Nazi past: how closely did Borussia Dortmund cooperate with the Nazis?

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the Nazi rulers

Photo: Thomas Bielefeld / imago images

Every year, Hans-Joachim Watzke invites Borussia Dortmund employees on a trip to the former Auschwitz concentration camp.

The club boss wants to set an example against right-wing extremist activities in the vicinity of his club.

Last year, BVB also donated one million euros for the expansion of the Yad Vashem Holocaust memorial in Israel.

Watzke stated that "BVB officials also offered themselves to the rulers" in the "Third Reich".

Watzke's statement has so far been based largely on hearsay.

How much the association was really involved in the Nazi regime is only just being scientifically investigated.

For some years now, more and more Bundesliga clubs have been investigating their role in National Socialism.

Sometimes it happened on my own initiative, as with Eintracht Frankfurt, because the club archivist had pointed out possible war crimes by honorary president Rudolf Gramlich.

When it was confirmed that Gramlich had belonged to the Waffen SS, Eintracht posthumously withdrew his honorary presidency.

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