With a campaign entitled “Open your eyes and your ears!” – Eintracht Frankfurt against anti-semitism and racism, Eintracht Frankfurt are highlighting the club’s stance against anti-Jewish sentiment and racial prejudice of any kind ahead of the match against Bayern Munich on Saturday 9 December 2023.
The game between SGE and Bayern is charged with historical significance. The first final of the German League took place almost one hundred years ago in 1932, with Bayern winning 2-0 and being declared the country’s champions. Due to their close ties with the Jewish community in their respective cities, both SGE and Bayern were seen as Jewish clubs by observers around Germany.
At a time when incidences of anti-semitism are on the rise once again, Eintracht Frankfurt are looking to demonstrate solidarity with the community.
“[Sonny's] words should spur us all on to take a stand – as a club and as a community – against anti-semitism and racism.”
Eintracht Frankfurt Fußball AG CEO Axel Hellmann
“Holocaust-survivor Helmut ‘Sonny’ Sonneberg, who passed away in February at the age of 91, spent much of his life expressly warning of the dangers of prejudice, telling people: ‘Open your eyes and your ears’,” said Eintracht Frankfurt Fußball AG CEO Axel Hellmann. “His words should spur us all on to take a stand – as a club and as a community – against anti-semitism and racism.”
Safeguarding the Jewish way of life is a key responsibility of Eintracht Frankfurt. Sonneberg’s words will be on display on Saturday ahead of the match against Bayern at the Deutsche Bank Park, while at the Museum in the Waldtribüne stand, we will be welcoming Benny Graumann, head of the Jewish Community in Frankfurt and Philipp Reschke, member of the board of Eintracht Frankfurt Fußball AG.
The Eintracht Frankfurt Museum will also be involved on Sunday in the illuminations on the banks of the River Main organised by Frankfurt’s cultural institutions, as part of a campaign called “Never again – starting right now”.
