The German Football Route

by | Feb 25, 2020 | Football, Football trips, German History, Travel in Germany

A footballing tour of Germany - fans of Preußen Münster

A football tour through North Rhine Westfalia – Germany’s biggest state.

Germany is a federation of 16 states called Bundesländer.  The state with the biggest population is called North Rhine-Westphalia.  It is home to nearly 18 million people and covers 34,083 km.

It includes four of Germany’s biggest ten cities (Cologne, Düsseldorf, Dortmund, Essen) as well as the biggest metropolitan area in Europe (the Ruhrgebiet).

And it’s the ideal place for a football tour.

The heartland of German football.

The region’s top teams are famous across the world.  Clubs like 1 FC Köln, FC Schalke 04, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Borussia Dortmund and Bayer 04 Leverkusen are household names on every continent.  And, of course, North Rhine-Westphalia is also home to clubs with a special place in football history. VfL Bochum, Fortuna Düsseldorf, MSV Duisburg are just three examples.

No other Bundesland contains as many big, successful clubs. Seven teams from the state play in the Bundesliga, three play in the 2 Bundesliga and four in the 3 Liga. In 2018/19 teams from the region ended the season in second, fourth and fifth position in the Bundesliga. Four of the ten teams with the highest Bundesliga attendance are based here. Borussia Mönchengladbach, Borussia Dortmund and FC Schalke 04 are amongst the richest football clubs in the world.

The history of German football is inextricably linked to the history of this region.  As in many countries, the emergence of football as a mass sport came at the same time as industrialisation and the rapid growth of large cities. And so if you want to understand the football and its culture you also need to learn a bit about the history of the places where it was born and developed. 

A sporting and historical journey

The German Football Route will help you do just that. It is an 800 km journey by car or bicycle across the entire region of North Rhine-Westphalia and provides a superb introduction to the history of German football and its social and industrial roots.

Starting in Aachen in the west, it passes through 15 cities that have featured prominently in Germany’s football history.  It takes you to stadiums, pubs, cafes, museums and monuments. As well as today’s big names the route includes sleeping giants from the past.  Passing through major population centres, historic and brand new towns and cities, yYou learn about the key role the region has played in Germany’s history, as well as about the history of its football clubs and their fans.

You may well not want to visit every town and every club on this route, but it might help you plan a few football trips to Germany next season.  You can get detailed information from the Football Route website, but here is a very brief introduction to get you started.

The German Football Route

Aachen

The football tour starts in the west, close to the border with Belgium.

Aachen’s history dates back to the early middle ages and for many years it was the home of the German kings who ruled the Holy Roman Empire.  It is also home to Alemannia Aachen.  Founded in 1900, it is one of Germany’s oldest football clubs.  The club currently plays in the fourth-tier Regionalliga West (finishing 6th in 2017/18).    Despite its relatively lowly status, Alemannia Aachen has a large, passionate and hugely loyal fanbase.  The average attendance of 6,018 at the Tivoli stadium was the second highest for the league in 2017/18.

CologneP1000298

Now we head for the river Rhine and the huge, bustling city of Cologne.  Even if you aren’t interested in the football you should still go to Cologne for its massive cathedral, thriving nightlife and local beer –  Kölsch.  Of course, it is also home to the illustrious 1 FC Köln who play at theRheinergie Stadion.  Neighbours Fortuna Köln, also have a rich and impressive history but have fallen on hard times and are currently in the Regionalliga West. Their stadium is called Südstadion. Another neighbour is recently-promoted Viktoria Köln, who play in the 3 Liga.

Leverkusen

A bit further north, between Cologne and Düsseldorf, is the town of Leverkusen. Pharmaceutical giant Bayer is based here and when Bayer employees formed a football club they called it Bayer Leverkusen.  It is one of the smaller Bundesliga clubs, and has a reputation for never quite achieving its full potential. But Bayer 04 Leverkusen has performed consistently well in recent years, finishing 4th in the 2018/19 Bundesliga.  The stadium is called the Bay Arena. This is an ideal venue for travellers completely new to German football.  

Mönchengladbach

We now leave the river and head west to Mönchengladbach –  home to the iconic Borussia Mönchengladbach.  Formed 1900 this is one of Germany’s oldest, best known and most successful football clubs. Their stadium – the Borussia Park – is always full to capacity and a fantastic atmosphere is guaranteed.  

Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf is the regional capital. There is plenty to do and see here before and after the football. It has a thriving nightlife.  The Altstadt is reputed to be IMG_0556the longest bar in the world.  A visit to the Esprit Arena to watch Fortuna Düsseldorf is well worth a visit.  This is one of Germany’s most modern and fan-friendly stadiums and there is always a really good atmosphere.

