Library

Book of the week Wir waren Heldinnen

Every week, we present a book from our collection that we find particulary interesting, exciting, educational, or otherwise worth reading. This week:

Torsten Körner: Wir waren Heldinnen (Kiepenheuer & Witsch)

In “Wir waren Heldinnen”, Torsten Körner takes us on a journey back in time to the early years of the Federal Republic of Germany and unfolds the fascinating—and at times almost unbelievable—story of the beginnings of women’s soccer. He tells the stories of women who—inspired by the “Miracle of Bern”—played unofficial international matches in the 1950s, of pioneers who defied the ban on women playing soccer, of the first “Goal Scorer of the Month,” and brings us closer to the women who played the first officially recognized international match in 1982.

The book tells the life stories of these pioneers, who found their greatest happiness in soccer and often sacrificed family or personal fulfillment for it. With passionate dedication, the first female soccer players fought against authoritarian officials, sexist prejudices, and narrow-minded stereotypes. The book tells compelling stories that go far beyond soccer to show just how unfree our society was not so long ago.