October 2019 The Times 5

Subway series Berlin finally has two clubs in the : Hertha BSC and 1. FC Union. Does this mean the city is on its way to becoming a global soccer capital on par with Madrid, London and Milan?

highly popular club from the east Seier, who is now 60, recalls a self-image it has enjoyed since an underdog in the GDR’s upper In many ways, the two fan BY MICHAEL JAHN side of Berlin, and Hertha BSC, that moment with a smile: “It the 1920s and 1930s. After all, league. Indeed, Union’s greatest groups were never as close as an old stalwart once based in was a very big event in my life, the team under club icon Hanne foe was BFC Dynamo, the Berlin- during the era when the Berlin his summer, two major the worker’s district of Wedding truly the fulfillment of a dream. Sobek managed to reach the based soccer club that enjoyed Wall stood firm and seemingly events caused a sensation and most recently anchored in For the very first time, I was finals of the German Champion- state support and pampering eternal. Indeed, only a few Tin the world of soccer in the bourgeois western district of standing on the grass in the huge ships six years in a row, and on from East German security forces. months after that big match Berlin and throughout the coun- Charlottenburg. In other words, Olympic Stadium and was just two occasions was victorious. Hertha fans often traveled to the at Olympic stadium in Janu- try. First up was the fact that 1. these are two clubs with highly totally amazed at the incredible Since those glory days, the club Alte Försterei in the east to shout ary 1990, the alienation began. FC Union, the eternal second- different origins, histories and panorama. At the time, I had to has experienced a number of defiantly and in unison: “Eisern soccer fans became division club from the eastern messages. ask myself: Is this real or am I major breaks and fractures, much Berlin!” (Iron Berlin) and “Es gibt preoccupied with things bigger Berlin district of Köpenick, finally From 1961 to 1989, both clubs dreaming?” like the city of Berlin. nur zwei Meister an der Spree – than soccer. They were strug- made it to the Bundesliga, thus went through dif- Union und Hertha gling with new social demands becoming the second Berlin team ferent phases of BSC!“ (There are and “forced to learn the world in the league’s top tier. The city- existence in a only two champions anew,” says one Hertha fan, wide celebrations surrounding city divided by on the Spree, Union who still has friends at the Alte the ascent of the “Unioners” were the world’s most HILSE DPA/ANNEGRET and Hertha BSC). Försterei. almost as euphoric as FC Liver- famous concrete For Union has started displaying pool’s triumphant revelry after wall. The teams fans, the trip to a great deal of confidence, and winning the Champions League. were often sympa- Köpenick was cer- rightfully so, beating the top In Berlin, the jubilation lasted for thetic toward each tainly an adventure, team Borussia in just days, with a procession of ships other, sometimes a thrill ride of sorts. their second game in the Bundes- on the River Spree marking one paying little atten- It was a journey into liga in late August. The club is of the emotional highlights. tion to one another, another world. Both riding a wave of euphoria from The second event took place and on occasion had fan groups espoused its rise to the top league. In the over at Berlin’s other Bundesliga an active mutual dis- a joint dislike and past two months alone, the club team, Hertha BSC, where the like for the other. rejection of state has registered thousands of new 127-year-old club – German cham- Today’s dynamic is restrictions, which supporters, and the association pions in 1930 and 1931 and the shaping up to be a was likely an impor- now has a good 31,000 members. undisputed top team in Berlin’s healthy rivalry. tant impetus for the At the Alte Försterei, they con- soccer universe until now – cel- To be sure, there is teams’ nascent fan tinue to project the image of a ebrated a financial coup. The club a great deal of sym- friendship. “somewhat different club” – one announced that it had success- bolism in that fact In turn, Union that resists what they see as the fully attracted entrepreneur Lars that this season – 30 supporters made total commercialization of the Windhorst, 42, as a new investor years after the fall of their way to Hertha sport. We’ll see how far this and strategic partner. Celebrated the – the games in social- approach takes them in the hard- as