 

 

 If you want to find out more about Düsseldorf, see my blog post: Making the most of your football trip – Starting from Düsseldorf

Wuppertal

Wuppertal is famous for its Schwebebahn –  a rail system where train and carriages hang from the rails.  It is also home to Wuppertaler SV who play at Stadion am Zoo. Nicknamed the lions, Wuppertal has a long and rich history which goes back to the end of the 19th century.  The club’s greatest achievement was spending three years in the Bundesliga in the 1970s.  They have recently been promoted to the fourth tier Regionalliga West.

Into the Ruhrgebiet

Ruhregebiet sceneThe next stage of our football tour is the Ruhrgebiet – originally Germany’s industrial powerhouse, this is the largest metropolis in Europe.  Although de-industrialisation has totally changed the region, the Ruhrgebiet remains the perfect destination for anyone who wants to experience German football culture at its very best.  It is also perfect if you want to find out more about German industrial history. 

If you want to know more about the Ruhrgebiet see my blog post : The Ruhrgebiet : perfect destination for the football tourist. 

Duisburg 

Its riverside location and good connections to canals and railways made Duisburg a vital regional export hub for most of the last century.  The Innenhafen was the biggest inland harbour in the world.  As a result of industrial and economic change it fell into disuse in the mid-sixties and for a time was derelict and abandoned.  Imaginative renovation based on designs by British architect Norman Foster has transformed the area into one of the city’s key attractions.  There is a marina, an art museum, a synagogue and a Jewish community centre, and a large collection of restaurants and bars.  The huge contribution made by the Innenhafen to the region’s industrial past is not forgotten.  It is a key destination of the Ruhrgebiet’s Industrial Heritage Route, which takes visitors by car or bicycle on a tour of former industrial sites.  There are information boards at every turn which explain different aspects of the harbour.

MSV Duisburg was founded in 1902.  They were founder members of the Bundesliga and played in the top tier from 1963 to 1982.  Since then Duisburg has been one of Germany’s elevator teams – moving up and down the divisions. They currently play in the 3. Liga. If you decide to watch a game at the Schau ins Land Arena you will join a large, passionate crowd and experience a brilliant atmosphere.

Essen

Essen is one of Germany’s largest cities. It emerged around the coal and steel industries and is still home to famous multinationals like Thyssen. The Zollverein used to be a huge mine and coke plant.  It is now a World Heritage Site.  If you want to understand how this region developed this is the place to go. (You will also get a brilliant view from the top).thumb_P1020087_1024

Rot Weiss Essen is another of the region’s sleeping giants.  It achieved its greatest successes in the 1950s when it won both league and cup, and its most famous player – Helmut Rahn – scored Germany’s winning goal in the 1954 World Cup final.  Since those heady days, the club has fallen on hard times and currently plays in the fourth tier Regionalliga West.  If you decide to pay a visit to the Stadion Essen you will find yourself in a really modern venue amongst a surprisingly large crowd.

Oberhausen

Oberhausen is known all over Germany for its gasometer. 117 meters tall it dominates the city skyline.  Now it’s a venue for exhibitions and events, but even when nothing is on visitors flock there to see the superb view from the top or hear the intriguing echo on the inside.

Oberhausen is also the home of Rot-Weiß Oberhausen, yet another venerable football club.  Although founded in 1904 it can trace its roots right back to 1873 and the formation of a gymnastics club.   The club’s most successful period was the late 1960s when it spent three years in the Bundesliga.  Since then it has moved up and down the divisions and battled with financial difficulties.  The club plays at the NiederRheinstadion.

Bochum

The city of Bochum is twinned with Sheffield in England– an almost perfect match.

Both cities

  • were the heart of their coal and steel industries.
  • suffered heavy bombing during the war.
  • have endured the lingering death of their heavy industry and the accompanying hardship, social turmoil and economic restructuring.
  • have been hit by the recent recessions.

Both cities also have a long and proud sporting history. Hallam FC – founded in 1860 and still playing – has the oldest football ground in the world, and the first ever inter-club game of football was played between Sheffield FC and Hallam FC. The idea of a sports club in Bochum (VfL Bochum) was first discussed in 1848 and the club itself was formed the next year.

 VfL Bochum is by no means the most successful or the biggest football club in Germany, and at the moment it’s not even in the top division. But if you want to see football played and watched with passion, pride and commitment this is the club for you.P1000286

The club motto is: “In Bochum from Bochum for Bochum”

The club website is passionate about its local identity and tradition:

“People from Bochum are our supporters and our supporters are from Bochum. Because being from Bochum means to declare your support for the Ruhrgebiet and its attitude towards life: to work hard, to be self-confident and to treat each other honestly.

Our history and origin is our guide: blue and white are our colours, the Ruhrgebiet our region, Bochum our town, and Castroper Straße our home!”

