St. Pauli opt to suspend playing of controversial club anthem

Yahoo

15-02-2025

Bundesliga side St. Pauli – two weeks after making a principled political statement in the pre-match buildup to their last home fixture – are making more changes ahead of kick-offs at the Millerntor. On Friday, Hamburg's Kiezkicker announced that they would be suspend the playing of club anthem 'Das Herz von St. Pauli' for the time being. Club ultras and the St. Pauli Museum have reported grave concerns about the historical background of original composer Josef Ollig.
Ollig worked as a journalist in Hamburg after serving in the second World War. He composed the ballad in the mid-1950s. It's since been covered by numerous artists, including legendary German punk rock artists die Tote Hosen, Schlager king Heino, the famous hip-hop trio Fettes Brot, and Hamburg's own 'elf'. A rock version usually blares from the Millerntor PA prior to St. Pauli home matches.
The club museum and supporters have approached management with documented research suggesting that Ollig produced Nazi propaganda during the war. There remains some debate about this. Moreover, the fact that so many different artists have covered the song – which serves as a ballad to the area – also renders it questionable as to whether the original source is relevant.
In any event, St. Pauli president Oke Göttlich accepted the petition of the supporters and opted to put the issue on the back-burner for now. In large part, it's because whistles and jeers have accompanied the playing of the anthem recently. Journalist Sebastian Wulff of Kicker supplied some quotes from Göttlich in a Friday article.
'We absolutely know and understand that the song has a very great emotional significance for many people,' Göttlich is quoted as saying. 'This can and should remain so on a personal level, but an anthem in the stadium has a special function. Such a song should bring people together. It should be a shared, unifying moment.
'Such a moment cannot be created at the moment, because many members and fans have made it clear that they no longer feel comfortable with the song,' Göttlich continues. 'If there are whistles when the anthem is played, that is unacceptable and helps no one. We can be proud that our club and our fans face difficult situations and do not avoid discussions, but instead conduct them openly.'
GGFN | Peter Weis