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The Demise of Football in East Germany and the ‘scandal’ at Stahl Brandenburg.
Note – Even though this episode is based on football in East Germany, the podcast will still be of interest to those interested in the history of the DDR even if you do not care for football/soccer.
On this episode of the Radio GDR East Germany podcast host Shane Whaley talks with GDR Objectified‘s John Paul Kleiner about a bizarre football game that took place at FC Stahl Brandenburg in ’92 and how it highlights that not all was rosy in the newly united Germany. Shane tells us how he discovered a crazy Stahl Brandenburg football clip on youtube which he shared on his Facebook page. (Only 5 Stahl Brandenburg players remained on the field!)
Shane got chatting with John Paul who explained that this game reveals a lot about the attitude of many East Germans many of whom were disillusioned with re-unification. Many East German clubs felt that there was a bias against them from the former West Germany and the Bundesliga authorities. John Paul explains how football in East Germany was organized following German reunification.
‘The bloom is off the re-unification rose and things are starting to stink in Brandenburg’
John Paul Kleiner, GDR Objectified.
What happened to East Germany’s football clubs after reunification exactly?
John Paul also answers a question from Radio GDR listener Klaus Magnus who asked what happened to the more famous East Germany football clubs after ’89.
John Paul also shares his itinerary with us for his trip to Germany where he will visit some DDR sites in Berlin, Frankfurt an der Oder and Guben. Check out our Radio GDR Facebook group as he has promised to share a few snaps with us. Also on this episode, John Paul shares with us the German word for ‘mullet’.
Let us know what you think of this episode on the Radio GDR Listeners Facebook Group.
Links and Resources Mentioned on this Episode of Radio GDR concerning East German Football clubs.
GDR Objectified with John Paul Kleiner
FC Stahl Brandenburg
Dynamo Berlin
Lichtenberg 47
Union Berlin
After re-unification, many clubs reverted to their pre-East German names, but some stuck with them, and others have changed back again. This page lists all prominent East German clubs, along with their original name, their present-day name, and a list of name changes and mergers that they underwent.
Full list of Football Clubs in East Germany.
East Germany Football League System.
Articles and Podcasts on DDR Football
The East German Curse – how footballing reunification failed.
East German Football’s Invisible Wall
The Fall of East German Football
The Last Days of Football in East Germany.
West German teams still dominate the east in the Bundesliga.
Question on Quora with answers: Bundesliga: Why doesn’t East Germany have any good football teams?
All’s Quiet on the Eastern Front – The Decline of Football in East Germany.
The Strange World of East German Football (Podcast)