CHANCE : RISIKO opens at the Haus der Kunst / Munich Re exhibition to mark its 125th anniversary

CHANCE : RISIKO – This is the title of an exhibition Munich Re is launching today at the Haus der Kunst in Munich. Designed for a broad public, it draws on the risk competence the company has developed in the course of many years. From 1 July to 1 November 2005, the exhibition will take visitors through the ups and downs of their risk-taking lives, presenting safety and the lack of it as two sides of one and the same coin. It reveals the vulnerability of complex networked systems and shows how we deal with knowledge and the lack of it. Its theme is that you have to live with risk if you want to have a chance.

"Risks are part and parcel of our world. Munich Re's intention in putting on this exhibition is to contribute towards putting the concept of risk into the proper light again: risk is inseparable from danger but equally inseparable from opportunity and a stimulating incentive to show creativity and courage. People who take foolish risks are reckless daredevils, but those who recognise and seize the opportunities that risks present are also saying yes to life. This exhibition has been designed with the aim of provoking thought. We are very pleased that we have been able to accomplish this project here at the Haus der Kunst," said Christian Kluge, member of Munich Re's Board of Management, at a press conference to mark the opening. "The future is made of risks and opportunities. The productive balance between a willingness to take risks and an appropriate degree of caution is the mark of dynamic societies. And as a society, we must communicate with each other on risks and opportunities. This is the kind of development we want to promote with our exhibition," added Dr. Dirk Johannsen, Head of Corporate Communications at Munich Re.

The exhibition advocates a risk-taking culture and takes visitors on a tour of experiences, where they encounter risks that accompany us throughout our lives: technological and social risks but also the very private risks like those we face in a partnership. The central message is: those who avoid risks at all costs miss out on the opportunities.

The proximity of risk and opportunity is illustrated in the exhibition by, among other things, the example of megacities, the conurbations in which many millions of people live together in a relatively confined area. "At the beginning of its anniversary year, Munich Re turned the spotlight on the global trend towards increasing urbanisation and published its analysis of this issue," said Rainer Küppers, Head of the Press Division at Munich Re. "Megacities are often ungovernable conglomerates of concrete, stone, and dust. Nevertheless, they are a source of great fascination and magnetism for many people who see no future for themselves and their families in smaller towns or in the country."

CHANCE : RISIKO is one part of Munich Reinsurance Company's activities marking the 125th anniversary of its establishment. With its mix of information, interaction, and emotion, the exhibition addresses people of all age groups; admission is free of charge. It is open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., on Thursdays to 10 p.m. Trained staff, audio guides, and special tours are available in German, English, French, Italian, or Spanish and provide visitors with an opportunity to deepen their understanding of the topics dealt with in the exhibition. In addition, the central aspects are presented in word and picture by an informative two-volume risk magazine.

Münchener Rückversicherungs-Gesellschaft
signed Kluge           signed Küppers