Gelsenkirchen

Gelsenkirchen is in the heart of the Ruhrgebiet. This former mining town is home to Schalke 04, one of the oldest, biggest and best-known clubs in the Bundesliga.  It is also one of the most successful.  Seven times German champions, Schalke has won the German cup five times and the UEFA Cup once.

Schalke 04 was established by a group of young miners when football in Germany was in its infancy. It went on to dominate football in the 1920s and 1930s It was the Barcelona of its day, delighting huge crowds, winning trophy after trophy and producing the first football superstars.

Today Schalke 04 is a thriving, modern business. It is Germany’s second-biggest sports club and reputed to be the twelfth wealthiest football club in the world. It has nevertheless remained true to its origins.

The tightly-knit working class community and the pits that once provided a seemingly endless supply of players and fans are gone, but the club’s history is cherished.  The people who built the town and its football club are still remembered at every home game. When you go to watch Schalke 04 at the superb Veltins Arena, you don’t just attend an exciting sporting event.  You join a celebration of history, community and shared values.

If you want to know more about Schalke see my blog post: Understanding FC Schalke 04

Dortmund

Dortmund has a population of 589,283, making it the largest city in the region and the eighth largest in Germany. Until the 1970s it was famous for coal, steel – and beer. Now the city focusses on high-tech industries such as robotics, biomedicine and microsystems. It is a vibrant, multicultural city with shops, bars, restaurants, parks

Dortmund is also the home of Ballspiel Verein Borussia 09 e.V. Dortmund – also known as Borussia Dortmund, or simply BVB. According to Forbes Borussia Dortmund is the 11th most valuable football club in the world. It has been in the Bundesliga for 49 years and is fourth in the all-time table.

With an average of over 80,000, the club has the highest attendance in the Bundesliga. It has well over 100,000 members, making it one of the most supported clubs in the world. There are 55,000 season ticket holders and a waiting list of 10,000.

They say that the Signal Iduna Park is one of the most beautiful football stadiums in the world. It also one of the largest, with a capacity of 81,358, and the atmosphere at the is recognised as something really special. There are 25,000 standing places – making the south stand the largest standing-only section in Germany. And the ‘yellow wall’ one of the most impthumb_P1020497_1024ressive sights anywhere in the football world.

If you go the  Signal Iduna Park, pay a visit to the Borusseum – a museum dedicated to the history of this huge club.

And if you are in Dortmund, you should make time to go the German Football Museum, which is beside the central station.

 

 

Final Stages

Münster

We now leave the Ruhrgebiet and head towards the university town of Münster

300,000 people live in Münster – and 50,000 of them are students. It’s an old, historic city that goes back to the early middle ages and its rich history is reflected in its many old buildings.

Münster claims to be the bicycle capital of Germany.  The bicycle is the most common way for residents to get around and there is a car-free ring around the city centre. The city also recently won an award for being one of the nicest places to live in the world.

SC Preußen 06 Münster began in 1906 and it was a founding member of the German Bundesliga when it was formed in 1963.  The club’s greatest achievement was to come second in the German championship in 1951.  In recent years Preußen  Münster has struggled with financial difficulties off and inconsistent performance on the pitch.  For a time they dropped out of the professional leagues altogether. Recent improvements have seen promotion to the 3 Bundesliga in 2011 and steady top-half finishes every year.  They play in the Preußenstadion and last season achieved a highly respectable average attendance of 7,220

Bielefeld

The football tour ends in the north-eastern corner of the state, ion the edge of the ancient Teutoburg forest in the city of Bielefeld.  This city of 327,000 is the home of baking products company Dr Oetker and manufacturing giant Schüco.

The football team is called Armenia Bielefeld.  Founded in 1905, this is another of Germany’s oldest clubs, with a proud history. They first played in the Bundesliga in 1967/68, but since then have been a classic ‘elevator’ club.  Heroic and successful promotion campaigns have regularly been followed by unsuccessful battles against relegation. The club has achieved a few successful spells in the top tier but has also at times dropped out of the professional leagues altogether.  Despite repeated financial difficulties and the occasional threat of bankruptcy, the club has survived.  Long-suffering Bielefeld fans are currently enjoying a period of success.  In 2014/15 a run of thrilling victories over bigger clubs took them to the semi-final of the German Cup.  Bielefeld were 3 division champions the same year and moved up to the 2 Bundesliga.  Their stadium, which is named after their main sponsor, is called the Schücoarena.

And that is the German Football Route. It would be hugely ambitious to follow, in order, every kilometre of the route or to visit every single place of interest or every football club that is introduced.  But it does provide a really helpful frame of reference for anyone wanting to find out more about this fascinating region.

