Ost gegen West: Vergessene Fußball-Duelle, die MfS-Aktion „Leder“ und der Geist von 1974

In the organizer's words:

Lecture and discussion with contemporary witnesses

The legendary Sparwasser goal at the 1974 World Cup is firmly anchored in German memory. But beyond this historic moment, there is an almost forgotten history of German-German duels on the pitch, which often took place under extreme political pressure. The event "East versus West" brings these explosive sporting encounters out of the shadows of history.

The focus is particularly on the legendary qualifying matches for the 1960 and 1964 Olympic Games. At a time when the Cold War was at its height, these matches between the DFB and the GDR team were charged with massive political rhetoric. Even the 1974 World Cup match in Hamburg was not solely of a sporting nature. Under the code name "Aktion Leder", the Ministry for State Security (MfS) meticulously monitored the events in order to nip any form of "fraternization" in the bud. As special guests, we welcome two legends who experienced the German-German rivalry up close on the pitch: Harald Irmscher (GDR national player, 1972 Olympian) and Ronald Worm (DFB national player, 1972 Olympian). Together they look back on the emotional duel in Munich 1972 and Hamburg 1974 and report on the tensions and the atmosphere of a divided soccer nation.

The historian Dr. René Wiese (Zentrum deutsche Sportgeschichte) will introduce the background to this highly political sporting history. The evening will be hosted by well-known sports journalist Andreas Käckell (NDR).