The Unity, Borussia Dortmund’s most well-known ultra group, recently celebrated their 20th birthday.

Thread about who they are, what they stand for and why #BVB thanked them despite them being critical of their own club on numerous occasions.

(1/21) #nonazisdo

The Unity were established on January 16, 2001.

In the beginning, they were just a group of young fans who organized in one of the Südtribüne’s upper blocks.

Here’s one of their first choreos from 2001, back then still in block 82 on the upper part of the Südtribüne. (2/21)

When it comes to their visual style, The Unity have clearly gone a long way over the past 20 years.

Here’s one of their most recent choreos, in which they celebrate the city of Dortmund.

“Big city, my dream!” (3/21)

Another choreo they organized just a few weeks afterwards for the Champions League game vs. PSG.

Via @TinneffBlog (4/21)

To understand the time and coordination levels required for such choreographies, I think it’s worth having a look at the video The Unity posted on their YouTube page as to how the “Dortmund: Big city” choreo was created.

Via @dw_sports (5/21)

Every single one of those choreos costs money. Tens of thousands of euros, in fact. Like most ultra groups in Germany, The Unity refuse to receive any funding from the club and all of their expenses are paid through donations from their fellow #BVB supporters. (6/21)

The Unity are about much more than just football support.

The group used its organizational skills for a wide range of other social purposes. (7/21)

Only recently, The Unity joined forces with other Dortmund fan groups to collect donations for the city’s homeless through the sale of their 2021 calendar.

27,149 euros were raised. (8/21)

Back in 2015, when a large number of refugees arrived in Germany, The Unity members provided help in the Dortmund refugee aid center to help newcomers to the city in settling in. (9/21)

The Unity are also a group which presented anti-Nazi messages on several occasions in the past.

“Westfalenstadion: No stage for Nazis!”

The Unity explained the background to this banner in their matchday flyer. (10/21)

In Dortmund, where #BVB & their fans are of massive importance, this matters.

While the city is a social-democratic stronghold, it's also home to far-right structures. Particularly, some streets in the Dorstfeld quarter, where graffiti such as “Nazi area” were removed. (11/21)

For that reason, far-right elements from within #BVB’s support have long been trying to silence voices from the club’s ultra scene for taking a stand against Nazis.

More, by @matt_4d for @dw_sports. (12/21) https://www.dw.com/en/fear-on-the-yellow-wall-borussia-dortmund-ultras-threatened-by-right-wing-hooligans/a-46364501

Their sense of criticism and awareness to social issues, both in football and beyond, stretch way beyond politics. (13/21)

In 2010, The Unity were among the initiators of the Kein Zwanni für’n Steher campaign, calling for the ticket price reduction.

It started by boycotting #BVB’s biggest game: vs. Schalke (away).

Many groups joined in, resulting in some clubs changing their pricing system. (14/21)

The Unity often showed solidarity with other fan and ultra groups on a range of issues, from police repression to fan rights, both in Germany and abroad. (15/21)

The Unity have been vocal in their rejection of football commercialization, mostly against the likes of Rasenballsport Leipzig and Hoffenheim.

“Red Bull, piss off! Football belongs to us!” (16/21)

The Unity’s criticism on football commercialization also applies to their own club.

The most recent example: BVB’s plan to start selling so-called fan tokens to fans abroad.

“Stop the marketing madness!”

(Via @o_ricken, 17/21)

Despite them being critical their club on many occasions, Borussia Dortmund wished The Unity a happy birthday ahead of the home game vs. Mainz.

As #BVB put it: “Thank you for 20 years of loudness, passion, love and critical, yet constructive support. We miss you here!” (18/21)

Groups like The Unity play a big part in making German fan culture what it is:

Creativity, unconditional (but critical) support, awareness of social and political issues.

And most of all, a culture of playing an active part rather than just being customers. (19/21)

Jubos, one of Borussia Dortmund’s most well-known ultra groups, recently disbanded.

Some background. (20/21) https://twitter.com/ftamsut/status/1323209682559864835

Sources and photos: @schwatzgelbde, @Fanabteilung, @fanprojektdo, @BVB, @JH_Gruszecki, @bvb_israel, @FasziFankurve, @audiofootball, @dw_sports, @RN_DORTMUND (21/21)