The Alliance of Independent Authors - Author Member

Find out more about German football

The cover of Discovering German Football
Book Cover - The German Ruhrgebiet: a guide for visitors
The cover of the Football Tourist's Guide to the German Ruhrgebiet
Book cover - Bayero4 Leverkusen: an introduction
Book cover - Borussia Mönchengladbach and introduction
Book cover - FC Schalke 04 and introduction
Book cover - Fortuna Düsseldorf and introduction

Books about German football

Book cover - Discovering German Football
Book Cover - Borussia Mönchengladbach: an introdction
Book cover - Schalke 04: an introduction
Book cover - Bayer 04 Leverkusen: and introduction
Book cover - Football Tourist's Guide to the German Ruhrgebiet
Book Cover - Fortuna Düsseldorf: an introduction
Book Cover - The German Ruhrgebiet

The fall of the Berlin Wall: how it changed East German football.

by | Nov 18, 2019 | German History

The fall of the Berlin Wall – 9th November 1989

The 9th November was the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall – the concrete monstrosity that had divided a city and a country since 1961. This month people across the world, and particularly in Germany, have been recalling that fantastic evening when the crossing points opened and citizens of the communist East Germany flocked into the western half of Berlin. It was a significant moment in the gradual fall of communism and the collapse of the Soviet Union. In less than a year Germany would be reunited. What is more, life in both halves of the country would change forever. And the fall of the Wall also meant massive changes to football – particularly in the eastern part of the country.

East German football before the fall of the Berlin Wall

East German football was good at youth level. The national team won tournaments in 1965 and 1970, were European champions in 1986  and came 3rd in the Youth Cup in 1987. Above all, there was a strong system to identify and develop talented young players who were then developed by excellent youth coaches.

The national team was less successful. Some say this is down to the East German political system which focussed on the group rather than the individual – so when things went wrong, there was no one individual able to step forward and take the lead. Former players themselves have said they lacked often nerve on the big occasion. As foreign travel was very restricted it might simply be that East German players lacked international experience.

East German football clubs – some interesting names but little success

East German teams were certainly not the strongest in Europe, but the likes of Fiorentina, Inter, Leeds, Porto, Juventus and Barcelona all lost games there. Magdeburg won the Cup-Winners Cup in 1974, and Carl Zeiss Jena reached the final in 1981.

The communists saw football not just as a sport, but also as part of education and nation-building. So when they communists took over after the war, they renamed many traditional teams.

  1. Clubs with Dynamo (Dresden, Leipzig) in their name were linked to the security police – the infamous Stasi
  2. The inclusion of the word Vorwärts (forwards) meant a link to the armed forces (
  3. Works teams included industry references in their names: for example Chemie Leipzig, Lokomotiv Leipzig, Stahl Brandenburg
  4. Clubs with no affiliations – for example, FC Magdeburg

Top politicians used clubs as personal playthings. Players and sometimes whole teams were moved at the direction of powerful men such as Eric Mielke – (head of the Stasi)  and Harry Tisch (Union boss). There were informers in every team because the authorities were terrified that top players would abscond to the west. Because the party decided which referees got to officiate international games, there was always a suspicion that disputed decisions went to the teams favoured by party leaders.

How did German football come together?

1990-91 was the last season of divided football. By the beginning of the next season, football had reunited. Which East German team joined which division in an expanded structure was decided partly by performance over the previous season and partly by competition. The top two teams – Hansa Rostock and Dynamo Dresden were given places straight away. The next four teams – Erfurt, Halle, Chemnitz and Jena – joined the 2. Bundesliga. The bottom six teams and the two who would have won promotion from the league before played a qualifying competition for a final two places. The two winners were Lokomotive Leipzig and Stahl Brandenburg.

What happened next?

Wealthy West German clubs flocked eastwards snapping up established players and promising trainees. As a result, by 1995 150  former first division players had moved to Bundesliga clubs.

Top players who moved westwards at this time included Matthias Sammer (Stuttgart) Andreas Thom(Leverkusen), Ulf Kirsten (Leverkusen), Jörg Stübner (dropped to amateur leagues) Thomas Doll (Hamburg), Frank Rohde(Hamburg) Rico Steinmann (1 FC Köln) Rainer Ernst (Kaiserslautern) Dirk Schuster (Braunschweig) Most players, who had benefited from excellent coaching, thrived in the west. Others never entirely adjusted to the changes. Jörg Stübner, for example, found himself beset by self-doubt and never played at the highest level again.

All East German clubs struggled in this new world. Unscrupulous agents fleeced players and officials not used to the ways of capitalism. A strong fanbase was not enough to stay afloat if these fans could not afford Bundesliga prices. Because of these pressures, clubs struggled to hold on to good players and gradually dropped through the divisions. Some East German football clubs disappeared altogether.

Hansa Rostock were relegated at the end of the first season. Although the club enjoyed ten years in the Bundesliga from 1995 Rostock now play in 3. Liga.

