On the crisp autumn evening of October 27, 2024, the Stadion An der Alten Försterei transformed into a cauldron of sound and spectacle as 1. FC Union Berlin welcomed Eintracht Frankfurt. Under the floodlit skies, the streets, bars and stands surged with energy. Captured through the lens and words of Guirec Munier, the fervour of Die Eisernen (The Iron Ones) came alive, showcasing why Union Berlin’s fans have earned a reputation as some of the most enthusiastic and imaginative in football.
“Who doesn’t let themselves be bought by the West? Eisern Union!”
With their iconic chant of “Eisern Union” reverberating throughout the stadium, the supporters not only fuelled their team but reaffirmed their identity – a collective force that transforms each match into an unmissable celebration of spirit and resilience.
FC Union Berlin 1-1 Eintracht Frankfurt, 27 October, 2024. Stadion An der Alten Försterei. Words and photos by Guirec Munier.
It’s 2.04 pm at Alexanderplatz Station, heading towards the Köpenick district in the southeast of Berlin. In the train of line 3 of the Berlin S-Bahn, red and white jerseys, scarves and bucket hats bloom as the stops go by. All dressed in black, a few young ultras from Eintracht Frankfurt, 50 cl pilsner in hand, begin their warm-up…
The twenty-minute journey, notably through the Wuhlheide forest, gives a foretaste of the environment of the Stadion An der Alten Försterei (which literally translates to stadium of the old forester’s house).
On arrival, the beer bar named Hauptmann von Köpenick welcomes fans as soon as they arrive in the district of the same name. On this subject, I invite the curious to discover the incredible story of Friedrich Wilhelm Voigt, a shoemaker by profession and captain of the Prussian army for a day, who carried out a spectacular theft at the town hall of Köpenick.
The game between 1. FC Union Berlin and Eintracht Frankfurt doesn’t start for another 3 hours and yet the bar is packed to the rafters. The walls are covered in the glory of the local club, even in the toilets. The supporters of both sides live together without a shadow of a problem. The pints are emptied at the same rate as the waves of Union Berlin supporters crossing Mahlsdorfer Straße towards the stadium, the Mix Box (the local kebab shop) or another drinking establishment.
In Köpenick, there is a clannish atmosphere, with a form of attachment, a solidarity full of affect. This bond was forged in the 70s by drawing its values from the working-class roots of the neighborhood. The most popular club among the working classes of East Berlin, 1. FC Union Berlin has become the refuge of the ostalgic since German reunification. Those who, while denying the East German system, miss this more united era when money counted less. And in terms of solidarity, the Unioners are a reference. “Who doesn’t let themselves be bought by the West? Eisern Union!”, they sing on the terraces. For these inveterate supporters, the identity of their club and the popular fervour mustn’t be perverted by money, which has become king in football.
Like Hansel and Gretel walking at the edge of the forest, the Unioners plunge into it without haste. And there, nestled among the trees in autumnal colours, neither a house made of bread nor a witch like in the Brothers Grimm’s tale, but the picturesque Stadion An der Alten Försterei and its 22,000 seats (including 18,000 standing) which make it the largest stadium in Berlin dedicated solely to football.
The fans of 1. FC Union Berlin finish their pilsner, empty their bladders in the foliage and join the long queues to enter the stadium. Two hours before kick-off, the terraces are almost full. The beer and pretzel vendors are busy. And in Sektor 2, the Wuhlesyndikat and the HammerHearts (the Union Berlin ultras) get into marching order until the club’s anthem, ‘Eisern Union’, sounds. A totally underrated anthem which, from the first notes, brings the entire audience together. Scarves held out from the introduction of ‘Rammstein’ (eponymous title of the German metal group), guttural cries, raw metal, then the lyrics sung by Nina Hagen and taken up by the audience. An ideal appetizer before the Stadion An der Alten Försterei rumbles, roars, vibrates and ignites, without stopping, for 90 minutes.
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