Bernd at age 5

The block

He began to play football at age 4, when one of his aunts gave him a ball to keep the boy amused, he was a very active child. He went to play in the streets, he could play with boys over his age, because he had a ball to negociate it. He started to go to school, The 'Hammerschmiede Volkschule' very close  to home. Bernd was not very interested to study, but he was not a bad student... simply he was mainly interested in the football subject. After doing his homework he left home quickly to go to play in the street again after school time.

The school website here , view also some photos

Front view

School playground

 He was a lot of hours per day playing with the ball and his mother frequently called him for dinner in the evening: It was getting dark and the boy still there playing.

It was late in the 60's, Bernd was 8 yeas old and he began to watch the games on TV. He discovered the magic movements of Brazilian stricker Pele... and the Bayern Munich team began its legendary time: Goalkeeper Maier, defender Beckenbauer and stricker 'Torpedo' Mueller started a glorious time. Step by step, theses players leaded the German National Team to a higher level, to relieve the great old generation. It started a new time where German football was, joining Brazil, the powerful one.

Beckenbauer (FRG) and Pele (BRA) were his idols

There were the players, the models to follow, the stickers to collect, the idols who teached him the game. And the streets of Hammerschmiede were the best football school for Bernd Schuster to get the dream come true.

His narrow room was full of posters of Bayern Munich, World Cup posters, stickers,... with special devotion for Maier, Beckenbauer and Pele. Bernd wanted to follow the steps of Franz Beckenbauer, and play in Bayern Munich at the age of 18!

Some times, the family could go to the beach for the holiday time, and Bernd found there new colleagues to play, new surface to improve...he loved to play on the on the beach sands.

   Bernd in the swimming pool at age12

Then, at age 10 it was born his elder sister Claudia. Bernd liked the babies very much, but some times he should take care of his little sister for  some hours so his time to play and to run free was limited some days. Bernd shares his bedroom too because the flat has no more bedrooms.

  ChristKoenig Church is in front of the school

On Sunday morning the family usually goes to the catholic church ChristKoenig (website).

His grandpa was specially practicing catholic and Bernd received a very important influence from him. He received the first communion there.

In winter time he also like to play ice hockey, a very popular sport in the country, also nowadays. He is, until today, a big fan of this sport and he practices it when it is possible. (He is a fan of the Cologne Sharks, Koelner Haie)

The little boy was improving fast and he was much better than most of older boys playing football. It was known for the coaches of the boys in the nearest club SV Hammerschmiede and he received an invitation to a training. He was too much young to play, there were no teams for his age... but he was so good! The trainers applied him with the documents of a leaving boy... also a blond one...and it started his career. Some months later, he was enrolled with his own name and some rivals discovered a trick: This outstanding boy was elder!

Entry of SV Hammerschmiede facilities

Augsburg is an old and nice city

However, Hammerschmiede was a worker,  not very nice, block in NE of the city, near the motorway