Dresden survived in the Bundesliga for four years, but accumulated massive debts along the way. Now they play in 2 Bundesliga.

And none of the six clubs who joined the second division are still playing at that level. Three – Halle, Chemnitz and Jena –  are in the 3. Liga. Erfurt and Lok Leipzig are one division lower and Stahl Brandenburg, who came third in the last Oberliga season are now in the 6th tier Brandburgliga.

But it wasn’t all bad news. Other East German clubs emerged from the shadows to eventually hold their own in the new world. Energie Cottbus has managed two three-year stints in the Bundesliga. Union Berlin won promotion to the Bundesliga last season. Erzgebirge Aue, a small village to the far east of the country are holding their own in the 2 Bundesliga.

Where are the top teams from 1991?

These tables show the top teams from East and West Germany at the end of the 1990-91 season and where they are playing today. It’s interesting to see how many big names from the West are still around, but how few from the East.

 

Oberliga 1991

Today
Hansa Rostock 3. Liga
Dynamo Dresden 2. Bundesliga
Rot Weiß Erfurt Regionalliga Nordost (4th tier)
Halle 3. Liga
Chemnitzer FC 3. Liga
Carl Zeiss Jena 3. Liga
Lokomotive Leipzig Regionalliga Nordost (4th tier)
Stahl Brandenburg Brandenburgliga (6th tier)
Stahl Eisenhüttenstadt Dissolved 2016
1. FC Magdeburg 3. Liga
FC Berlin Regionalliga Nordost (4th tier)
Sachsen Leipzig Dissolved 2011
Energie Cottbus Regionalliga Nordost (4th tier)
Viktoria Frankfurt Brandenburgliga (6th tier)
Union Berlin (promoted) Bundesliga
FSV Zwickau 3. Liga

Bundesliga 1991

Today
Kaiserslautern 3. Liga
Bayern München Bundesliga
Werder Bremen Bundesliga
Eintracht Frankfurt Bundesliga
Hamburger SV 2. Bundesliga
VfB Stuttgart 2. Bundesliga
1.FC Köln Bundesliga
Bayer 04 Leverkusen Bundesliga
Borussia Dortmund Bundesliga
SG Wattenscheid Declared insolvent 2019
Fortuna Düsseldorf Bundesliga
Karlsruher SC 2. Bundesliga
VfL Bochum 2. Bundesliga
1.FC Nürnberg 2. Bundesliga
FC St Pauli 2. Bundesliga
Bayer 05 Uerdingen 3. Liga (now KFC Uerdingen)
Hertha Berlin Bundesliga
Schalke 04 (promoted) Bundesliga
MSV Duisburg (promoted) 3. Liga
Stuttgarter Kickers (promoted) Oberliga Baden-Württenberg (5th tier)

Where can I find out more about East German football?

Books about German football

The cover of Discovering German Football
Book Cover - The German Ruhrgebiet: a guide for visitors
The cover of the Football Tourist's Guide to the German Ruhrgebiet
Book cover - Bayero4 Leverkusen: an introduction
Book cover - Borussia Mönchengladbach and introduction
Book cover - FC Schalke 04 and introduction
Book cover - Fortuna Düsseldorf and introduction

Books about German football

Book cover - Discovering German Football
Book Cover - Borussia Mönchengladbach: an introdction
Book cover - Schalke 04: an introduction
Book cover - Bayer 04 Leverkusen: and introduction
Book cover - Football Tourist's Guide to the German Ruhrgebiet
Book Cover - Fortuna Düsseldorf: an introduction
Book Cover - The German Ruhrgebiet

Introducing FC Schalke 04

by | Jan 24, 2019 | Bundesliga, Football history, Football trips, German History, Travel in Germany

A book about FC Schalke 04

A book about FC Schalke 04. Fans at the Veltins Arena in Gelsenkirchen
Get your copy now

In 1904 a group of young miners from Gelsenkirchen got together to play football. They had very little money, no kit to wear, no ball to play with. They didn’t even have a pitch to play on. This book tells the story of how the club they formed grew to become Schalke 04, one of the biggest, wealthiest and best-known sporting organisations in the world.
It describes the lives of famous players, takes a look at Schalke’s passionate fans, and explains why the club is so important to its town and region.
There is also plenty of practical information for anyone thinking of coming to the Veltins Arena see a game or wanting to follow Schalke from afar.

Related posts

Understanding FC Schalke 04

by | Jan 13, 2019 | Football trips, German History, Travel in Germany

FC Schalke 04: A different football experience

Some people think that going to the Veltins Arena to see Schalke 04 is just like any other German footballing experience.

