Legacy of the 'Miracle of Berne' (Germany & Soccer)
For the Germans, knowing the impact of the World Cup goes far beyond football is a lesson they have understood since a rainy day in the Wankdorf Stadium in Berne, Switzerland, in the summer of 1954.
An unheralded West German team, first timers in the tournament, caused the biggest sensation in world sport since World War II by defeating the apparently invincible Hungarians to win the trophy.
The victory led to an unprecedented outpouring of joy, not just in West but in East Germany too, as millions took to the streets to celebrate a "positive" German achievement.
The celebrations were encapsulated in the phrase "Wir Sind Wieder Wer" ("We are somebody again") as they gave enormous psychological impetus to the building of the West German state.
Read entire article at BBC
An unheralded West German team, first timers in the tournament, caused the biggest sensation in world sport since World War II by defeating the apparently invincible Hungarians to win the trophy.
The victory led to an unprecedented outpouring of joy, not just in West but in East Germany too, as millions took to the streets to celebrate a "positive" German achievement.
The celebrations were encapsulated in the phrase "Wir Sind Wieder Wer" ("We are somebody again") as they gave enormous psychological impetus to the building of the West German state.