The Legacy of Türkiyemspor: A History of Inclusion and Exclusion in German Football

It was a problem when Berlin football players from “Türkiyemspor” competed against “Energie Cottbus” in 1992. At the time, Türkiyemspor was one of the few German football teams founded by Turkish immigrants. That was a milestone in 1978. They not only have to challenge themselves against the radical Cottbus fans, but also within organized sport.

Martin Krauss, journalist and author

“Türkiyemspor is one of the most famous migrant clubs. The migrant clubs Turks, Greeks and so on were founded because they were not accepted or wanted in normal German clubs. Either they were not allowed to enter at all, the German sports association was still there in 1981 “It was written that we have to make sure that the German sports clubs are not culturally alienated or that they feel discriminated against , that was a good reason to say and we will create our own clubs.”

Martin Krauss is a former competitive swimmer and swim coach. Later he became a journalist and was involved in sports. In his book “Everything would be there,” he describes in detail how athletes continue to fight against exclusion today.

Martin Krauss, journalist and author

“My book is another book, a new history of sport. There are large groups of workers, women, people of color, black people, disabled people, queer people, and they all have to fight for participation, some still have to, and I tell the story rather than the history of sports.”

Today, sport is primarily a recreational activity. The history of modern competitive sports began in Paris in 1894. The “International Olympic Committee” is established there. Two years later, athletes from all over the world came together in Athens for the first Olympic competitions since ancient times. Everyone has the right to be called a non-professional.

Amateurs were originally rich white people who founded the first sports clubs and leagues in England in the 19th century. Performances are now measured in centimeters or seconds. This elite wants to live among themselves.

Martin Krauss, journalist and author

“This is an amateur sport, there is no money, we can afford it. Professionals are those who earn money with their manual work, as the definition said, that was the workers, they didn’t want to be there.”

So the workers put themselves into their own clubs and organize their own competitions. In Germany, sports are socialist workers. It was there from 1893 until the Nazis came to power.

Martin Krauss shows us Seelenbinder Werner Park. He was a famous wrestler and a communist who was murdered by the Nazis. He is buried here.

He won gold at the first “Workers’ Olympics” in 1925. Under the Nazis he refused to greet Hitler and went against him. He will be arrested. Because he was so good, he was admitted to the 1936 Olympic Games – and he had a plan.

Martin Krauss, journalist and author

“If he wins gold, he should then tell the international media about the conditions in Germany during the winner’s interview. That was the plan. He was perfectly prepared, everything, but he only came fourth, he lost the semi-final and that’s when that Plan fell apart.”

The sprinter Jesse Owens. For Martin Krauss, another example of the fight for recognition. In 1936, African Americans ran a world record in Berlin. Nevertheless, years later, the sports superstar was treated with disrespect in America.

Martin Krauss, journalist and author

“Then he was released against horses and other fair events after his great success.”

In his book, Martin Krauss shows how bad the sports success stories that officials want to tell us are.

Martin Krauss, journalist and author

“I like sports. What I want to show is that sport is more diverse, if it opens up, if everyone who wants to do it without discrimination, the sport will be better, ganated, our even better world. Chronicles 34:45 And I would like to convey this message.”

Being there would have it all – the right reading material for this summer of fun.

Author: Margarete Kreuzer