You will have a ticket that did not require a second mortgage to buy. You will sit or stand amongst a passionate, partisan crowd. You will hopefully see some excellent football and you will have a couple of beers and a Bratwurst. In short, you will enjoy a typical Bundesliga game.

I believe that if you are willing to take your time and if you have  a little background information, you can get much more from the day.  Let me be your guide to a richer Schalke experience and let me help you better understand this club, its fans, history and culture.

Schalke 04 fans unfurl a huge flag

A town built on coal

If you can, travel to Gelsenkirchen by train, and take a good look at the industrial and post-industrial landscape around this former mining town. You will probably pass though cities like Duisburg, Essen, Dortmund or Bochum – famous in their day for coal, steel, heavy industry.
A few winding towers indicate where some of the many mines used to be and isolated factory chimneys help you imagine what the skyline must have looked like 100 years ago.
Some large plants remain, but you will mainly see the reminders of what was once Germany’s industrial power house – empty plots of land that were once covered by huge factories, slag heaps converted into walking trails, abandoned railway buildings.

Get there early

Schalke 04 fans
Make sure you arrive at Gelsenkirchen station at least four hours before kick-off. Spend a bit of time in the station forecourt where hundreds of fans will have already gathered. Someone will have set up a sound system nearby which is blasting out classic club songs. People will be meeting friends, eating, drinking beer, talking about the game ahead.

A little further from the station you go down a set of steps to catch the 301 tram towards the Veltins Arena. But don’t go all the way there straight away. Make sure you get off at a stop called Schalker Meile.

The Schalker Meile

Schalke was the name of the working class district of Gelsenkirchen where the club was born. Players and fans came from this area of town. This is where the miners and their families lived, worked and played. This is where Schalke’s first stadium – Glückauf-Kampfbahn was built. This is where the triumphs of the 1920s and 1930s were celebrated and talked about.

Since those heady days, everything has changed. Thanks to de-industrialisation the district has gone into steep decline and the thriving working-class community of old is no more. The club moved three kilometres to the north many years ago – first to the Parkstadion and more recently into the shiny new Veltins Arena. But many fans still cherish Schalke’s roots. They remember that Schalke is a place as well as a club. They lament the fact that you can support the modern Schalke 04 without ever setting foot in the part of town whose name the club carries and without knowing a thing about its origins and history.

In 2006 a group of fans got together to do something about this – to make sure that this part of town and its history do not get forgotten. They wanted to create a second royal blue haven.
And so the project Schalker Meile was born. The idea was to fill a stretch of the road between the old Schalker Markt and the original Glückauf stadium – the route once walked by hundreds of thousands of fans – with as many reminders of Schalke 04 as possible.
Electricity pylons are painted in the club colours and empty shop windows are decorated with signs. The branding and advertising of local businesses all reference the club. There is even a tram stop called ‘Schalker Meile’.

Building on the Schalker Meile draped in Schalke 04 flags
The Schalke fan club (90,000 members) runs a pub called ‘Auf Schalke’.
There is a fan shop next door.

A bit further on,  you pass the tobacconist shop run by former player Ernst Kuzorra until 1974when it was taken over by another Schalke legend – Reinhardt Libuda.

Schalke 04 fan shop on the Schalker Meile
Towards the end of the Meile and right next to the old stadium there is another pub called ‘das Bosch’. This is where the players used to drink. A sign indicates Ernst Kuzorra’s regular seat. Its now the home of a fan group called ‘ Kuzorra’s grandchildren’ as well as pub of choice of countless Schalke fans. It gets its name from the famous landlord Gerd Bosch. Although he died in 1998 none of his successors have dared to change the name.
The old Schalke 04 stadium
And finally you arrive at the old Glückauf-Kampfbahn. Although looking sadly run down, it is still in use for youth games.
On match days you will see hundreds of Schalke fans outside both pubs or just standing and talking ahead of the game. It is not difficult to imagine this street in the 1930s when Schalke were literally unbeatable at home, winning trophy after trophy for over a decade.

Don’t rush to get in the ground

You can get back on the 301 tram at the next stop. This will take you to the stadium.
Get off at the Veltins Arena stop and follow the flow of fans towards to ground. But don’t go thumb_P1020589_1024inside yet. If you have followed my advice and arrived extra early it won’t be open anyway, but even if it is, follow the pathways round to the left and walk through the training pitches. The fact that these are just open on match days for fans to wander around is remarkable in itself – but just as impressive is what is available for them. At the far side of the pitches there is a fan shop, of course, but also a huge bar with a massive outside area serving beer and sausages. The message from the club is clear – we value and welcome our fans.

thumb_P1020593_1024

Directly opposite the shop there is a wagon used to transport coal donated by a local mine.

 

 

thumb_P1020592_1024

 

Next to it is the Kumpelkiste. This is a collection point for donations of food and clothing to be passed on to people in need. ‘Kumpel’ is slang for pal or workmate. For me the two objects reveal not only a sense of history, but also a feeling of solidarity.

