The long journey of German football: From a new beginning to the World Cup!

The long journey of German football: From a new beginning to the World Cup!

In the post-war period, football in Germany experienced a considerable boom, which was deeply rooted in social upheavals. In 1945, just a few months after the end of the Second World War, new paths were broken everywhere. In this charged atmosphere, the provisional chairman of FC Bayern, Xaver Heilmannseder, organized several friendly games in Munich despite the Allied restrictions. This led to his arrest by the American military authorities because organizations close to the NSDAP had been dissolved, as WDR reports.

However, the need for a sporting restart became apparent, because in the American occupied zone, football quickly became a moral support for the suffering population. On November 4, 1945, the newly founded Oberliga Süd began operations, which consisted of 16 clubs from ten southern German cities. Despite adversities such as a lack of equipment, the league was a resounding success. Thousands of spectators flocked to the games; the 1946 season finale even attracted 50,000 visitors.

Football between occupied zones

However, the situation in the different occupation zones was different. While old club structures were permitted again in the British and French occupation zones, footballers in the Soviet zone were initially only allowed to form sports communities in their residential areas. Helmut Schön, a former national player, played a key role in this difficult political situation. Schön, who was born in Dresden on September 15, 1915, made a name for himself not only as a player, but later also as a coach. His career took him from SG Dresden-Friedrichstadt to Hertha BSC, while he coached a selection team from the Soviet zone as early as 1949. In order to free himself from political influence, he moved to West Berlin in 1950, as Wikipedia explains.

In October 1948, international city games took place between selection teams from southern Germany and Switzerland, which were met with international outrage. Critics believed it was too early for German teams to play against other nations again. Amid this challenge, Peco Bauwens, a former referee and DFB representative, called for a quick return of the DFB to FIFA.

The resurgence of the DFB

The DFB was finally re-established in January 1950 and rejoined FIFA in September of the same year. At this time, former NSDAP members also sat on the DFB board, including Hermann Gösmann, a man who had already joined the NSDAP in 1937. But the dark past was soon outshone by sporting successes. The German World Cup title in 1954 and the so-called “Miracle of Bern” are often seen as a turning point in the history of German football.

Schön, who worked as national coach from 1964, led the national team to notable successes, including the 1974 World Cup. He proved to be a great supporter of young talents such as Franz Beckenbauer and Gerd Müller, thereby laying the foundation for the excellent phase that the German national football team experienced. Later, women were also celebrated in German football. In 1970, women's football was officially included in the statutes of the DFB and the team secured numerous titles, which underlines the diversity and importance of football in Germany, as Deutschland.de makes clear.