The last cup final of the GDR: a farewell full of emotions!

The last cup final of the GDR: a farewell full of emotions!

The last cup final in the history of the GDR took place on June 4, 1990 and was not only a sporty highlight, but also a reflection of the big changes that were about to reunite Germany. In a gripping duel, Dynamo Dresden's favorite players competed in the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark Berlin against the second division outsider police sports club Schwerin. Despite the explosive situation in society, only around 5,750 spectators were on site, which illustrates the moderate filling of the stadium.

The atmosphere was shaped by the uncertainty and hopes of a country in transition. The monetary union and the soon end of the GDR were imminent. Dynamo Dresden players, including talents such as Ulf Kirsten and Matthias Sammer, were aware that some of them had lucrative offers from the West. MDR reported on the wall, which had only fallen in November 1989, and the end of the SED regime, which had brutally shaped a competitive sport.

the game and the players

In the dramatic final, André Kort from Schwerin and Jörg Stübner from Dynamo Dresden brought the audience to shake. In the 5th minute, Kort scored the 1-0 for Schwerin, whereupon Stübner scored in the 17th minute. But it was the later hero Kirsten who scored the decisive 2-1 in the 85th minute and thus secured the cup victory for Dynamo Dresden. Referee Karl-Heinz Glasses led the game that took an unforgettable place in the annals of German football. Steffen Benthin, who was substituted in the 66th minute, later remembered scarce opportunities and an intensive style of play that remained in the memory Nordkurier.

For PSV Schwerin, however, this was not the last chapter. The team later competed in the European Cup winners, but had to give up in the first round against Austria Vienna. A benefit game on August 1st in Schwerin is also supposed to arouse memory of the then cup team.

The change in sport and the processing of history

With the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, a new era began in German sport. The GDR state apparatus had tried to demonstrate the superiority of socialism through sporting successes for decades. However, the social upheavals meant that the GDR sports system developed less sustainably and was finally on the abyss. As early as 1990, the dissolution of the German Gymnastics Association and the DTSB was initiated, which dramatically influenced the dynamics of football and sport in general. The DSB took over funds and structures that previously belonged to the DTSB; This had far-reaching episodes for many athletes and clubs [bpb] (https://www.bpb.de/themen/deutsche-einheit/lange-wege-der-de-deutschen-steit/506012/der-wandel-im-sport/).

Football in Germany has gone through a significant change in the past three decades. From the then structures in the GDR to the integration of women and men in German sport, the path was often rocky. The current challenge of finding and promoting many talents, and also the aspect of sport as an integral part of society, is of great importance for German football.