Football in the Ruhr region – what does it actually look like? Like a yellow wall, a sea of blue-and-white flags, or perhaps like soot-black miners standing on red ash? One thing is certain: the legend is a mosaic made up of many individual images. Over the past few months, the German Football Museum in Dortmund and the Ruhr Museum at the Zollverein UNESCO World Heritage Site in Essen have brought together exactly 443 of these images and used them to create a special exhibition – the first comprehensive showcase of football in the Ruhr region.
The photographs, spanning past and present, are organised into eleven thematic sections and come from both renowned and lesser-known photographers, who approach the myth and modernity of the region’s football from different angles. Added to this is the individual perspective of the exhibition visitors. Memories are evoked of that first visit to the stadium, of childhood idols, of triumphs and tragedies, of moments of special solidarity, and of a way of life that is still nourished today by the rhythm of match days.

The exhibition organised by the German Football Museum and the Ruhr Museum is the first special photographic exhibition on the history of football in the Ruhr region. More than 450 classic as well as previously unseen football images come from the Ruhr Museum’s extensive photographic archive, as well as from well-known photographers such as Andreas Gursky and Roland Wirtz, from renowned photo agencies and from the archives of towns and clubs. The two eras – ‘Myth’ and ‘Modernity’ – are each presented and contrasted across eleven themes: Way of Life, On the Pitch, Regional Derbies, Triumphs and Tragedies, Legends and Idols, Venues, A Visit to the Stadium, On Cinder Pitches, On the Sidelines, Solidarity and Commercialisation.

Children on fields with makeshift goals set against the backdrop of industrial wastelands, fans on their way to the stadium at the Trinkhalle – the interplay between people, landscape and regional landmarks creates an image in which nostalgia and present-day enthusiasm merge. Against this backdrop, myth and modernity are not opposites, but – together with the viewer’s individual perspective – create a vibrant kaleidoscope of football in the Ruhr region. In a side gallery, the German Football Museum also displays key exhibits on the theme from its permanent exhibition, including Helmut Rahn’s original shirt from the 1954 World Cup final.

Prof. Heinrich Theodor Grütter, Director of the Ruhr Museum and a member of the Board of the Zollverein Foundation: “Through a series of fascinating photographs, our exhibition showcases the past and present of one of the most exciting football regions in Germany.”
Manuel Neukirchner, Director of the German Football Museum: “Science, culture, technology and innovation are the major drivers and sources of vision for a region which – as our photographic exhibition also impressively documents – has transformed and redefined itself over the past decades. Football, as a source of identity, has become a reliable constant in this process. It is there for the people, particularly in the Ruhr conurbation with its diverse forms of cultural exchange and its population of around five million people from 170 nations.”
Otto Rehhagel (legendary manager): “There is no future without a past. The 1954 World Cup winners led by Helmut Rahn were the idols of my youth. I was determined to emulate them.”
Bernard Dietz (1980 European Champion): “As children, we were always chasing after the ball. And whenever I was taken to the stadium, I’d think afterwards every single time: to play football in front of so many people just once – that would be it. The fact that I managed to do that as a little boy from Bockum-Hövel makes me proud.”
Hermann Gerland (legendary manager): “I’m always drawn back to the Ruhr region because it’s the most beautiful place. Football has been more successful elsewhere in recent years. As children from the Ruhr region, there used to be nothing better for us than playing football.”

On 7 May 2023, numerous icons of Ruhr football and representatives from the worlds of sport, politics and culture opened the new special exhibition. Read a report on the evening here.

Essen’s Lord Mayor, Thomas Kufen, had a good nose for things. “This is going to be a perfect Ruhr evening.” Shortly before, the Ruhrkohle Choir had given a rousing rendition of the ‘Steigerlied’ to kick off the atmospheric event. And now, “the prospect of a currywurst” and football as the central topic of conversation prompted the mayor to express his optimistic view of what lay ahead. The atmosphere did the rest. Against the impressive backdrop of the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, 700 invited guests had gathered to celebrate the opening of the special exhibition ‘Myth and Modernity. Football in the Ruhr Region’.
Whilst the many BVB supporters in Hall 5 of the impressive site had hoped that the day’s Ruhr football news would also send the mood soaring, they certainly hadn’t expected it to do so to such an extent. Presenter Sven Pistor, well-known from the WDR 2 programme ‘Liga live’, had asked that the half-time scores from Signal Iduna Park be announced even whilst the stage programme was underway, as Dortmund were aiming to keep their title hopes alive in their match against VfL Wolfsburg at the same time. As is well known, this was achieved in impressive fashion, which is why the cry of “Goal!” rang out through the hall several times until the final score of 6–0.