The Schalke Museum

Now make your way back to the stadium and go inside. Your ticket will tell you the best gate to enter by. But don’t go to your seat yet Go and find the Schalke Museum, which opens two hours ahead of kick-off. This is plenty of time to take a look at the club’s history. Even if you don’t speak a word of German, half an hour wandering amongst the displays will give you a feel for Schalke’s roots and go some way to explaining why fans are so passionate and proud. You will learn about the club’s beginnings in 1904 and its early struggle for stability. You find out that Schalke didn’t lose a single home game from 1933 to 1942, were unbeaten in six of those seasons and appeared in 14 out of 18 national finals . There is, of course, plenty of detail about all the silverware the club as gathered. There are pictures of Schalke greats like Ernst Kuzorra and Fritz Szepan. You can enter a ‘sitting room’ packed with memorabilia. TV screethumb_P1020613_1024ns show footage of games from the early days until the present. And if you enjoy nothing else in the museum, I guarantee you will be blown away by the view of the stadium from here, and which justifies the 5 euro entrance fee on its own.

 

Something to eat

Next, I suggest you have a beer and something to eat. Like most German stadiums, prices are really affordable and you can take you drink with you to your seat.

One thing that’s a bit thumb_P1020697_1024different at Schalke is that you can’t use cash. You have to go to one of the many kiosks and pick up and load a Knappenkarte. It then works just like a debit card – and if you don’t spend all the money on the card you can get it back before you leave.

Refreshed and fed, it’s time to go to your seat and enjoy the crowd. Notice how full the stands are and how much noise the fans are making well before kickoff. Don’t miss the pictures and names of great former players posted high up where everyone can see them.

An emotional moment

I think that what comes next is the most magical part of the Schalke experience. Just before the teams come out the entire crowd stands up to sing a slow, sad song called the Steigerlied (the miner’s song). It almost feels like you are in church. Everyone joins in and the emotion and respect are palpable. This song is a traditional mining song about a miner about to go down to the coalface. It’s been sung here, at other local grounds, and at political meetings for decades and is basically a tribute to the brave men who risked their lives and health every day to bring up the coal which powered German industry. These were the men who founded the club. This was the background of Schalke’s players and fans. To underline the message, black and white footage of miners at work is shown on the big screen. The song starts and ends with the words ‘Glück auf’, which is a traditional miners’ greeting recognised all over Germany. The words mean something like ‘Good luck and a safe return’, but the greeting evokes memories of harder times.
The message is clear : “Schalke might be the twelfth wealthiest football club in the world and play in one of Europe’s most modern stadiums but we have not forgotten our roots.”

The anthem

Then we get the Schalke Anthem : Blau und weiß wie lieb ich dich (blue and white how I love you). Again, everyone joins in noisily. Scarves and flags are waved and the emotion rises yet another notch. You can hear this song for yourself on YouTube.

A crowd in full voice

By now the players are out and the game will begin. Enjoy the sights and sounds of a 61,000 crowd in full voice. Notice the huge standing area behind one of the goals.
In the UK, there are quite often periods of quiet in a game. Crowds tend to shout and sing in response to the action on the pitch. In Germany this is always different – the ultras at the home end, choreographed and directed by people at the front with megaphones, make a noise from start to finish. The difference at Schalke is that there is noise for the entire game from all sides of the ground.

Songs and chants

If Schalke score the crowd will sing
Ein Leben lang
Blau und weiss ein Leben lang
Blaue und weiss ein Leben lang
Blaue und weiss ein Leben lang
A lifetime long
Blue and white a lifetime long …

You might also hear them singing :
FC Schalke mein verein
Ich steh immer für dich ein
Ob du gewinnst oder verlierst
Ich stehe immer hinter dir
FC Schalke my club
I will always stand up for you
Whether you win or lose
I will always be behind you

Don’t hurry home

Hopefully you will see lots of good football, an exciting game and a few goals. At the end of the game, don’t rush off. There’s a bit of a crush to get back on the tram to town, and the first trains out of Gelsenkirchen can be a bit crowded. So stay in your seat and watch the players come and thank the fans. Notice how many fans are still in the stands.
Why not then hang around the stadium for a while, have something to eat and drink along with the thousands of others who are still there.

Come and see for yourelf

I hope that this short article has inspired you come to the Veltins Arena and enjoy the full Schalke experience in person. I guarantee that you will not just attend an exciting sporting event. You will also witness and celebration of history, community and shared values.

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A visit to the Ruhr Museum

by | Jan 30, 2017 | German History, Travel in Germany

It might seem strange to write about a museum in a football blog.

I believe, however, that if you want to understand German football you need to know about where it came from.

