Schalke’s club badge is rich in history, but there are a few aspects you may have overlooked.
Schalke has fallen from grace in recent years, having been relegated to the Bundesliga 2 last season. Meanwhile, they are only three points above the relegation zone in Germany’s second division and were held to a 2-2 draw against Furth on Friday.
Despite this, they continue to be one of the most popular clubs in Germany, having won seven German championships, five DFB-Pokals, one DFB Ligapokal, one DFL-Supercup, and one UEFA Cup.
However, Schalke was founded as a miners’ club, which they have retained near to their heart, or chest.
The team’s badge is blue and white, with the letter ‘S’ in bold calligraphy for Schalke and the digits ’04’ in reference to the club’s founding year of 1904. But that isn’t all. The logo also includes two essential aspects that are easy to overlook at first sight.
It’s the letter ‘G’ with a hammer. The G can be seen in the logo’s white backdrop, while the hammer is blue and has the writing ‘S04’ on it.
The two specifics are shown below.
But what is the significance of the club’s concealed details?
The ‘G’ and hammer are there for a very clear reason. The G is a monument to the city of Gelsenkirchen (Schalke’s hometown), which provided funds for the construction of Schalke’s former stadium, the Glückauf-Kampfbahn, in 1928.
In appreciation, FC Schalke 04 changed their name to FC Gelsenkirchen-Schalke e.V. Meanwhile, the hammer serves just to honour the club’s history as a mining community.
Both the G and the hammer were far more visible in the past, but with today’s logo, they are easy to overlook.
