This is the hometown of two famous sportswear manufacturers – Adidas and Puma.
North of the river, loyalty lies with Puma.
The town of Herzogenaurach is the birthplace of both Puma and Adidas.
No one knows exactly what happened between brothers Adolf and Rudolf Dassler after World War II ended.
But whatever it was, it split the family business in two, and also split the town in two.
When Frank Dassler – Rudolf’s (Puma founder) nephew – joined Adidas a decade ago, he suffered estrangement from his former colleagues.
Frank Dassler is working for Adidas.
Herzogenaurach does not have a train station but has two football teams.
But now, that is gradually changing, raising a glimmer of hope for peace.
Kittler used to play for the Puma team in the 80s and vividly remembers the `eternal feud` between the two teams.
Some locals still don’t want to compromise.
Helmut Fischer also tattooed leopard paw prints.
Every morning, dressed head to toe in Puma, Mr. Fischer often walks around town and says hello to almost everyone he meets.
Fischer tells a story like a Shakespeare novel.
The father was very upset about this.
In the childhood home of Frank Dassler – Rudolf’s nephew, guests who came to the house wearing Adidas shoes were immediately forced to change to Puma shoes.
When he received the invitation from Adidas, he had never talked to any of his distant cousins on the other side of the river.
Puma CEO Bjørn Gulden also previously worked for Adidas.
Gulden shared that he often teases his friends when he sees them wearing three stripes.
Today, both Adidas and Puma claim that the confrontation is in the past.
`I think it’s time to say there is no longer any feud in this city. Now, people can wear both brands. For a mayor like me, it’s a must.`
Coach Kittler breathed a sigh of relief when parents approved the two teams to practice together.
Mr. Fischer agreed that peace had been restored in Herzogenaurach, albeit a little late.
`We need to unite to fight Nike,` Fischer declared in front of the fountain in the center of town.
