EN
DE
HALL OF FAME
The greatest legends of German football united in one place for the first time - at the initiative of the German Football Museum, a group of leading sportswriters selected the inaugural teams of the German football HALL OF FAME. The Hall of Fame has formed part of the permanent exhibition in Dortmund since April 2019.
Eight of the twelve members of the men's inaugural team attended the HALL OF FAME induction ceremony in Dortmund. A memorable evening in the presence of additional big-name celebrities from sport and society such as Philipp Lahm, Jean-Marie Pfaff, Thomas Gottschalk, Heino and Mark Forster. In a very personal welcome speech, North Rhine-Westphalia state premier Armin Laschet recalled the admiration he felt in his youth for the legends of football. A total of 400 invited guests turned the gala into a social happening.
Members
The exhibition at the German Football Museum
The HALL OF FAME at the German Football Museum is state-of-the-art, yet designed with a timeless aesthetic and an artistic and multimedia concept. A light art installation, staged with sounds and audio and featuring the faces of the HALL OF FAME members, creates a magical portrayal of Germany’s greatest football personalities, with the projected faces of the players and managers moving mythically through the space.
The inducted HALL OF FAME members receive further media recognition through a large-scale media installation featuring six projection screens in a separate exhibition space. The artistic presentation of the players and coaches can be experienced as a system of movement and change, allowing for the ongoing expansion of the HALL OF FAME with new figures.
The concept behind the HALL OF FAME
The German Football Hall of Fame aims to honour outstanding players and managers from German men’s and women’s football and to enshrine them in the historical consciousness of the sport in Germany. Inductees into the Hall of Fame are selected by a jury comprising leading German sports journalists and the museum director.
The HALL OF FAME is supported by the German Football Museum, which is committed to providing national football and its outstanding figures with a permanent and fitting place of remembrance. New members are inducted into the HALL OF FAME once a year at a ceremonial gala.
To mark the founding of the HALL OF FAME, the jury initially selected eleven men and eleven women, as well as one male and one female coach from each founding team. The founding teams were nominated according to positions and a specified formation (3-4-3).
In principle, German figures from men’s and women’s football from 1900 to the present day who have retired from their careers for at least five years are eligible for nomination. Particular consideration is given to outstanding performances in the national team before and after the war, in the former GDR national team, and in national and international club football.
The jury for the German Football Hall of Fame
- Dirk Adam (Sports Illustrated Germany)
- Frederik Ahrens (Hamburger Morgenpost)
- Gernot Bauer (ProSiebenSat.1)
- Michael Bracher (DAZN)
- Gianni Costa (Rheinische Post)
- Alfred Draxler (BILD)
- Ralph Durry (SID)
- Stefan Frommann (WELT/WELT am SONNTAG)
- Thomas Fuhrmann (ZDF)
- Pit Gottschalk (Fever Pit'ch)
- Anno Hecker (Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung)
- Christian Hollmann (dpa)
- Jörg Jakob (kicker)
- André Keil (VDS)
- Erich Laaser (VDS)
- Alexander Laux (Hamburger Abendblatt)
- Christian Löer (Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger)
- Tino Meyer (Sächsische Zeitung)
- Peter Müller (FUNKE Sport)
- Mario Nauen (Sky)
- Manuel Neukirchner (German Football Museum)
- Heiko Ostendorp (RND)
- Karsten Prehn (Amazon Prime)
- Dirk Preiß (Stuttgarter Zeitung/News)
- Astrid Rawohl (Deutschlandfunk)
- Thomas Schulzke (Ruhr Nachrichten)
- Dirc Seemann (Sport1)
- Steffen Simon (DFB)
- Karl Valks (WDR)
- Claus Vetter (Der Tagesspiegel)
- Martin Volkmar (ran)
- Andreas von Thien (RTL)
- Mark Weishaupt (Saarbrücker Zeitung)
- Sebastian Weßling (Funke Medien)
Frequently Asked Questions about the HALL OF FAME
What is the capacity of the HOF?
There are no spatial limitations. A specially designed light art installation featuring the heads of the Hall of Famers creates a magical-looking display in which the faces of the players and coaches move mythically through the room.
How often are new members admitted to the HOF?
Each year, the jury decides on a limited number of new admissions, regardless of a specific playing position.
What criteria must a player meet to be inducted into the HALL OF FAME?
The selection comprises German figures from men’s and women’s football from 1900 to the present day, who must have retired from the sport at least five years ago. Particular consideration is given to outstanding performances for the national team before and after the war, for the former East German national team, and in national and international club football.
Who selected the players?
A jury comprising 27 sports editors from renowned German media organisations and museum director Manuel Neukirchner voted to select the HOF players.
What is the line-up of each starting XI?
The HOF’s inaugural teams are based on the 3-4-3 formation. Accordingly, there were three positions available in defence, four in midfield and three in attack. In addition, a vote was held to select one player for the goalkeeper position and one coach.
Where is the HALL OF FAME based?
The HOF forms part of the permanent exhibition at the German Football Museum in Dortmund. Admission is included when you purchase a day ticket.
Since when has the German Football Hall of Fame been in existence?
The German Football Hall of Fame (HOF) was founded on the initiative of the German Football Museum. The selection of the men’s inaugural team took place on 20 November 2018. The women’s inaugural team was announced on 31 January 2019. The Hall of Fame was officially opened on 1 April 2019 with a gala in Dortmund.