The region of Germany bordered by the rivers Rhine, Ruhr and Lippe – the Ruhrgebiet – has had a huge impact on Germany’s history and its football. The mines of the Ruhrgebiet provided the coal that powered Germany’s industrial revolution. Its foundries produced the steel that was used to build the factories and machines. Its rivers and canals carried Germany’s products far and wide. Its people became know across the country for their toughness and capacity for hard work, and for their solidarity and strong sense of community.

For most of the last century the Ruhrgebiet was also the epicentre of German football.  Just like in the North East of England, or the central belt of Scotland, they said that all you had to do was whistle down a pit to call up yet another outstanding footballer.  Clubs from the Ruhrgebiet and its close neighbours totally dominated the game.  Their players were the nucleus of the national teams of the day. Even today this corner of Germany  continues to churn out top class players – Mezut Ozil, Manuel Neuer and Marco Reuss are just three very recent examples – and its football clubs continue to be massively important. Schalke 04 and BvB Dortmund are two of the biggest, most passionately followed football clubs in the world.  Clubs with long and proud traditions like VfL Bochum, Rot Weiss Essen, MSV Duisburg and SG Wattenscheidt  continue to attract thousands of super-loyal fans. Football is still a vital part of the Ruhrgebiet, and Ruhrgebiet football is a vital part of the national game. 

That’s why I recently took the 101 tram through the rainswept suburbs of Essen to the Ruhr Museum.  I wanted to find out more about the people of this region and  to better understand their history and culture

The history of a region

Based at the former Zollverein Coal Mine,  it covers the natural, political, cultural and industrial history of the Ruhr region from the formation of coal deposits over 300 million years ago right up to the present day.

It shows how this quiet rural backwater was transformed in a few decades into the largest industrial area in Europe, endured the cataclysmic consequences of two world wars, powered the German  economic miracle of the 1950s and survived post-industrial economic re-structuring to become the modern metropolis we know today.

The perfect site

The setting is perfect.  The Zollverein was one of Europe’s biggest mines, with a network of tunnels covering an area larger than a major city.  The huge above-ground complex is now a World Heritage Site and there is a fascinating tour between the gigantic buildings.  Although everything is now quiet, it is not difficult to imagine the noise and dirt that would have filled the air in its heyday.  And getting there requires you to travel through the parts of the city that would have housed the miners who  worked there.

The museum is housed in the coal washing plant. You take an elevator up 24 meters to reception before following the same route as the coal, starting at the top and working downwards. 

The present

The first section covers the region today.  Photographs and text describe different aspects of life and work in the Ruhrgebiet.  What comes across is a strong sense of local pride, not just in what was achieved in the past, but in the region today.  The exhibition also challenges the notion that the Ruhrgebiet is just about industry, noise and dirt, by showing many examples of open spaces, fresh air and fine scenery. The extraordinary diversity of its population and the richness of its culture also shines through.

The pre-industrial past

You then go down a floor to follow the pre-industrial story of the Ruhr region, before descending once again for the story of the story from industrialisation over 200 years ago to the present.

History

The exhibition describes clearly the explosive expansion of industry in the 19th century, the huge inward migration of workers and their families and the establishment and development of communities and towns.  The political turmoil, high unemployment, hyper-inflation and hardship of the years after the First World War are all explained really well.  The exhibition looks closely at the rise to power of the Nazis, the impact on communities and individuals of their actions and the disastrous consequences for the region of the Second World War.  The development of unions and political parties is covered well, and there is a wealth of information about how people lived, worked and played.

We then follow the story of the post-war recovery and the massive contribution made by the region to Germany’s the so-called Wirtschaftswunder (economic miracle).

Finally, we learn about the slow death of heavy industry and the subsequent economic restructuring.

The feel and smell of the past

Placing the museum inside a coal washing plant was a brilliant idea.  Although the exhibitions themselves are clean, bright and clear, their surroundings still have the feel and smell of heavy industry.  The museum has quite rightly left some of the huge machinery, and not tried to soften the hardness of the space.  This gritty environment  provides a compelling context for the museum’s content.

A view from the top

Something you really must do either at the start or the end of you visit is to go to the very top of the building from where you can see the entire Zollverein complex and the  skyline of Essen beyond.

Do I now understand more about German football?

I think so. 

I can see why football was able to flourish in the region and why it was so important to its communities, and I really appreciate why tradition is so important to German football fans.

Getting there :

The 107 tram from Essen station will take you straight to the museum.  The journey lasts about twenty minutes and you get off at “Zollverein”.  The complex is a few meters away and  is impossible to miss.

Finding out more

The museum has a website and Facebook page.  There is also a Facebook page about the Zollverein mine.

If you want to find out more about the region’s heritage, there is a tour of old industrial monuments.

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