Fun Facts
Knowledge for blowhards, braggadocios and connoisseurs
Borussia Dortmund were the first German European cup winners (1966). Many know that. Here are fun facts about BVB with a "wow" factor.
Borussia Dortmund were somehow always strong at home: The first home defeat in the Oberliga West (pre-1963) didn't come until their third season, on April 2, 1950 — a 0-1 loss to eventual runners-up Preußen Dellbrück. In the opposing goal stood Fritz Herkenrath, future German international goalkeeper at the 1958 World Cup.
The first international: August Lenz (1910-1988) became BVB's first international in 1935. He won 14 caps for Germany through 1938. After his playing career, Lenz ran a pub at the Borsigplatz in Dortmund for 33 years. His face, alongside the city eagle with the BVB crest, is now the logo of the Dortmund ultra group The Unity.
Dortmund Lions: Since the IPO in 2000, Borussia Dortmund have been considered by many critics and "traditionalists" as the commercially most aggressive club in German football. But the nickname "Dortmund Lions" predates any stock exchange listing — it goes back to the club’s original crest, which featured a lion. The lion was replaced by the now-iconic "BVB 09" lettering in the 1970s, but the nickname persisted in certain fan circles. Today, the tension between tradition and commerce runs through every decision the club makes, from naming rights to transfer policy.
A home match at the Westfalenstadion without Borussia Dortmund? Impossible! Except it happened — on April 2, 1976. Not a Bundesliga match, admittedly, but a German national team friendly against the Soviet Union. The DFB chose Dortmund’s ground as the venue, and BVB fans found themselves watching other teams play on their sacred turf. The Soviet Union won 1-0, and the Dortmund faithful, deprived of their own team’s involvement, gave the visitors a notably warmer reception than the German national side received — a small act of rebellion that perfectly captures the BVB mentality: if it’s not our team, we’ll cheer for whoever irritates the establishment most.
