A small group of people is causing problems for thousands of  living in Buffalo’s Sister-City/Twin Town of Dortmund, Germany.  Their football (soccer) club, historic Borussia Dortmund, is one of the premier clubs of German football.  It plays in the largest football stadium in Germany.  Their matches have been making news because a small group of neo-nazi thugs have infiltrated the grounds attempting to draw attention to themselves and their discredited agenda.

The call of racist chants and an increase in violence have occurred during league matches and have brought negative press to this giant of the Bundesliga.  USA Today has just reported the problem in a recent issue and was very clear in announcing that the perpetrators number roughly 100 and appear in a section of the huge Westfalenstadion   which accommodates some 24,000 fans of its 80, 600 capacity.

This is probably the same amount rowdy drunks that can cause problems in our Ralph Wilson Stadium  which at 73,000 seats for Buffalo Bills games is only slightly smaller than Westfalenstadion.  The only problem is full blown hatred is much more dangerous than people who’ve had a beer too many.  And yet in either case everyone gets labeled.

The type of intolerant behavior being exhibited in Dortmund, or anywhere else in the world, has no place in a civilized society..  Over the centuries it has wreaked havoc on nations and continents.  No sense in retelling the story, we all know the dangers.

Dortmund like Buffalo is a city of immigrants and colors.  We share a history of  industrial might and are both in the process of reinventing themselves due to shifting economies.  We owe an offer of moral support to our Dortmunder friends.  Let’s hope that the great fans of Borussia Dortmund and good people of the city don’t’ allow the few to get away with mindless anger in trying to end 68 years of growth and progress. .

Buffalo-Dortmund have had ties since 1977.