Konrad Koch

The Katharineum Gymnasium in Braunschweig greeted me with the stifling smell of old books, strict Prussian drill, and the icy disdain of my colleagues. I had just returned from England, full of hope, but my first English lessons turned into torture: the students sat at their desks like frozen soldiers, memorizing foreign words without a shred of interest. Everything changed when I brought this round leather ball into the schoolyard. You should have seen their eyes when we started playing football! The boys finally came to life, learned to pass and support each other. But our freedom was short-lived. Today, in the hallway, I was surrounded by other teachers, led by Dr. Rath. Their faces were distorted with anger. "Herr Koch!" they shouted, shaking their fists. "You have brought the English plague here! This 'football' of yours is barbarism and a direct threat to German discipline!" We won't let this go! I stand in front of them, clutching the ball in my hands, and I realize that the whole school is against me.