As Euro 2024 approaches, there is much talk in Germany about a possible second "summer fairy tale." This refers to a few weeks in 2006 when Germany hosted the men's World Cup. DW explains what it's all about.
What is meant by the 2006 summer fairy tale? For four weeks in June and July 2006 football dominated life in Germany. An estimated 18 million people gathered in front of giant video screens to watch men's matches. For 's last game, their semifinal against Italy, a crowd of as many as 900,000 fans packed the viewing zone in front of 's – with people from all over the world celebrating the beautiful game together.
The weather played along too, with almost uninterrupted sunshine throughout the entire month. Ever since the end of World War II Germans had been burdened by their past and as such were reluctant to show national pride. The summer fairy tale changed that.
Suddenly the colors of the German flag, black, red, and gold, were displayed seemingly everywhere. "Here you can see a united and happy German people," said the then-UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Sociologist Thomas Druyen told DW: "In 2006, the power of football led to a skeptical, not risk-averse, but security-fanatical people really opening their arms and celebrating a big party.
For me, as for millions of other people, it was a great moment in my life." Who coined the term 'summer fairy tale?' German film director Sönke Wortmann produced a documentary about the 2006 World Cup called (Germany. A summer .