a Wunderkind during the era of two clubs will play ist countries, that hitting world of big-money pro- Chancellor Helmut Kohl (CDU), against each other is, to international fessional soccer. Windhorst has founded both suc- twice in the top-tier duels in Prague and In contrast, Hertha BSC, which cessful and unsuccessful compa- Bundesliga. This Plovdiv, where they currently comprises 36,500 club nies and always managed to land has never happened joined with their members, is performing that dif- on his feet. before. Hertha friends to ficult balancing act of managing And now, with the help of his The first cross- form an ideologi- modernity and tradition. They global investment firm Tennor town derby will take cally diverse yet certainly want to defend their Holding B.V., Windhorst was set place in November athletically unified status as the number one club in to fill Hertha’s coffers with €125 at the Alte Försterei, wave of support. Berlin, and to win both of this million, acquiring in return a home of 1. FC This occurred, for year’s derbies against Union. 37.5-percent share in Hertha BSC Union. This event example, in 1978 The two team captains from GmbH & Co. KGaA. Windhorst will no doubt elec- and 1979, when 1990, Olaf Seier and Dirk Grei- is eager to finally make a “big-city trify the capital. Hertha made it to ser, are looking forward to these player” out of Hertha, he argued, When that day the semi-finals of two soccer encounters. In recog- perhaps as big as Paris Saint- comes, there is the UEFA Cup. nition of his services to Union, Germain and Arsenal in London. one famous photo But the peak of the Seier has the privilege of a season It’s an ambitious goal – and most almost guaranteed Hertha-Union fan ticket for life, which means he’s likely still a long way off. to be printed in friendship came in certain to be watching from the And yet: Does this mean that many . April 1978 at one stands. Greiser likes to talk of Berlin is on its way to becom- The photo shows of the so-called a “healthy rivalry in a big city,” ing a globally recognized and the historic hand- German-German claiming: “The most important respected soccer city on par with shake between two encounters, in this thing is that both clubs meet Madrid, London and Milan? professional soccer Heads up: With Hertha and Union now in the Bundesliga, Berlin could become the nation’s soccer capital, too. case Dynamo Dres- one another with respect.” Let’s At least the first step has been players, Union cap- den hosting Hertha hope this cross-town esteem is taken. This Bundesliga season tain Olaf Seier and Hertha cap- Greiser, who is now 56, also has The people most affected by Berlin for a test match. Long the prevailing sentiment for the marks the first time in 43 years tain Dirk Greiser, at the “reunifi- fond memories of the day: “For these events were the fans them- convoys of East German Tra- season, regardless of who wins that the capital has two teams cation game” at Olympic Stadium me, it was quite an extraordinary selves. While the Berlin Wall bants and Wartburgs set off on the derbies. playing in the top league. The last in January 1990, which Hertha and moving experience at a very still stood, Hertha lost many of highways to . East Berlin time that happened was in the won 2:1. On that day, over 51,000 turbulent time. We were able its fans from the east of the city, fans, many of them followers Michael Jahn covered Hertha 1976/77 season, when Hertha BSC fans from both clubs celebrated to get to know the players from who had to watch West Berlin of 1. FC Union, were eager to at the Berliner Zeitung for and Tennis Borussia were among their teams and themselves in the Köpenick and really enjoyed television if they wanted to catch a glimpse of Hertha BSC. more than 20 years. He the national elite, of course both stands. The Berlin Wall had fallen playing the game together.” watch their team. In May 1979, there was a return now writes a column for that under the name from the west side of the city. only a couple of months prior and Until today, Hertha BSC saw Hertha fans showed as much sol- leg at Olympic Stadium in Berlin. Ha-Ho-He, a popular Hertha Today, however, the cross-town the entire city was in a state of itself as the biggest and most idarity as they could with the fans Dresden won both bouts by a club chant. duel is between 1. FC Union, a both chaos and euphoria. important soccer club in Berlin, of 1. FC Union, a club many saw as score of 1:0.

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