Germany won another match in the world cup and celebrated heartily. Here in Frankfurt I was able to witness and document celebrations in the business/tourist center of town, Hauptwache. The festivities made me question the craziness of Hanshin Tigers' fans. Everyone was decked out in German soccer attire and the celebrations were wild to say the least: drumming, dancing, singing, drinking... In Visual Anthro class yesterday we watched "War Photographer." Not to make light of the work of James Nachtwey or the serious wars and poverty he documents, I felt like I was in a war-zone today. People pushed and shoved while dancing and/or trying to get in a better position to take photos; beer bottles were thrown to the ground and crushed underfoot; real and large/fluffy soccer balls were flying overhead (I had to dodge and deflect the balls more than once) and explosives (OK, fireworks) were lit in the midst of the crowds. The local TV news crew was there for a while and they were a target of the enthusiastic celebrations; people wanted to be on TV showing their joy of the German victory. The police stood by but seemed unconcerned. I saw one officer playing soccer with children. The only officials to get in the way were street sweepers but they were soon drawn into the celebrations. All this being said, Germany during the world cup is the place to be during the summer of 2010...
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