Naturally, this was much to the delight of Dortmund’s Lord Mayor Thomas Westphal, who, caught up in the euphoria, issued a remarkable invitation: “If FC Schalke secure a victory against Bayern next week and thereby ensure that BVB are crowned German champions, I invite the current Schalke squad to sign the Golden Book of the City of Dortmund.” In doing so, he referred to the historical precedent for this gesture: “When Schalke became German champions for the first time in 1934, the team stopped off in Dortmund for a reception at the town hall on their return journey from Berlin, where the final had been played.” This served to bridge the gap to the exhibition’s theme, “Myth and Modernity”.
Symbolising this was another match result from that day, which Sven Pistor was able to announce: Spvgg. Erkenschwick, once one of the great clubs of the legendary Oberliga West in the 1950s, had all but secured promotion to the Oberliga – now the fifth tier – with a 3–0 victory over Borussia Emsdetten that afternoon. Erkenschwick, which epitomises the close symbiosis between mining and football, a topic Manuel Neukirchner addressed in his introductory talk. The director of the German Football Museum recalled the Ruhr region’s great football idols, Ernst Kuzorra and Helmut Rahn, who both grew up in mining families and experienced the gruelling work underground for themselves. “The coal mines,” said Neukirchner, “were the major supporters, providing pitches, shirts and balls so that the miners could show their solidarity above ground too. After a hard day’s work, the second shift began – on the grass or cinder pitches and in the stands, where the large family of football-playing miners would gather. In the shadow of the mine shafts, the clubs were formed, and the pit became their home: ‘Zeche Emscher’ for Rot-Weiss Essen, ‘Consolidation’ for Schalke, ‘Mont Cenis’ for SV Sodingen, ‘Zollverein’ for Sportfreunde Katernberg, and ‘Nordstern’ for the ‘Emscherhusaren’ of STV Horst.” And the ‘Ewald Fortsetzung Colliery’ for Svgg. Erkenschwick. In his welcome address, Ruhr Museum Director Professor Heinrich Theodor Grütter evoked those times once more, stating: “The heart of football will finally be beating in the Ruhr region once more if FC Schalke and VfL Bochum avoid relegation and BVB become German champions.” Theo Grütter has presided over countless exhibition openings. “When it comes to football, routine quickly gives way to a special sense of emotion.” DFB President Bernd Neuendorf kept his eye on the bigger picture, not least by virtue of his office: “The top three leagues, which naturally attract a great deal of attention, comprise just 56 teams. At grassroots level, however, we have over 24,000 clubs, in which countless people volunteer their time. We can be very proud of that, especially here in the Ruhr conurbation.” Using football as a means of support, particularly for the development of young people, is the aim of Bärbel Bergerhoff-Wodopia, a board member of the RAG Foundation. “Just like dealing with the consequences of mining, supporting children and young people is a lifelong task. And football plays an important role in this; it has a unique ability to engage young people and convey to them that it is not the individual who wins, but that success is a team effort.” It was ultimately left to Ina Brandes, Minister for Culture and Science for the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, to specifically spark curiosity and anticipation for the special exhibition. “I am happy to support cultural events that benefit as many people as possible. That is certainly the case with this photographic exhibition, in which different generations can see themselves reflected.”
And then the proceedings moved over to the former coal-washing plant at the Zollverein Coal Mine Industrial Complex, where the special exhibition is housed. And right in the midst of the crowd of guests at the opening were a number of legends who have played a key role in shaping football in the Ruhr region. “The Ruhstadion was my living room for 16 years,” says Michael “Ata” Lameck, who played 518 Bundesliga matches for VfL Bochum. “Football is still my life today.” The same applies to his long-time team-mate Hermann Gerland, who grew up in Bochum-Weitmar. “As children, there was nothing else for us and nothing better than playing football. Right into the evening, interrupted at most by lunch.” Gerland has now lived in Munich for many years and has become a cult coach there, particularly through his outstanding development of players such as Philipp Lahm, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Thomas Müller into world-class footballers. “But the best part was – and still is – the Ruhr region.”

And that’s despite the fact that many of the exhibition photos don’t exactly flatter the region. Muddy cinder pitches here, bumpy football grounds set against smoking chimneys there. The legend transforms dreariness into gems of memory. And, it seems, an irrepressible fighting spirit into great footballing artistry. After the tour, one visitor says to his mate: “Herman Gerland and the others – you know what I mean – they really tore up the pitch back then.” He also knows Gerland’s secret when it comes to dealing with talented players: “He just told them straight up what was what – that’s just how we do things in the Ruhr.”

Alongside the many impressive images from the past and present, there are also several exhibits from the German Football Museum on display. Standing almost reverently in front of Helmut Rahn’s original shirt from the 1954 World Cup final is a man who himself ranks amongst the very greatest in Ruhr football. “The heroes of Bern and Rot-Weiss Essen’s 1955 championship-winning side, centred around Helmut Rahn, were the idols of my youth. I was determined to emulate them,” recalls Otto Rehhagel. The 84-year-old can wax lyrical about those days like few others. Now a legend in his own right, many of those present listen to him with fascination.
Not far away, another idol of Ruhr football stands in front of his own portrait and recalls: “As children, we were always chasing after the ball. And whenever I was taken to the stadium, I’d always think afterwards: to play football in front of so many people one day – that would be it. And the fact that I managed to do that as a little boy from Bockum-Hövel makes me proud.” Years later, on 5 November 1977, the little boy named Bernard Dietz – as shown in the oversized picture – was carried out of the stadium on the shoulders of the crowd after scoring four goals as a defender in MSV Duisburg’s 6–3 victory over Bayern Munich.

The memories of the legends, the photos capturing both myth and modernity, the impressive exhibition atmosphere, the prospect of currywurst and a beer – yes, it turned out to be the perfect Ruhr evening, just as Mayor Kufen had predicted. And future visitors to the exhibition, too, will find it hard to resist the impression that Minister Ina Brandes took home with her after her tour: “The soul of the Ruhr region is football.”