Marcus Urban
{{short description|German footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{Infobox person
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Marcus Urban
| honorific_suffix =
| image = Marcus Urban 2011 2.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Marcus Urban in 2011
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1971|08|04|df=yes}}
| birth_place = Weimar, East Germany
| death_date =
| death_place =
| monuments =
| nationality =
| other_names = Marcus Schneider
| citizenship =
| education = Bauhaus-Universität, Weimar
| occupation = Diversity adviser; life coach
| organization = FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt; Verein für Vielfalt in Sport und Gesellschaft
| agent =
| known_for = Football player; spokesperson for LGBT issues
| notable_works =
| boards =
| spouse =
| partner =
| awards =
| website = {{URL|http://www.marcus-urban.de/}}
| signature =
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| footnotes =
| module = {{Infobox football biography |embed=yes |header-color=lavender
|height =
|position = Midfielder
|youthyears1 =
|youthclubs1 = FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt
|years1 = 1990–1991
|clubs1 = FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt
|caps1 = 0
|goals1 = 0
|nationalyears1 = 1986–1989
|nationalteam1 = East Germany (youth)
|nationalcaps1 =
|nationalgoals1 =
}}
}}
Marcus Urban (born 4 August 1971, earlier Marcus SchneiderKirbach, Roland (21 June 2007) [http://www.zeit.de/2007/26/Homosexuelle Schwulsein heute - ganz normal?] in Die Zeit. Retrieved 16 July 2017.) is a former German football player. He played with the East Germany national youth football team and in the second division club Rot-Weiß Erfurt in the 1980s and early 1990s. Several years afterwards he came out as a gay man. He has spoken publicly about the difficulties that gay footballers experience, and he is now a spokesperson and campaigner on diversity issues in sport and the workplace.Bogena, Kai-niels (11 November 2007) [https://www.welt.de/wams_print/article1351780/Schwule-Fussballer-haben-Angst.html Schwule Fußballer haben Angst] in Welt N24. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
As a child, he took on his step-father's surname, Schneider, but as an adult he changed it back to his mother's maiden name.
In 2008, the sports journalist Ronny Blaschke published an authorised biography of Urban. This is titled Versteckspieler: Die Geschichte des schwulen Fußballers Marcus Urban ('Hidden Player: the story of the gay footballer Marcus Urban')Blaschke, Ronny (2008) Versteckspieler: Die Geschichte des schwulen Fußballers Marcus Urban. Göttingen: Verlag Die WerkstattSchall, Tobias (3 November 2008) [https://web.archive.org/web/20121109212716/http://content.stuttgarter-zeitung.de/stz/page/1864072_0_2176_-marcus-urban-ich-dachte-als-kicker-ist-man-nicht-schwul-.html Ich dachte: als Kicker ist man nicht schwul] in Stuttgarter Zeitung (archived 9 November 2012). Retrieved 16 July 2017.
Life
Urban was born and grew up in the city of Weimar, which was then in the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). From 1984, when he was 13, until 1991 he attended a boarding sports school in the nearby city of Erfurt, support by the 2nd division Bundesliga club FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt (Erfurt city football club; Red and White are the club colours). Such schools were widely used in the former Eastern bloc countries. He trained with East German world sports champions and olympic medal winners. He played for the East Germany national youth football teams from 1986 to 1989.[http://www.marcus-urban.de/lebenslauf.html Marcus Urban website] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171108033854/http://www.marcus-urban.de/lebenslauf.html |date=2017-11-08 }}. Retrieved 17 July 2017
In 1990, he was given an amateur contract to play for Rot-Weiß Erfurt. He played against future players of the Germany national team such as Bernd Schneider, Thomas Linke, Steffen Freund and Frank Rost. He was about to become a professional football player, but in 1991, he decided to quit due to the pressure of having to hide his homosexuality from the football world.Ehrlich, Betting; Schirmer, Lisa (12 May 2017) [https://www.antennethueringen.de/blog/thueringen/schluss-mit-den-versteckspielen-119488 Fußball-Star Marcus Urban im Thüringen Talk Schluss mit den Versteckspielen] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629194554/http://www.antennethueringen.de/blog/thueringen/schluss-mit-den-versteckspielen-119488 |date=2017-06-29 }} on Antenne Thüringen website. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
In 1991, he began studies in urban and regional planning at Bauhaus-Universität in Weimar, graduating in 2000 with a master's degree in engineering, specialising in renewable energy. During this time, he spent a semester at Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II in Naples. He undertook his civilian service year in 1997, working for an organisation that provided special therapies for disabled children based on theatre, music and art.
