Mannheim
The estate of soccer world champion Horst Eckel (1932-2021) was sold at a public auction in Mannheim for a total of around 250,000 euros. The most sought-after exhibit was Eckel’s shirt from the 1954 World Cup final in Bern, purchased from an anonymous telephone bidder for 78,000 euros. The same bidder also bought Eckel’s World Cup gold medal for €76,000 and Eckel’s latest shoes for €20,000.
The estate of soccer world champion Horst Eckel (1932-2021) was sold at a public auction in Mannheim for a total of around 250,000 euros. The most sought-after exhibit was Eckel’s shirt from the 1954 World Cup final in Bern, purchased from an anonymous telephone bidder for 78,000 euros. The same bidder also bought Eckel’s World Cup gold medal for €76,000 and Eckel’s latest shoes for €20,000.
“He’s a German,” auctioneer Wolfgang Fuhr said of the bidder. The man indicated that the testimonies of one of the most important moments in the history of German sport will be made available to the public.
According to Fuhr, bidders from World Cup host country Qatar and China were also interested in the gold medal. A total of about 240 issues were offered, most of which found takers.
Last “Hero of Bern”
Eckel was the last of the “Heroes of Bern” to die almost a year ago. Her daughter Dagmar justified the auction by saying that she needed money to take care of her mother. “Objects are objects, people are people,” said Dagmar Eckel. It is a “well thought out and considered” step.
The World Cup jersey has been on display in the German Football Museum in Dortmund since 2015. According to Dagmar Eckel, he terminated the loan deal. There have recently been disagreements between the two sides on this step. It is unclear where the new owner will leave the shirt.
Palatinate Eckel had celebrated his greatest club successes with 1. FC Kaiserslautern. Her daughter had announced not to auction everything, for example not a FCK ring, Eckel’s wedding ring and wristwatch. “The things he wore are more important to me than the 1954 gold medal,” said Dagmar Eckel.
Among the finds were numerous everyday objects, such as a suitcase and a refrigerator. Eckel’s Federal Cross of Merit also went up for auction and changed hands for 3,800 euros.
