150 years of German football history: the first game in Braunschweig and the home European Championships 2024
150 years of German football history: the first game in Braunschweig and the home European Championships 2024
Germany is in football fever because the preparations for the upcoming European Football Championship are in full swing. The national team led by Julian Nagelsmann has already announced its preliminary squad and Borussia Dortmund and Bayer Leverkusen are preparing for the finals of Champions League and Europa League. The goal for Germany is clear: a final victory in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin. But before German football came to this fame, the first football game took place on German soil 150 years ago - on the little exer in Braunschweig.
In 1874 the teacher Konrad Koch threw English football on his students on the little exer and asked them to play with it without explanation. With this experiment, Koch laid the foundation for the establishment of football in Germany. A year later, he published the first German football rules, which were largely taken over by the national football association founded in 1890. Koch thus shaped the terminology of football in Germany.
Football has developed over time worldwide, especially with regard to the handling of the ball. In the beginning, the ball was allowed to be played with the hand more often, but this was later changed. Until his death in 1911, Konrad Koch campaigned for the acceptance of football, which is the most popular sport in Germany today.
150 years after the first football game on German soil in Braunschweig, the spirit of Konrad Koch is blowing over German football. The upcoming European Football Championship not only brings the excitement of the competition, but also reminds of the roots of German football in Braunschweig.
Table:
| Year | Event |
| —— | ———- |
| 1874 | First football game on German soil |
| 1875 | Publication of the first German football rules |
| 1890 | Foundation of the National Football Association |
| 1911 | Death of Konrad Koch |
| 2024 | European Football Championship in Germany |
Further information on the German football pioneer Konrad Koch and the first football game on German soil can be found at www.braunschweig.de/fussball.