Press releases

• shows the front page of the Aachener Volkszeitung (AVZ) of July 8, 1974 after the German national team's victory over the Netherlands in the World Cup final.
• The German-Dutch rivalry had reached its climax. How did the border city of Aachen experience this final?
• Various facets of the final day were emphasized in the Aachen press the day after the final.

The Aachen City Archive regularly presents interesting items from its stacks as Archive of the Month. The item with a short accompanying text is presented in a display case in the foyer of the city archive on Reichsweg as well as digitally on the archive's homepage. In June 2026, it is the front page of the Aachener Volkszeitung (AVZ) from July 8, 1974.

On June 11, the biggest World Cup ever will kick off: 48 national teams will compete for the FIFA World Cup trophy in the USA, Mexico and Canada. The tournament will last six weeks, longer than any tournament before. The final will take place on July 19 in New Jersey (USA).

In comparison, the 1974 World Cup was much smaller and shorter. Back then, 16 teams took part in the tournament. It was held from June 13 to July 7, 1974, for the first time in Germany. And finally, the German national soccer team won the tournament on July 7 in Munich by beating the Netherlands 2:1. This was the second time they had won the World Cup after 1954.

How did Aachen, as a border city, experience the 1974 final? Since at least
2006, the experience of such major tournaments has been shaped by fan zones and so-called “group viewing.” But how did Aachen experience the 1974 final? The day after the final, the Aachener Presse highlighted various aspects of the day of the final.

The Aachener Nachrichten (AN) and the Neue Rhein Zeitung / Aachener Zeitung (NRZ /AZ) showed photos of fans with German flags in the Karlsbrunnen fountain on the market square - a flag had also been pinned to the Kaiser statue - and a convertible with enthusiastic fans. They reported that the streets were empty and that after the game the celebrations went on long into the night. At Büchel, 200 people gathered with beer and singing ("Hi, ha, ho - Holland is knocked out" and the like) and waved German and Alemannia flags. Dutch vehicles were given a good shake and greeted with songs of triumph. Seven Aachen drivers later lost their driving licenses, five of them after accidents in which no one was injured.

Aachen international Herbert Wimmer, who was injured during the tournament, was greeted in Brand by Aachen's Lord Mayor Kurt Malangré and 2,000 people from Brand, including numerous delegations from Brand and other Aachen clubs, with numerous bouquets of flowers and cheering music on the Borussia Brand sports ground.

Television broadcasts in border posts for customs officials
The Aachener Volkszeitung (AVZ) ran headlines such as “Soccer Thriller with a Happy Ending” and “Tears Among the Dutch.” The Dutch national team had gone into the final as the favorite. Their reporters described the deserted streets in Aachen and Vaals. At kickoff time at 4 p.m., only a few people and cars were to be seen. Restaurants had closed their doors to all but their regulars; the fire department and police were not called to any incidents. At the German-Dutch border crossing, televisions were set up in both border posts so that customs officers could also watch the game.

Only about a dozen cars crossed the border into Germany during the final - mainly with Belgian license plates. A German-Dutch family watched the first half on German television and the second half on Dutch television.

German-Dutch Rivalry at Its PeakAnd
editor Wolfgang Trees, who himself drove a car with Dutch license plates, was "harassed" by Aachen passersby after the German victory because they mistook him for a Dutchman. This may also have been a tit-for-tat response to the confident signs that Dutch commuters had placed in their cars in the days leading up to the final, predicting a Dutch victory.

AVZ also reported on a call that reached the editorial team five minutes after the final whistle: someone wanted to place an obituary asking: "Where has Johann Cruyff gone?". Cruyff was the Dutch captain and star player. The editors declined with thanks.

Will there be a reason to celebrate this year? We can't wait to find out.

Sources: Aachen
City Archives, ZTG 10-187 (NRZ / AZ); ZTG 40-121 (AN); ZTG 41-120 (AVZ); the issues dated July 8 and 9, 1974, respectively