Reunion after 50 years: GDR footballers meet in Neubrandenburg!

Reunion after 50 years: GDR footballers meet in Neubrandenburg!

What a beautiful day for nostalgics! On June 24, 2025, 50 years after their joint participation in the GDR Spartakiade, the former football players of the Neubrandenburg district team met. The reunion took place in the Neubrandenburg consulate and was a happy occasion for Uwe Sullies and his former comrades, who had not seen each other since their last meeting in 1995. In total, 11 of 17 former teammates were reached, with 10 finding their way to the consulate after Sullies spent three quarters of a year researching to bring the old friends back together.

The Spartakiad, which took place in 1975, was a formative experience for the young athletes, who were just 13 or 14 years old at the time. Uwe Sullies remembered his goal in the qualifying second leg against Rostock, which secured the equalizer at 1-1 and brought the Neubrandenburg selection to the final in Berlin. However, there they lost against Karl-Marx-Stadt 1:2 and ended up in second place. Sullies has made it clear to this day that the decisive penalty awarded against his team was unwarranted.

A look back at the Spartakiad

The GDR Spartakiade, which took place from 1965 to 1989, was not only a sporting event, but also part of the state-controlled sports policy of the German Democratic Republic. In the context of GDR sports history, such events are of central importance because they were organized by the German Gymnastics and Sports Federation (DTSB) and served to promote youth and strengthen the GDR's international reputation. Statistically speaking, around 997,000 children and young people took part in the district Spartakiads in summer sports in 1983 alone, which illustrates the immense interest and popularity of these events argus.bstu.bundesarchiv.de states.

Sports in the GDR were highly regulated and subject to political supervision, which also included possible doping practices, such as those practiced under the direction of the German University of Physical Culture (DHfK). In addition, the company sports communities (BSG) and sports communities (SG) were central to the preparation of young talents for competitive sports, as the history of sports in the GDR reports on Wikipedia.

The path of Uwe Sullie

While many of the former athletes lost contact after the Spartakiad and many went to the West, Uwe Sullies remained true to his passion, even though his active football career ended after an operation at the age of 17. He took on the role of young coach in Anklam and Neubrandenburg in order to pass on his knowledge and experience to the next generation. With the anniversary of the Spartakiad approaching, the sports fans have now decided to meet every five years to refresh their memories together.

What is certain is that the reunion of the Neubrandenburg footballers not only represents a return to the past, but also a strong sign of the solidarity and collective spirit that was promoted by sport in the GDR. It remains exciting to see what stories and experiences the next meeting will have in store.