On Wednesday, March 8th, I attended the Borussia Dortmund-SL Benfica Champions League match contested at the Westfallenstadion in Dortmund. You can read about my experience here if you haven’t already. In this follow-up post, I aim to review my visit to the German Football Museum, which occurred in the following morning.
On Thursday, with a few hours to spare, the grey weather persisting and the harbinger of a few showers, I mulled over two options: take the metro to the Westfallenpark, check the scenery and visit the Borusseum, Borussia’s museum, or, in alternative, clamp down in the brand-new building located just a few steps away, which catches the eye as soon as you leave Dortmund’s Hbf. You can guess where this is going.
The facade of the German Football Museum
Since 2015, after beating thirteen other German cities for the honour, Dortmund has the privilege of being the home site of the Deutsches Fußballmuseum (German Football Museum), established by the Deutscher Fußball-Bund (German Football Federation, DFB) with the profits of the 2006 World Cup.
While I hold no close ties or special esteem for any German club or Die Mannschaft, I’m still an irredeemable football nerd, therefore I relished the chance to visit the museum of the world’s largest single-sport federation, comprising more than 25,000 clubs and 6.8 million members. Even so, I certainly flinched at the 17€ entrance toll. The museum had a lot to live up to in order to justify the price of admission, but I definitely didn’t exit dissatisfied some three hours later.
Visitors are welcomed to the venue by a rising illustration along the escalators of German football fans from all creeds and provenances, including an exulting Angela Merkel, and you quickly reach the first floor, entirely dedicated to the national teams and the Federation’s history.
The starting point is a section dedicated to the 1954 World Cup winning team, who authored the “Miracle of Bern” to defeat the mighty Hungarians, but you soon get acquainted with a timeline describing the 117 years of the German Federation.
I was looking forward to see how they would deal with the Nazi years and came pleasantly surprised. No bleach was used and you learn in detail, with documentation and news reports, how the societal and political developments affected the structure of the sport in Germany. You can read not only about the restrictions imposed by the Nazi regime, but also about the persecutions to Jewish players, from which Julius Hirsch, a German international who would perish in Auschwitz, is the banner name.
The Tribute to the “Kaiser”
Moving on, the most memorable moments in Germany’s national team history take center stage. The 1974 World Cup title conquered on home soil against Johan Cruijff’s Netherlands. The clash with Maradona’s Argentina at Italy 90, where Franz Beckenbauer became the first man to win the World Cup both as a player and coach. The “Kaiser” merited his own tribute, shaped in the form of his iconic Number 5, but not only the greatest triumphs are celebrated in this space.
There’s an area dedicated to the “Game of the Century”, the 1970 semi-final clash in Mexico where Italy defeat West Germany by 4-3, and an amusing board remembering the polemic goal by Geoff Hurst which propelled England to victory at the 1966 World Cup Final. A forensic investigation was launched to comprehend whether the ball fell past the goal line or not, and visitors are invited to share their opinion. I voted YES, yet the NO’s advantage isn’t as big as you might think (something like 60 to 40). I suppose Dortmund gets more foreign visitors than I thought…
Investigating Geoff Hurst’s goal at Wembley in 1966
I was happy to notice women’s football gets a fair recognition in the museum, including an exhibit of the trophies won by the National team, some historical jerseys and remarks about the evolution of the female game and the success achieved by German clubs internationally.
The ladies have their due share of the spotlight
The history of East Germany’s football, its clubs and the confronts between the East and West representations, is also part of the museum and, as we move into the XXI century, the tremendous investment made by the DFB on youth academies and talent development in the early 2000’s jumps to the forefront, disembarking on an area dominated by the 2014 World Cup triumph (Remember Paul, the Octopus?).
The monumental 7-1 thumping of Brazil doesn’t get as much buzz as I would like, but I understand they have to prioritize the events on the Final against Argentina. You get a detailed breakdown of the action during the 120 minutes and Mario Götze’s tournament-winning volley, before guests are invited to a 3D video presentation.
Every aspect of the 2014 World Cup Final is dissected to the limit
This is where the heroes of 2014 run the show. The hologram of Bastian Schweinsteiger, draped in the German flag, is the first to appear, and he is soon joined by Captain Philip Lahm to reminisce on the journey in Brazil, from the first days in the seaside training camp resort in Salvador to the final at Maracanã Stadium. Mats Hümmels and Thomas Müller keep the ball rolling, with an exchange probably filmed before they became club buddies, and later Manuel Neuer, recapping his sensational sweeper performance against Algeria, and the inevitable Götze also make glossy cameos.
By this time, the former German World Cup teams have been immortalized, and the movie ends with the band chirping a cheery Christoph Kramer, who you may remember as the guy who lost his memory and had to be subbed out in the Final. I watched the German-speaking version (couldn’t wait for the English subtitles) but was still able to pick up on the banter thrown around, which resonated well with the locals.
The World Cup trophy up close
After the presentation, you’re ushered onto the ground floor to get introduced to the Jules Rimet Trophy and the Henri Delaunay Cup. Or, for the initiated, the World Cup and European Championships trophies won by the men’s national team. From then on, the focus shifts to all other facets of the beautiful game, duly enriched by tons of interactive panels and videos.
You can learn, for example, about the coaches that shaped German football and their tactical advancements, the legendary German broadcasters, the history of club football in the country, from the first competitions to the formation and emancipation of the Bundesliga, the football fans and its myriad traditions and idiosyncrasies, or the evolution of German stadiums. Before leaving, you’re allowed to explore and seat on a replica of the bus used by the reigning World Champions, and exercise on the small multiple purpose arena and adjoined play zone.
Memorabilia abounds at the museum
In short, the German Football museum is a comprehensive football experience that is sure to please travelling enthusiasts with a desire to explore, learn about or study the game. If you meet the requirements, take the plunge and I believe you’ll depart after a few hours well spent.
Wheeling a round puck 