Stories

A life of hard labour and hardship awaits the people born in Schalke at the beginning of the 20th century. One of the few opportunities to escape this life was football. When Ernst Kuzorra was born in 1905, nobody realised that he would succeed. Even less did they realise at the time that he would become the greatest Schalke player of all time. With finesse and teamwork, he and FC Schalke 04 would go on to rule football, which was dominated by the bourgeoisie.

"Red and yellow, how I love you! Red and yellow don't leave me!" Any Schalke fan would be confused by these lines. After all, the club colours today are blue and white. But at the beginning of the club's history, when FC Schalke 04 was still called Westfalia Schalke, the miners actually took to the pitch in red and yellow shirts. Find out in the story why Schalke then "went blue", why the white had a special meaning for the miners, and how the once green landscape became a grey metropolis that is now supposed to shine in green again.

A better life and higher wages: for over 100 years, these prospects have been attracting people from a wide variety of regions to Schalke. What many only realise after their arrival: Many dangers lurk in the darkness underground. Find out what threats await the miners in the depths and who they call on for protection.

The history of the Ruhr is dominated by one figure: the miner. You will search in vain for women miners. But of course women have also shaped the area between the Ruhr and the Emscher. Discover how they fought for their freedom and rights in the face of prejudice, and in which workplaces they worked.

In the early hours of 28 August 1930, the keeper of Lock 4 makes a gruesome discovery: a lifeless body is floating in the Rhine-Herne Canal. The identity is quickly established: it is a Schalker. Everyone realises that it was no accident. Is the West German Football Association responsible for the death of a man?

Six German championships in one decade: that is the incredible record of Schalke's top flight. However, because this period coincided almost exactly with that of National Socialism, there is still much speculation today about the relationship between the club, players and the Nazi regime.