No More Offside
The Story of Gottfried Fuchs

Gottfried Fuchs on the field © Jewish Museum Berlin, Inv. no. 2015/282/1, Fuchs family donation.

The exhibition “No More Offside” tells the story of Gottfried Fuchs, the former star whose soccer career began in Karlsruhe in 1911. It traces his life’s journey—from great athletic triumphs to the painful experience of persecution, erasure, and flight from the Nazis, and finally to his new beginning in a foreign land, Canada.

The Story of Gottfried Fuchs

The call-up of Gottfried Fuchs to the German national team marked the beginning of the rise of a man who would become a soccer hero. His legendary scoring record—ten goals in a single match during the 1912 tournament in Stockholm—secured Gottfried Fuchs a permanent place in soccer history as an outstanding striker.

World War I ended his soccer career. After four years on the front lines, he returned home, worked in the family business, and started a family. In the years following the Nazis’ rise to power, Fuchs and his family were increasingly marginalized and persecuted because they were Jewish. In 1937, he fled his homeland and eventually found safety in Montreal, Canada. He began a new life far from the cheers of the stadiums—under the name Godfrey Fochs.

The story of Gottfried Fuchs—national team player, record holder, exile—is both moving and instructive. It imparts knowledge to young people about the dark chapters of German history; years of horror that occurred nearly a century ago but must not be forgotten. It is not only about what was, but also about what is and what will be. For despite all the suffering, Gottfried Fuchs succeeded in building a new life for himself in Canada as Godfrey Fochs. The pain of exile was accompanied by a conscious commitment to embrace life and ensure a secure future for his children. This resilience shaped the generations that followed. Today, members of the Fuchs family are closely connected across four continents and are involved in various projects aimed at fostering an awareness that draws lessons from history for action today.

The exhibition

Follow the life of Gottfried Fuchs in images from the exhibition.

Image from the 1930 showing the rush of a group of young men on the soccer field. — Gottfried Fuchs (in the foreground) and Julius Hirsch (in the background), attacking in a match against Mannheim, 1912. | © Jewish Museum Berlin, Inv. no. 2015/282/1, Fuchs family donation.

Image of a soccer team in the 1930s standing in a row on the field — The German National Soccer Team, Olympic Games, Stockholm 1912 (Fuchs third from left). | © Jewish Museum Berlin, Inv. no. 2015/282/1, Fuchs family donation.

A soldier in an artillery position — Fuchs in an artillery position on the Seine, France, May 1917. | © Private archives of the Fuchs family.

Four young men in Uniform in the 1920s standing on a field — Gottfried Fuchs (2nd from left) with his three brothers (date unknown). | © Private archives of the Fuchs family.

Picture of a factore in the 1910s in Canada — Factory Hall of H. Fuchs Söhne, circa 1910 | © Karlsruhe City Archives: 8/Alben 418/20.

A group of people at a wedding in the year 1923 — Wedding photo of Gottfried and Eugenia, Karlsruhe, July 10, 1923. | © Private archives of the Fuchs family.

Three people in the 1920 in the Swiss alps — Gottfried and Genia in the Swiss Alps (date unknown). | © Private archives of the Fuchs family.

A family on the beach in the 1930s — Gottfried Fuchs’ children with the nanny 'Mam’zelle' on holiday in Heringsdorf, 1932 | © Private archives of the Fuchs family.

A child play on the Wannsee beach, a Nazi flag flies in the background — Wannsee beach with Nazi flags, Berlin, 1936. | © Imago / Alamy Stock Photo.

An elementary school class and their teacher perform the compulsory Nazi salute in a schoolyard in Germany, circa 1933. | © APA-Images / Austrian Archives.

Gestapo order for the seizure of Gottfried Fuchs’ assets, March 1942. The document cites the Nazi law used for the state-led robbery of Jews living in exile. | © Private archives of the Fuchs family.

Canadian visa and passport photograph of Gottfried Fuchs, 1940. | © Private archives of the Fuchs family.

The Fochs family in Montreal, circa 1947. Standing from left: John, Godfrey, Anita, Yvonne. In front: Natalie and Eugenia. | © Private archives of the Fuchs family.

Godfrey Fochs with the players of Bologna FC in Montreal, 1971. | © Private archives of the Fuchs family.

Montreal, June 1971: Before a Santos FC match, Godfrey Fochs meets the world star Pelé. According to a handwritten note by the former football star on the back of the photo, he told Pelé: “I am 53 years older than you. My wish for you is this: that you will still be in the prime of life in the year 2025.” | © Private archives of the Fuchs family.

Teaching material

.... coming soon

Download

Download a preview of the exhibition here:

No More Offside — the story of Gottfried Fuchs(PDF, 10 MB)

If you are interested in hosting the exhibition at your institution, school, or university, please contact

► Eva Ledwig: eva.ledwig@goethe.de

Events

Vernissage | Freitag, 15. Mai 2026 um 17:00 Uhr | Goethe-Institut

Vernissage : Plus jamais hors-jeu

Vernissage to the exhibition No More Offside. It tells the story of Gottfried Fuchs, the former star whose soccer career began in Karlsruhe in 1911. It traces his life’s journey—from great athletic triumphs to the painful experience of persecution, erasure, and flight from the Nazis, and finally to his new beginning in a foreign land, Canada.

© Jewish Museum Berlin, Inv. no. 2015/282/1, Fuchs family donation. © Jewish Museum Berlin, Inv. no. 2015/282/1, Fuchs family donation.
Exhibition | From Friday, May 15 to Saturday, June 13, 2026 | Goethe-Institut

No More Offside — the story of Gottfried Fuchs

The exhibition No More Offside tells the story of Gottfried Fuchs, the former star whose soccer career began in Karlsruhe in 1911. It traces his life’s journey—from great athletic triumphs to the painful experience of persecution, erasure, and flight from the Nazis, and finally to his new beginning in a foreign land, Canada.

During the regular opening hours of the Institute.

© Jewish Museum Berlin, Inv. no. 2015/282/1, Fuchs family donation © Jewish Museum Berlin, Inv. no. 2015/282/1, Fuchs family donation