Bochum – The Revier derby ended in a draw – and yet it had a winner. Because Bochum, football and the pot shaped the life of Jürgen Krahn (74). With a place of honor at the derby, VfL has now fulfilled the terminally ill fan’s great wish.
Krahn (74) is by no means an original Ruhrpottler. In 1974, the Federal Republic of Germany bought the master shoemaker free as a political prisoner in the GDR. There he was imprisoned for agitation against the state. Shortly afterwards, his wife Angelika and the three small children were also allowed to leave. “Bochum welcomed us without reservation and made it possible for us to have a new life in freedom.”
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VfL fan for decades: Jürgen Krahn enjoyed the derby in the stadium
The shoemaker started out as a branch manager at Deichmann, then opened his own shop. A lot of work, but we went to the stadium at the weekend. Son Renè (53) has been part of the party since he was a child.
Football has shaped the family for decades. After fleeing to the West, Jürgen’s son René kicked a game at the club and also played against VfL
The job creates another connection. Krahn: “Back then, footballs were not yet disposable. They were repaired by hand in our workshop. ”
Son and grandson (23) also learned the profession from scratch. Both sat in the VIP box when VfL defeated BVB 1-1 on Saturday.
Prominent customer in the Bochum shoemaker’s workshop: soccer legend Günter Netzer (Borussia Mönchengladbach, Real Madrid) trusted in the skills of shoemaker Jürgen
A goosebump experience for the men – even if mother Angelika is sorely absent. “Just like me, she had incurable cancer, passed away in November. We all have a photo of her in our breast pockets, so she was there at the game. “
Jürgen Krahn’s strength is dwindling, but they are still enough to give something back to the area: As a contemporary witness, the former GDR prisoner reports on his fate and is active in a research project at the Ruhr University in Bochum.
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