A Key Step for People with Dementia

Union Berlin has launched a pilot project to bring people with dementia back to the stadium. The first stadium tour was a huge success and shows that football can be an important part of the lives of people with dementia.

The Malteser and Union Berlin have developed a concept that adapts to the needs of people with dementia. The stadium tour is different from the regular tours that are not suitable for people with dementia. There are more breaks, more conversations, and less information. Instead of numbers and club history, memories are in the foreground.

The main focus is: less is more. We work a lot with memories. We try to achieve a lot about long-term memory. Jens Oestreich, stadium guide and developer of the concept, says: We have been engaged in the stadium tours of the club for years on a voluntary basis. I also gladly participated in the development of the new format because it has dementia cases in my own family.

A Successful Premiere

The first stadium tour was a successful premiere. The around ten participants and their accompanying persons go through the stations of a classic stadium tour. The course differs, however, consciously from regular tours. There are more breaks, more conversations, and less information. Instead of numbers and club history, memories are in the foreground.

A participant looks out of the upper floor onto the lawn and says with emotion: I'm happy to be here. What a beautiful place. For Karl Heinz Jungclaus, the tour is something very special. I would never have come in here because I'm also disabled now. That's something very special because I also played football. Football is also something where you can let go of your emotions.

A Key Step for the Future

The demand for more cultural offers for people with dementia is very high according to the Malteser. Our events are almost all directly booked out. Even the next stadium tour has a long waiting list. This shows how important it is that we create even more dementia-friendly offers.

Four more tours are already planned for this year. At the same time, the initiators are thinking about further formats. So, initial talks are underway with the Berlin Olympic Stadium. In the long term, concert events could also come into focus, making it easier for people with dementia and their relatives to attend cultural events.

The offer is part of the Malteser project Mehr (er)leben, which aims to make culture and leisure facilities more accessible to the needs of people with dementia. After tours in museums and castles, the Alte Försterei is now the first football stadium to participate in the concept. The project is supported by the Deutsche Fernsehlotterie and the Stiftung Berliner Sparkasse.

Current Numbers and Facts

Union Berlin is currently in 11th place in the Bundesliga table with 39 points from 34 games. The team has scored 44 goals and conceded 58 goals in the current season. The title holder Bayern München is 50 points ahead of Union Berlin.

The last game of Union Berlin ended with a 4:0 win against FC Augsburg on 16 May 2026. The team is currently on a two-game winning streak.