Category: Dortmund

I had to discreetly take this photo as I didn’t want other visitors thinking that I was taking a photo of a brick from the Wankdorf Stadium. But, I think these things are interesting, a small reminder of what once was. It’s located in Switzerland (well, it was) but it’s relevant here as it’s where the ‘Miracle of Bern’ took place, a match where Germany won the 1954 World Cup against Hungary in what was something of a shock result. This game is an important part of German football history and it was also emotional as they were banned from taking part in the 1950 World Cup due to the Second World War situation, so it was something of a comeback. The stadium had been built in 1925, it was for a long time the largest stadium in Switzerland and it remained until 2001 when it was demolished and replaced with the Stade de Suisse. Who knew a bit of masonry could be so poignant?

And this post is more exciting as it might have first appeared as there’s more, here’s a seatback as well from the same stadium. I should probably get out more…. Although this isn’t exciting enough, my next post is a bit more mainstream and likely more interesting to German football fans….

I think that this might still be a live issue amongst German football fans…. The controversial goal scored by England in the World Cup Final in 1966 and whether the third goal for England actually crossed the line.

Of course it was a goal. I’m slightly surprised that I was one of 41%, I thought that there might be some bias creeping in here amongst German football fans.

Although I’ve to AI to ask what Google Gemini and ChatGPT thought….

Google Gemini said:

“So, the official answer from the time is “yes,” it was a goal, because the linesman said so. But if you’re asking about the scientific, pixel-by-pixel reality of it, most modern analyses say “no,” it wasn’t.”

ChatGPT said:

“Most likely, no, the ball didn’t fully cross the line—but it was given, and history was made.”

They’re both wrong obviously.

This exhibit at the German Football Museum is the original football (or one of them, I imagine they had hundreds) from the 1972 Olympic Games, the ones which were meant to be known as the ‘cheerful games’ until there was a terrorist attack on the Israeli team which rather deflated matters to say the least. The great country of Poland won those Olympic Games, the only time that they’ve won the football tournament. British players don’t take part due to a panic amongst the FA that it might jeopardise the situation that Wales, England, Scotland and Northern Ireland all play as independent teams in European and World competitions, whereas we’d have to submit a British team for the Olympics. The FA do somewhat panic, they did manage to submit a team for the 2012 Olympics Games when they were in London, I’m sure that they could cobble something together. If not, perhaps we should just enter some random players from the lower leagues, give them a nice kick about.

In the first of (yet) another series, I’ve been to the German Football Museum today and there were many exhibits that I thought were noteworthy. This one is British from 1917 and it was designed to mock the Germans during the First World War, with ten enemy soldiers forming obstacles for the ball which has to be guided into the mouth of Kaiser Wilhelm II. Mimicking the western front, the obstacles included von Hindenburg at Inside Right, von der Goltz at Right Half and Count Zeppelin at Right Back. I rather like the ‘British Design’ and it’s a quirky little item to have in a German football museum.

This historic bar is located in the Gänsemarkt, formerly the Goose Market, and it’s a Kneipe or a bar which doesn’t serve hot food. There was a spacious outdoor drinking area which I ignored as I made my way inside and it’s relatively small inside, but it felt like it had some character.

It had a traditional and authentic feel to it, but I just needed somewhere to visit that wasn’t insanely hot. I couldn’t be dealing with Germany’s backwards approach to cards, so I had got some cash out to make matters easier for me. The welcome at the bar was friendly, but there were no beer pumps or signage visible, but my request for a beer was accepted readily with no further questions. Well, there was a question of small or large, but I could deal with that one. I think it usually attracts some of the local sporting crowd who watch football, but that seemed to be true for nearly every bar that I’ve seen so far. I’m guessing that football is very important around here.

The beer here is the local Thier Pils from Dortmunder Actien-Brauerei. It’s a traditional local Pils and Dortmund beers have something of a unique taste and it was refreshing if not particularly innovative. But, if I’m being honest, German beer is usually not burdened by the need to be innovative, it’s meant to be robust and consistent I think.

It’s a handy little location and I liked the distinction between bar and restaurant, which I often find is a little blurred. This place was primarily about the beer, although other drinks are available, and that made matters much easier. The service was friendly and I thought that the price of €4.60 for the beer was reasonable, so just over £4. I didn’t try to pay by card, but that seems a good call as I’ve noticed that some reviews mutter on that they accept cash only.

I wondered about this buffalo which looked a little lost when I saw it earlier, but Dortmund is twinned with Buffalo, New York (and indeed also with Leeds and some other cities around the world) and to mark 1,100 years of Dortmund the American city sent them this bronze bison.

It was installed here in 1982 and was meant to reflect the partnership between the two cities. The date of 882 is when the city was first mentioned and that is when it was referenced in the documents of Werden Abbey, although it’s thought that it had been going for longer than that. But, sometimes a line just has to be drawn in the sand.

The text reads:

“The Buffalo Bison. A gift from the citizens of the City of Buffalo for the 1100th anniversary of the City of Dortmund”

Incidentally, I note that Leeds didn’t send a statue of a Yorkshire terrier.