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, a former soccer star whose career took him to the German national team in 1911. It traces his life journey – from outstanding sporting success to the painful experiences of persecution, erasure, and exile under the Nazi regime, and ultimately to a new beginning abroad, in 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.