Hellmuth Karasek on the new "four-feeling" | Why I have a
I am a soccer patriot
In 1954, which is now pretty much sixty years ago, Germany became soccer world champion for the first time. That was in Bern, which is why this first world championship was later called "The Miracle of Bern".
I was twenty. Televisions were still rare back then, thick, small devices, over which an indistinct black-and-white picture flickered in a drizzly manner. I was studying in Tubingen and saw a pub on an arterial road, in front of which was written in clumsy letters on a cardboard: Here soccer world championship! Television!
Germany became world champion for the first time. Only nine years after the totally lost war that had plunged Germany into misery and disgrace.
Actually, Germany did not exist either. There was the Federal Republic and the "GDR", the so-called, which was called SBZ in the West. I was a zone refugee in the West, a republic refugee in the East. But suddenly black-red-gold flags were flying.
Germany in title frenzy
Four stars, four titles, four times world champion! Germany celebrates its "four" feeling – read why that is just as true.
"We" were world champions and for the first time there was a reason for me to be proud of the Germans, including divided Germany. That’s when my first patriotism was born. It was a soccer patriotism that was to prove as proud as the constitutional patriotism that prevailed in the divided Germany in the West.
1974, thus twenty years later, became the long politically and economically strengthened Federal Republic for the second time world champion. In Munich. The GDR played along, there were two German states. The GDR had beaten "us," who stubbornly called them the FRG, on the way to the World Cup in Hamburg. Beckenbauer spat on the Hamburg turf where the "disgrace" had taken place. Then we triumphantly beat Holland 2:1. And floated in the sky.
Also interesting
I was teaching college in Middlebury at the time. The games were not broadcast in the USA. So I rented a car and drove five and a half hours to Montreal, Canada, that Sunday, and five and a half hours back to college after the game. This was my soccer patriotic contribution.
Berlin celebrates World Cup heroes
The celebration marathon for our world champions goes on and on! Jogi’s boys come with the cup to the fan mile in Berlin. Here all info in the live ticker.
Soccer, that was our thing, that of the free Germans, who distinguished themselves from the zone Germans by winning soccer matches. The "GDR" triumphed with iron discipline at the Olympics. In addition to discipline through anabolic steroids and ideology. "We" were the soccer nation and tennis nation. Those who lived in the GDR were only allowed to secretly and subversively rejoice in the soccer victories in Europe and in the international Champions League battles. It was subversive to rave about Germany’s soccer, which was West Germany’s, in the GDR.
In 1990, we were almost reunited, we became world champions for the third time under Beckenbauer. East German Sammer hasn’t played for "us" yet. But Ballack later became the successful captain of the all-German national team as an Ossi.
We came second or third, but never first, in a long period when Germany’s soccer matured but never made it to the European Championship, let alone the World Cup.
The night of nights
What a night, what a soccer festival! Despite rain, hundreds of thousands of fans celebrated Jogi’s boys in the World Cup final.
In 2006, the summer fairy tale took place in Germany. A sea of black-red-gold flags, a blissful rush of public viewing, a nation in blissful unity of soccer communities from all over the world – just a summer fairy tale. But it was not enough to win. We were defeated by Italy.
The Italians became world champions in a messy match against France. Third place was played for before the final in Stuttgart. From then on, we were "world champions of hearts," a corny flattery with many grains of truth.
Yes, and now Brazil. I remember how I had hoped for Germany before the games, but never, never, not for a moment believed in a World Cup title. Had dared to believe. In South America?! Never!
Never before has a European team been able to win there! Against Brazil?! Unthinkable in the heart of soccer, at the feet of Christ spreading his blessing arms over the Brazilians on Corcovado Mountain.
Federal President in Rio
Joachim Gauck with a beer cooler in the World Cup booth after the final: BILD explains why the German president is suddenly in such a good mood.
And now! "We" are world champions. The fourth star is here. We performed magic and won fantastically against the hosts, 7:1. An unprecedented triumph in a World Cup. And we won practically in the last minute of extra time with a dream goal after a fighting, exciting game.
How nice it is that my soccer patriotism was proven right in such a beautiful way. In the cheering compatriots of the fan mile, in the tooting and bawling columns of the autocorsi. In the jubilant celebrations of soccer night, the nation came together in one celebration of joy.