On This Day in 1966: The Beatles Return to Germany

Sixty years ago today, on 24 June 1966, the Beatles stepped onto the stage at Munich's Circus-Krone-Bau to begin the Bravo-Beatles-Blitztournee – a three-day, six-concert return to the country where they had first honed their craft as a young band.

It was the Beatles' first appearance in Germany since their final engagements at Hamburg's Star-Club in December 1962. In the years between, they had transformed from an ambitious Liverpool group into the most famous band in the world.

The timing of the tour was remarkable. Only days earlier, the Beatles had completed recording their new album, Revolver. Yet as John, Paul, George and Ringo arrived in Munich, they found themselves revisiting familiar territory. Germany had played an essential role in their story, from the long nights of Hamburg's Reeperbahn to the friendships and experiences that shaped their early identity as performers.

The German concerts also marked a turning point. The Bravo-Beatles-Blitztournee became the opening chapter of the Beatles' final world tour, which would take them onwards to Japan, the Philippines and, ultimately, their last live performances in the United States later that summer.

To commemorate this anniversary, Genesis Publications has assembled just 100 Anniversary Copies of BIG: Beatles in Germany.

Originally published in a limited edition of 1,750 copies, BIG: Beatles in Germany presents an extraordinary visual record of the Beatles' relationship with Germany through the lenses of photographers Günter Zint and Ulf Krüger, accompanied by a narrative by Roman Milisic and a concluding chapter by Tony Sheridan.

Each Anniversary Copy includes:

• A copy of BIG: Beatles in Germany in a newly designed slipcase
• An original Pahna heart-shaped gingerbread seal from the 1997 publication
• A facsimile concert ticket and Star-Club menu
• A facsimile promotional card signed by Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr in 1966
• A commemorative stamp sheet from the original publication
• An exclusive 8" × 11" darkroom print from the Genesis archive, produced from the original negatives and suitable for framing
• A publisher-signed certificate of authenticity

As we mark sixty years since the Beatles returned to Germany, these specially assembled Anniversary Copies celebrate not only a brief tour of six concerts, but also a country that played an indispensable role in the Beatles' remarkable journey.