St. Pauli in transition: reorientation for the stadium anthem!

St. Pauli in transition: reorientation for the stadium anthem!

The discussion about the stadium song “Das Herz von St. Pauli” never ends and has recently taken a new turn. FC St. Pauli organized a hybrid discussion event that focused on the topic and attracted numerous interested parties. Around 1,000 people took part virtually in the Millerntor ballroom to debate the future of the controversial song. Celina Albertz and Peter Römer presented insights from a scientific report, while Christopher Radke explained how the song developed into a stadium anthem and compared this process to the departure from “You’ll Never Walk Alone” over 20 years ago.

Various options for further use of the song were discussed at the event. The majority of participants voted that the current versions of the song are no longer acceptable. Three options were put up for debate: preserving the previous version, an option that has not yet been specifically defined and playing the song with new lyrics. What was particularly noticeable was that many of the participants changed their minds during the discussion, which shows how dynamic and respectful the discussion culture within the association is.

Difficult past

The debate over “The Heart of St. Pauli” is not new, but it intensified after the Nazi past of the lyricist Josef Ollig came to light. Ollig was a journalist for a national conservative newspaper and later served in the Wehrmacht. His involvement in inhumane propaganda media and the associated awards for his actions cast a shadow on the song that many fans consider to be part of the club and its identity. For this reason, the club management has decided in the course of this debate not to play the anthem before home games for the time being, which was already implemented in the stadium during the last game against SC Freiburg.

Oke Göttlich, the President of FC St. Pauli, emphasized the importance of this discussion in times of a shift to the right and emphasized that the club would like to approach this issue carefully. The trend is clearly towards creating something new rather than clinging to a burdened legacy. The decision to stop playing the song for the time being was met with overwhelming applause at the last home game.

A look into the future

FC St. Pauli plans to remain in constant communication with its fans and to create a comprehensive documentation about the song and Ollig's past. Many supporters argue that for them the song is primarily linked to the club's values ​​and that a realignment is desirable. The event showed that the declared motto “No football for fascists” must not become an empty promise and that the musical future at Millerntor offers plenty of scope for creative solutions.

The next round of discussions, where the aforementioned results will be presented, is eagerly awaited as the club looks towards a new musical identity. The debate about the stadium song remains a hot topic and is of great importance for everyone involved in order to keep the spirit of FC St. Pauli alive.