Fritz "Papa" Unkel

Fritz "Papa" Unkel was one of the most influential personalities in the Schalke environment. He was the first president of FC Schalke 04 from 1924 to 1939. The warehouse manager of the Consolidation Colliery was actually at home in gymnastics. He had been chairman of the Schalke 1877 gymnastics club since 1912, and in that year he also accepted the Westfalia Schalke footballers as an independent section of the club. Now the young club was finally able to take part in the West German Football Association. Until the games were cancelled due to the First World War. After the games resumed, Westfalia Schalke joined the gymnastics club: The club was now called Turn- und Sportverein Schalke 1877, and Fritz Unkel became chairman again.

When gymnasts and footballers had to separate in 1924, Unkel decided in favour of the footballers. Unkel became the first president of the newly founded FC Schalke 04 and paved the way for the Schalker Kreisel ("Schalke roundabout") and the club's golden years. His particular focus was on youth work. It was important to him that his players were Schalke players - born in Schalke, raised in Schalke, educated in Schalke. Unkel was a kind of mastermind of the Knappenschmiede.

He constantly used his professional connections to the Consolidation Colliery in favour of the club. If something needed to be built or repaired on the pitch, he sent materials and workmen from the colliery - and the colliery ended up footing the bill. The Schalke footballers were good advertising for Consolidation. The colliery also supported Unkel when he had the Glückauf Stadium built. In the 1930s, Unkel's strategy worked. FC Schalke swept the German football landscape.

Unkel, who was affectionately known as "Papa" because of his level-headedness and kindness, died in 1944 at the age of 79. During the turmoil of the war, Unkel was initially buried at Rosenhügel Cemetery. The Schalker Markt Foundation reactivated his grave at the cemetery "Am Stäfflingshof" in 2023.