Three years ago, Erasmus University Rotterdam, in collaboration with seven international partners, received a significant Erasmus+ grant for the Football Makes History project. This initiative focused on the role of football history as a means to promote social change and inclusion. The results are now being finalized and shared.
Football History as a Window to Social Issues
The Football Makes History project explores how football history can serve as a platform for important societal discussions. The stories within football provide insight into themes such as diversity, gender equality, and migration. Football heroes and local players embody universal messages that should be shared and discussed, particularly through the voices of younger generations.
International Collaboration
The project brought together researchers, heritage professionals, educators, and civil society organizations. Partners included the Eintracht Frankfurt Museum, EuroClio, the Reinwardt Academy, the Polish high school ZSTIO2, the Fare Network, film producer Stefano di Pietro, and Erasmus University. Together, they developed a platform to unlock the potential of football history as an educational and social tool.
Key Achievements
The project delivered several innovative outcomes:
- Documentary Children of the Field: A 25-minute film on the heritage value of an unknown football field in Itatí, a vulnerable neighborhood in Buenos Aires.
- Toolkit for Football Clubs: A visually striking poster featuring eight key practices to inspire football clubs (both professional and amateur) to engage more with their heritage.
- Educational Documentary A Footballer Against the System: A film about a footballer who stood up against the system.
- Self-Assessment Tool: Developed by Erasmus University and ESHCC, this tool helps educators and heritage institutions evaluate whether sports/football is an innovative and effective way to teach history, heritage, and inclusion.
- Network of European Club Historians: Including participation from clubs such as St. Pauli, the German Football Museum, Benfica, Bohemians FC (Dublin), FC Dordrecht, and Ajax.
- Student Research: In collaboration with ZSTIO2, students investigated local football stories, with three of these turned into professional mini-documentaries.
- Educational Toolkit for Teachers: Developed by EuroClio and partners, this toolkit provides concrete strategies for incorporating football stories into the classroom.
Student Involvement
Students from Erasmus University and the Reinwardt Academy played an active role in the project. History students from EUR completed internships with Football Makes History, contributing to heritage education. Reinwardt Academy students collaborated with football museums such as Eintracht Frankfurt and Ajax to explore the role of museums in football history.
With the completion of Football Makes History, ESHCC demonstrates how sports and heritage can come together to create social impact. The materials and networks developed through this project will continue to contribute to education and research within the faculty.
- More information
Read more on the 'Football Makes History' website.
