FC Bayern Forum

It measures 70 by 50 centimetres, weighs 30 kilograms, comprises 556 pages, and is bound in elegant birchwood covers. 4 Sterne - 111 Jahre (Four stars - 111 years) is the definitive compendium of facts and information chronicling the long history of FC Bayern, released to mark the club's 111th anniversary on 27 February 2011. "Once you've picked it up, you don't have the strength to hold onto it for long," Karl-Heinz Rummenigge reported with a smile.

One of the - literally - biggest books about football ever published will now occupy a special position at the Bavarian State Library (Bayerischen StaatsBibliothek), as general director Dr. Rolf Griebel said at an official handover ceremony in the Friedrich-von-Gärtner room on Wednesday morning. "This is a great honour for our club," commented FCB chairman Rummenigge.

Griebel, who revealed himself as a long-standing Bayern fan, thanked the club for its "generous gift" and a new highlight attraction for the library, which currently possesses some 10 million volumes. The FC Bayern chronicle is remarkable for its superb presentation and historic contents, such as a facsimile of Gerd Müller's first contract and exclusive glimpses behind the scenes at the club.

Not for the first time, Rummenigge expressed praise and admiration for the book, as a premium-quality advertisement for the club and its philosophy. No other German club has ever undertaken a project of this scope and magnitude. "We're delighted the idea has become reality in such a wonderful way," the chairman said.

Member of the Bayern family

The library's copy of the volume, which is limited to a single print run of 4,111 copies and was presented by Rummenigge in front of some 100 invited guests, bears the number 1558 - the year the library was founded, some 350 years before FCB came into existence. "The State Library has joined the Bayern family," Rummenigge declared. The 56-year-old then invited the library's in-house football team to attend a Bayern home match at the Allianz Arena.

4 Sterne - 111 Jahre is exclusively available online from www.fcbayern-chronik.de at €2,999 per copy. Each individual volume is hand-finished from premium materials and thus unique. Every purchaser also receives a certificate of authenticity personally signed by Rummenigge and Bayern President Uli Hoeneß.

For all Maltese fans on the forum, the Bayern Malta fan club has bought this book and you can see it at the club.