The Miracle of Bern 1954

Lore & Background

The film can be regarded as a portrait of post-war Germany. With over 6 million cinema visitors, it is one of Germany's best-selling films. Among those attending the première were Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, Peer Steinbrück, Minister-President of North Rhine-Westphalia, and Otto Schily, Federal Minister of the Interior. Since November 2014, Hamburg's new musical theatre is home to a successful musical production of the same name.

In Their Own Story

The rain lashed down on the Wankdorf Stadium, turning the pitch into a quagmire. The Hungarian players, slick-haired and confident, looked out at the German defense with disdain. But as the whistle blew for extra time, the mud seemed to weigh heavier on the Magyars' boots than on the Germans'. When Rahn finally struck the ball past the Hungarian keeper, the stadium erupted in a sound unlike any other—a mix of disbelief and jubilation that echoed across the Alps.

Reader's Guide

The plot follows Richard, a coal miner from Essen, who returns after eleven years as a Soviet prisoner of war in Siberia. His wife, two sons, and one daughter have reached a minimum standard of living without him. His wife runs a small bar, his elder son has become a Communist, his daughter flirts with British soldiers, and his 11-year-old son Matthias admires local football hero Helmut Rahn. Richard initially stern about Matthias' love for football, gradually softens, and on the night before the final, father and son drive to Bern to see the match. An additional plot is the personal triumph of Helmut Rahn, for whom Matthias becomes a lucky mascot. A third story line revolves around sports reporter Paul Ackermann and his wife. The cast includes Louis Klamroth as Matthias Lubanski, Peter Lohmeyer as Richard Lubanski, Johanna Gastdorf as Christa Lubanski, Mirko Lang as Bruno Lubanski, Birthe Wolter as Ingrid Lubanski, and football figures Sepp Herberger, Helmut Rahn, Knut Hartwig as Fritz Walter, Horst Eckel, Simon Verhoeven as Ottmar Walter, Toni Turek, and Hans Schäfer. Others include Katharina Wackernagel as Annette Ackermann and Lucas Gregorowicz as Paul Ackermann.

Did You Know?

• The film won the Prix du Public UBS at the Locarno International Film Festival 2003.
• It received the Goldene Leinwand award.
• At the Deutscher Filmpreis 2004, it won Best Picture (Silver), German Film of the Year, and German Actor of the Year for Peter Lohmeyer.
• Sönke Wortmann won the Bavarian Film Award 2004 for Best Director, and Johanna Gastdorf won for Best Supporting Actress.