The limited-time “Borussia and the Brits” exhibition is now open!

The limited-time “Borussia and the Brits” exhibition opened in the FohlenWelt on Wednesday morning. A film and a wealth of stories and mementos look back on our historic encounters with British teams. Ahead of the exhibition opening to the public, Borussia president Rainer Bonhof, CEO Markus Aretz and former players Wilfried Hannes and Christian Hochstätter were invited to visit.

On Wednesday at 10:00 CEST, Borussia CEO Markus Aretz and FohlenWelt director Matthias Rech officially opened the new exhibition “Borussia and the Brits” in front of a group of invited guests and media representatives. It is the sixth different such exhibition at Borussia’s club museum so far. With the European Championship in Germany on the horizon, the displays will also be accessible to international visitors. “So that every fan who comes to BORUSSIA-PARK during the EUROs and visits the exhibition can understand everything, it will all be available in two languages. Both the film and the displays will be subtitled in English,” said Aretz. The fully original and self-implemented 110m² exhibition will showcase Borussia’s special relationship with British football. “We’re very proud that we create these exhibitions ourselves,” said Aretz.

So, what does “Borussia and the Brits” actually mean? The Foals have crossed passed with teams from Great Britain again and again during their long history, and these encounters are explored in a film which plays on a loop in the Bökelberg-Kino cinema. These range with the first friendlies against English teams in 1912 and 1914, through the period after the Second World War, when British soldiers helped to make the Bökelbergstadion playable again, to our European debut against Rangers in 1960. We have again and again faced teams from the island over the club’s history, including Everton, against whom we contested the first ever European Cup penalty shoot-out.

Liverpool and the ‘Foals Pub’

And then there’s Liverpool FC, who have been a formidable opponent to Borussia over the years. Nevertheless, a close relationship between the two clubs’ fanbases has developed. “Brits, and especially Liverpool fans, get on well with Gladbach fans because they feel football the same way. That became clear to us in the many interviews we did for the exhibition,” said Rech.

After the film, the guests went to the ‘Foals Pub’, which has been decked out with memorabilia in the style of English football pubs. In addition to the quintessentially British bar and a table football table, there is a wide range of historic items to discover, including jerseys. On Wednesday, the lovingly designed pub also played host to a talk with Borussia president Rainer Bonhof and former players Wilfried Hannes and Christian Hochstätter. The three shared memories in conversation with presenter Torsten Knippertz. “There’s no room for play-acting in England – Winnie found that out for himself,” said Bonhof with a grin, referring to a clash between the Foals and Manchester City which saw Hannes lose several of his teeth.

Hochstätter recalled one thing in particular: “I’ll always remember the passion of the fans in England. The way they treated us, and the fact we were applauded by the Arsenal fans away from home at Highbury, was sensational.” Hannes was delighted with the exhibition, saying: “I think what’s been organised here is great. It shows that Borussia has always been part of football history.”

Shirts and emotions

Some of the most special exhibits are a selection of pendants, scarves and shirts which show just how often Borussia have faced British teams during their history. In order to display as many of these mementos as possible in the exhibition, a large number of people were contacted, including football shirt collector Stefan Sandlos. “Fans associate a lot of emotions with the shirts. They transport Borussia’s unique history into the modern day. That’s why I’m pleased that two of my shirts now belong to this exhibition,” said Sandlos.

If you want to know what shirts are there and what makes them special, as well as learn more about the Foals’ connection with British football, you can visit the “Borussia and the Brits” limited-time exhibition now. Access is included in the entrance fee to the FohlenWelt museum.

FohlenWelt opening times