11mm – reading

“King Bomber Karl”

Karl-Heinz Granitza reads from his biography, written by Stefan Hermanns

Karl-Heinz Granitza is, yes, a Berlin football legend, known in particular for his success at Hertha BSC and as a star in the US North American Soccer League (NASL). He is considered one of the most prolific German strikers of his era, reaching the DFB Cup final twice and finishing third in the Bundesliga with the Berlin first division club. In 1978, he moved to the USA to join the Chicago Sting. There he became a superstar, more popular than Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan, and scored 128 goals in 199 games, winning the NASL championship twice. A few weeks ago, the book “King Bomber Karl” was published about him, from which he will read. And 11mm Festival Director Birger Schmidt is looking forward to the subsequent discussion, with Granitza’s very personal anecdotes and insights behind the scenes of the spectacular football of those days.

Sunday, 29.3. 3 pm in the foyer of the Colosseum.

Free admission.

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11mm – Talk

In the griff of violence – The World Cup and the cartels in Mexico

For a long time, Donald Trump dominated the headlines about the 2026 Football World Cup, which will be held in the USA, Mexico and Canada. That changed in February when the killing of the most powerful cartel boss in Mexico triggered a wave of violence. Organized crime has been one of the largest economic sectors in Mexico for decades. More than 130,000 people are considered “disappeared” there. Most of them are young men who have been forcibly recruited and murdered by the drug cartels. Mass graves are repeatedly discovered in Guadalajara, one of three Mexican World Cup locations. And so the cartels are also likely to profit from the World Cup, particularly through the growing demand for prostitution and illegal involvement in construction projects. We want to discuss the background and raise the question: Are World Cup matches in Mexico appropriate and safe? In discussion: Ronny Blaschke, book author and journalist focusing on political issues in football; Dr. Luis Mejía, political scientist and academic

Consultant; Moderation: Christoph Jungmann (11mm).

Saturday, 28.3. 3 pm in the foyer of the Colosseum.

Free admission.