes the 1972 tragedy, hit German theaters this month. Both works are sparking tough but necessary conversations about history and memory.

In a world where art and politics collide, Echo 72 and September 5 are pushing audiences to reflect on events that still echo decades later.