Urban came out to family and friends in 1994, but it was not until 13 years later, in 2007, that he publicly came out in an interview with the newspaper Welt am Sonntag in which he spoke about the difficulties of gay football players. A year later, his biography was published. Grand Hotel Pictures, a Berlin film production company, started developing a film based on the book in 2009, but as at July 2017, nothing had been released.[http://www.pinknews.co.uk/2009/02/09/german-gay-footballer-to-get-biopic-treatment/ German gay footballer to get biopic treatment] in Pink News, 9 February 2009.Retrieved 16 July 2017.
Today, he is an adviser on diversity issues and also works as a life coach with individuals and organisations, specialising in the areas of self-confidence, diversity and intercultural skills. He makes appearances on TV, radio and in print media, discussing his experiences as a gay man in sport, and his work in this area. Urban advises the Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund, (German Olympic Sports Confederation) and the Sports Committee of the German Federal Parliament, as well as businesses and non-profit institutions.[https://www.dosb.de/de/tablet/gleichstellung-im-sport/service/kontakte/expertinnen-netz/datenbank/?tx_dsbprojekte_pi1%5Bmode%5D%5B2%5D=173&cHash=bd3eedf06ec6563691952f72c233289a DOSB Expertinnen-Datenbank]. Retrieved 16 July 2017.[https://www.bundestag.de/dokumente/textarchiv/2011/34054431_kw15_pa_sport/205136 "Homophobie ist im Sport noch stark ausgeprägt"]. Deutscher Bundestag Dokument, 2011. Retrieved 16 July 2017
Urban is on the management team of the Verein für Vielfalt in Sport und Gesellschaft ('Association for Diversity in Sport and Business').[http://www.verein-fuer-vielfalt.de/#about Verein für Vielfalt in Sport und Gesellschaft]. Retrieved 18 July 2017 In March 2010 he co-founded the diversity expertise network Fußball für Vielfalt ('Football for Diversity'), originally called Fußball gegen Homophobie. This is a project of the :de:Bundesstiftung Magnus Hirschfeld ('Federal Foundation of Magnus Hirschfield'), an organisation that aims to carry on the work of the pioneering social scientist Magnus Hirschfeld (1868-1935), researching LGBT issues and seeking to prevent social discrimination against the LGBT community in Germany.[http://www.fussball-fuer-vielfalt.de/ Fußball für Vielfalt website]. Retrieved 16 July 2017.
As at May 2017, Marcus Urban lives in Berlin with his partner. He plays football in the over 40s team for Hertha BSC.
Further reading
- Beasley, Neil (2016) Football's Coming Out: Life as a Gay Fan and Player. [London]: Floodlit Dreams Ltd. {{ISBN|978-0992658564}}
- Blaschke, Ronny (2008) Versteckspieler: Die Geschichte des schwulen Fußballers Marcus Urban. Göttingen: Verlag Die Werkstatt. {{ISBN|978-3895336119}}
- Leibfried, Dirk; Erb, Andreas (2011) Das Schweigen der Männer: Homosexualität im deutschen Fußball. Göttingen: Verlag Die Werkstatt. {{ISBN|978-3895338151}}
- Magrath, Rory (2016) Inclusive Masculinities in Contemporary Football: Men in the Beautiful Game. Abingdon: Routledge. {{ISBN|978-1138653610}}
- Rohlwing, Christoph(2015) Homosexualität im deutschen Profifußball: Schwulenfreie Zone Fußballplatz?. Baden-Baden: Tectum-Verlag. {{ISBN|978-3828835962}}
- Walther-Ahrens, Tanja (2011) Seitenwechsel: Coming-Out im Fußball. Gütersloh: Gütersloher Verlagshaus. {{ISBN|978-3579066998}}
See also
References
External links
- [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4D8MWQhbl-A The story of Marcus Urban, a gay soccer player in DDR] (YouTube 8:00 min) (An Italian Television report, in Italian)
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Category:Sportspeople from Weimar
Category:Footballers from Erfurt
Category:East German men's footballers
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:German LGBTQ footballers
Category:20th-century German LGBTQ people