German in the UK

Albert Camus once said that everything he knew about solidarity, he had learned from football. What better way, therefore, to bring young Britons and Germans together than a football tournament? And where better to hold it than North-West England, the cradle of the professional game?

On Saturday 1 May, 26 teams took part in the annual ‘Sauerkraut Cup’ in Manchester. The tournament is organised by The University of Manchester German Society together with lecturers from The Universities of Manchester and Leeds. It is aimed at UK-based fans of German culture, and this year German studies students from 12 universities battled for the coveted prize. They were joined by a team from the German embassy, and even by a team of German authors who continued a tradition of footballing literati fostered by such writers as Peter Handke and Günter Grass.

Off the pitch, there was also a series of cultural events around Manchester and the North West, with the chance for English students to show off their language skills to the German visitors. A football chanting competition was particularly popular. On the pitch, the Mancunian hosts were disappointed to see their rivals from across the Pennines emerge victorious as Leeds beat Liverpool in the final.