Kuzorra's Birthplace

Escape the mines through football

Those who are born in Schalke are not usually born on a bed of flowers. The lives of the descendants of the new arrivals from the eastern regions of the empire are meagre and full of hardship. But some of their children are able to escape this world of hard labour and industry through football.

Schalke's industry needs labour. Far more than the region and surrounding area can offer. Recruiters are send to the distant eastern provinces of the empire. They were to attract the rural population. The Masurians are particularly in demand. They are loyal to the emperor and Protestant - unlike the Poles from these regions. Thousands of Masurians flock to Schalke. They are driven by the hope of a better life (click here for the story). Karl and Bertha Kuzorra are among them. At some point, they arrive in Schalke with this stream of people from Ortelsburg. Karl is a miner. He earns his money by hauling up the coal. While he earns money with his work, Bertha works to save it at every turn: She mends her family's clothes, looks after the animals in the stable and grows vegetables in the garden. She also looks after the three children. They live together in a four-room flat in Blumenstraße (now Blumendelle). On 16 October, things become more crowded within their four walls: their fourth child sees the grey light of day. They name it Ernst. Little did they know that he would one day become the greatest Schalke player of all time (click here for the story).

Not all new arrivals stayed in Schalke like Karl and Bertha. Some were put off by the cramped living conditions in the neighbourhood. Others could not get used to the dangerous and hard work in the noisy, stuffy and dark underground world. Those who decided to stay initially kept to themselves. The familiar faces and sounds of home gave them stability in a strange world. The Protestant congregations, in which Masurian-speaking clergymen took care of their worries and needs, were an important driver of integration. Alongside faith, for their children sport became the most important place of integration. For some, it even offered the opportunity to escape the working world of their fathers with its darkness, danger and the meagre life associated with it. Just like Ernst. Although he also initially worked at the Consolidation Colliery, he was soon able to set up his own tobacco shop thanks to playing for Schalke 04.

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