FC Bayern brings Kurt Landauer’s legacy to young people in Cape Town
FC Bayern is a name instantly recognisable to most people with some knowledge of the game of football. While they may know about the team’s years of prowess on the soccer field, not many will know much about Kurt Landauer, an iconic figure associated with the Club.
Initially joining the Club as a player in 1901, he went on to become Club President, serving as the President with the longest term in office. Despite having been arrested by the Nazis and interned in Dachau; despite having been forced to flee to Switzerland to save his life; and despite having lost almost his entire family during the Holocaust, Landauer returned to Germany after the War, and again took up the role of President of FC Bayern.
A collaboration between the Club, Herzlia Highlands School and the Cape Town Holocaust & Genocide Centre (CTHGC) has led to the establishment of a schools’ football tournament, the Kurt Landauer Cup. The competition was initiated in 2025, and it was recently held again. Kuba Nowakowski, the Director of the CTHGC, comments: “For us, the tournament is a meaningful way to teach about this history and, more broadly, about the Holocaust in a different format, reaching new and younger audiences.”
With almost 150 players from 13 teams (10 boys’ teams and 3 girls’ teams), it was a day full of sport, excitement, friendship, and fun. The prizes provided by FC Bayern Munich generated much excitement – Club jerseys, shorts, jackets, and more. The team from Bishops Diocesan College won the boys’ tournament, while Herzlia High triumphed in the girls’ competition.
One of the participants from a soccer club called The Shooting Stars enthused about the day, saying, “Stepping onto the ground for the Kurt Landauer Cup was more than just playing football – it was stepping into a story. The atmosphere buzzed with energy as teams from all over came together, not only to compete but to honour the legacy of Kurt Landauer, a man whose love for the game endured through hardship and history.
“What stood out most was the spirit of unity. Between goals and tackles, we shared laughs, swapped stories and learned about resilience through sport. It was good to be part of something that connected the past to the present in such a powerful way.”
Click here to listen to the current President of FC Bayern, Herbert Hainer, talk about the tournament.
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