You don’t just support Rott-Weiss Essen – you live it.

This is a club that’s been through it all – from winning trophies in the ’50s to flirting with oblivion in the lower leagues. Founded in 1907, Essen’s story is one of highs, lows, and everything in between. But through all the ups and downs, the fanbase has stuck around. Rott-Weiss Essen isn’t just about football — it’s about identity, working-class spirit, and a connection that runs deeper than the results on the pitch.

The Glory Days

Essen’s golden years were back in the 1950s. They won the DFB-Pokal in 1953 by beating Alemannia Aachen 2-1 – their first major piece of silverware.

But the big one came in 1955, when they won the German Championship by edging out 1. FC Kaiserslautern 4-3 in a proper classic. That win made them the first German club to qualify for the inaugural European Cup, although the adventure ended early with a defeat to Hibernian.

The star of that era was Helmut Rahn – a true Essen legend. He’s the guy who scored the winning goal for West Germany in the 1954 World Cup final against Hungary, one of the biggest moments in football history. Rahn’s legacy still looms large at the club, and he’s rightly remembered as one of their all-time greats.

From Bad to Worse

After the glory days, things got a bit messy. When the Bundesliga was founded in 1963, Essen didn’t make the cut and ended up in the second tier. They got promoted in 1966 but lasted just two seasons before dropping back down.

From there, it was a slow slide into chaos. Financial problems piled up, and by the early 2000s, they were bouncing between the third and fourth tiers. Things hit rock bottom in 2010 when they dropped to the Regionalliga (fourth tier) due to money issues. That’s when the real rebuilding had to start.

It took over a decade, but Essen finally fought their way back to the 3. Liga in 2022 – a proper moment of relief for the long-suffering fanbase.

Fan Culture and Local Pride

What makes Essen special isn’t just the football – it’s the fans. The club has deep working-class roots, and you feel that in the stands. Stadion Essen holds 20,000 fans, and the noise on a matchday is unreal.

There’s still a piece of the old ground at the new stadium too — an old floodlight from their former stadium stands tall outside, towering over the ground as a reminder of where the club’s come from. It’s a proper touch of nostalgia that fans hold dear.

There’s also a strong connection with Borussia Dortmund fans — all thanks to their shared hatred of Schalke. Essen and Dortmund fans have backed each other for decades, and you can feel that connection at both grounds.

A Weekend at Stadion Essen

I got a taste of all this during my recent visit to Stadion Essen for Rott-Weiss Essen v SV Waldhof Mannheim on 9 March 2025. We took the RE6 regional train from Düsseldorf to Essen and had plenty of time for a wander around the city before the 7:30pm kick-off.

Pre-match beers were at Hafenstübchen – basically the only bar near the stadium. €2 for a bottle of Stauder beer and €4 for a currywurst, that’s exactly how football should be. The place was packed with home fans, all chatting about the game and the state of the league.

We had tickets in W3, next to the ultras in W1 and W2. The atmosphere was unreal from the first whistle. Ahmet Arslan scored the winner, a stunning long-range free-kick, and the place erupted. No VAR, no waiting – just pure joy.

At Hafenstübchen, I got chatting to Andreas, a die-hard Essen fan who’s seen it all.

He mentioned the connection with Dortmund fans — how it stems from mutual dislike of Schalke — and then said if Essen got promoted to the 2. Bundesliga, Andreas said he’d give up his season ticket.
“Why?” I asked.
“VAR,” he said, shaking his head. “It kills the atmosphere. You score, you celebrate — then you wait. That’s not football.”

Andreas isn’t alone in that view. Essen’s promotion to the 3. Liga has been a huge moment for the club, but the idea of VAR creeping into matchdays is seen as a threat to the raw emotion that defines lower-league football.

The Road Ahead

Essen’s rebuilding job is well underway. Players like Ahmet Arslan have given fans something to believe in again, and with the fanbase as passionate as ever, promotion to the 2. Bundesliga doesn’t feel like a wild dream anymore. But whether Essen fans are ready for the changes that come with it, like VAR, is another story.

What’s Next for Essen?

Rott-Weiss Essen is a proper football club, built on hard graft, working-class spirit, and fan loyalty. They’ve climbed out of the footballing wilderness once, and they’re not done yet. The old floodlight still stands tall outside the stadium, watching over the club’s next chapter.

Who knows, maybe it’ll be shining over a return to the Bundesliga sooner than we think.