Fritz Walter facts for kids
Walter with Kaiserslautern in October 1956
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||
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| Full name | Friedrich Walter | ||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 31 October 1920 | ||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Kaiserslautern, Germany | ||||||||||||
| Date of death | 17 June 2002 (aged 81) | ||||||||||||
| Place of death | Enkenbach-Alsenborn, Germany | ||||||||||||
| Height | 1.75 m | ||||||||||||
| Playing position | Attacking midfielder, inside forward | ||||||||||||
| Youth career | |||||||||||||
| 1928–1937 | 1. FC Kaiserslautern | ||||||||||||
| Senior career* | |||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | ||||||||||
| 1937–1959 | 1. FC Kaiserslautern | 428 | (372) | ||||||||||
| 1943 | TSG Diedenhofen | 29 | (18) | ||||||||||
| 1943 | TSG Saargemünd | 12 | (1) | ||||||||||
| Total | 469 | (391) | |||||||||||
| National team | |||||||||||||
| 1940–1958 | Germany / West Germany | 61 | (33) | ||||||||||
| Teams managed | |||||||||||||
| 1945–1949 | 1. FC Kaiserslautern (player-coach) | ||||||||||||
| 1960 | VfL Neustadt/Coburg | ||||||||||||
| 1962–1968 | SV Alsenborn | ||||||||||||
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Honours
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Friedrich "Fritz" Walter (born October 31, 1920 – died June 17, 2002) was a famous German footballer. He played his entire professional career for 1. FC Kaiserslautern. Fritz Walter usually played as an attacking midfielder or inside forward.
He played 61 games for the German national team (later West Germany) and scored 33 goals. He was the captain of the team that won the 1954 FIFA World Cup.
Contents
A Football Legend's Life
Early Days in Football
Fritz Walter grew up surrounded by football. His parents worked at the 1. FC Kaiserslautern club restaurant. This meant he was always close to the game.
By 1928, he joined the Kaiserslautern youth academy. He made his first team debut at just 17 years old. This club would be the only professional team he ever played for.
Many international teams offered him a lot of money to join them. But Fritz always chose to stay with his hometown club. He also wanted to play for the national team and his coach, Sepp Herberger, whom he called "Chef."
Playing for Germany
Fritz Walter first played for the German national team in 1940. His coach was Sepp Herberger. In his very first game against Romania, he scored three goals! This is called a hat-trick.
War and Return to the Field
In 1942, Fritz Walter was called to serve in the armed forces. When World War II ended, he was 24 years old. He was in a prisoner of war camp in Maramures. There, he played football with the Hungarian and Slovakian guards.
When Soviet soldiers arrived, they usually sent German prisoners to labor camps. But one Hungarian guard recognized Fritz Walter from a game. He told the Soviets that Fritz was not German, but from a different area. This saved Fritz and his brother from being sent away. Fritz later said that game was the most important of his life.
After returning home in 1945, Fritz Walter was not well. He had malaria. But he still returned to play for Kaiserslautern. He led them to win the German championships in 1951 and 1953.
In 1951, coach Sepp Herberger called Fritz back to the national team. He was named captain.
World Cup Victory in 1954
Fritz Walter was the captain of the West German team that won their first ever FIFA World Cup in 1954. They beat Hungary in the final. This was a huge moment for German football.
Fritz and his brother, Ottmar Walter, made history that day. They were the first brothers to play together on a World Cup-winning team.
In 1956, there was political unrest in Hungary. The Hungarian football team was away from home. For two years, Fritz helped them by managing their games and providing financial support. He felt he was repaying them for saving him during the war.
Fritz Walter played his last international game in the semi-final of the 1958 World Cup against Sweden. He got injured, which ended his international career. He retired from football completely in 1959.
Life After Football
In 1985, the home stadium of FC Kaiserslautern was renamed the Fritz-Walter-Stadion in his honor.
Fritz Walter was made an honorary captain of the German football squad in 1958. This is a very special title. Only a few other legendary players have received it.
Fritz Walter passed away on June 17, 2002, at the age of 81. He had hoped to see the 2006 World Cup games played in his hometown of Kaiserslautern. Sadly, he died before it happened. However, on the fourth anniversary of his death in 2006, a moment of silence was held for him during a World Cup game in Kaiserslautern.
In November 2003, UEFA celebrated its 50th anniversary. The German Football Association chose Fritz Walter as its "Golden Player." This award recognized him as the best German player of the past 50 years (from 1954 to 2003).
Since 2005, the Fritz Walter Medal has been awarded every year. This award honors young German footballers who show great promise.
Personal Life and "Fritz Walter's Weather"
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Fritz Walter was married to Italia Bortoluzzi Walter for five decades.
It was well-known in Germany that Fritz Walter played better when the weather was bad, especially when it was raining. Because he had malaria during the war, he found it hard to play in hot, sunny conditions. So, people started using the phrase "Fritz Walter's weather" to describe rainy weather. The famous 1954 World Cup final was even played in "Fritz Walter's weather" conditions!
Honors and Awards
Club Achievements
1. FC Kaiserslautern
- German football championship: 1950–51, 1952–53
International Achievements
Germany
- FIFA World Cup: 1954
Individual Awards
- FIFA World Cup Bronze Ball: 1954 (third best player)
- FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1954 (one of the best players in the tournament)
- FIFA Order of Merit: 1995 (a high honor from FIFA)
- UEFA German Golden Player: 2003 (best German player of the last 50 years)
- Member of Germany's Sports Hall of Fame
