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WAY OF LIFE
TOPIC
SPORTING CHALLENGES
Germany is a country of sports enthusiasts
a migratory background is still under-repre-
and indeed a successful sporting nation. In
sented in organised sport.
the Olympic Games all-time medals table
Germany, with 1,682 medals (as at 2014),
The German Olympic Sports Confeder-
places third behind the USA and the Russian
ation’s “Integration through Sport” pro-
Federation. Around 28 million people in
gramme believes immigration enriches
Germany are members of one of the more
German sport. One of the areas the pro-
than 91,000 sports clubs. Alongside their
gramme will be focussing on in its work
sporting duties, the clubs also assume im-
in the future will be groups which have
portant social and inclusive roles. Particu-
previously been under-represented in sport,
larly as regards youth work and integration
for example girls and women. Together
they reinforce values such as fair play, team
with the “Bundesliga-Stiftung” and the
spirit, and tolerance. Given the rising inter-
German Football Association, the Federal
nationalisation of the population, the work
Government has also launched an inte-
done by sports clubs is becoming ever more
gration initiative. This finances sustain-
important with a view to the social integra-
able projects for integrating refugees in
tion of migrants. Around 60,700 clubs have
sport. These include the project “1:0 für
members with a migratory background in
ein Willkommen” – 1:0 for a Welcome –
their teams. Overall it is safe to assume that
which the German national team supports;
approximately 1.7 million people with a mi-
the project provides financial assistance
gratory background are members of a sports
to around 600 football clubs that help
club. Nonetheless, the group of people with
refugees.
MILESTONES
1954
1972
1988
Germany wins the World Cup for
the first time in Switzerland
(beating Hungary 3:2 in the final).
The “Miracle of Bern” becomes
a lasting symbol of post-War
Germany.
The Olympic Games
in Munich are overshadowed by
Israeli athletes being taken hostage and murdered by Palestinian
terrorists.
Steffi Graf becomes the first female tennis player to win the
Golden Slam, i.e., all four Grand
Slam tournaments plus an Olympic Gold medal, in a single calendar year.