From its earliest days, Schickeria München distinguished itself from many other ultras groups through a clear belief that supporting a football club also meant defending the values surrounding the game. While choreographies, chants and away trips remained at the centre of the group's identity, Schickeria also became one of the most politically active supporter movements in European football.
Unlike many German ultras groups that avoid publicly defining themselves, Schickeria has openly embraced an anti-racist, anti-fascist and anti-discrimination position. Members have repeatedly stated that the Südkurve should be a place where everyone is welcome regardless of nationality, religion, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation. This position has shaped the group's identity for more than two decades and has often placed it at the centre of discussions about politics in football. For Schickeria, these principles are closely connected to Bayern Munich's own history.
Few clubs in Europe have a historical figure as important as Kurt Landauer. Long before Bayern became one of the world's biggest clubs, Landauer transformed the organisation into a national champion before being forced from office because he was Jewish after the Nazis came to power. For many decades, his story remained largely absent from public discussion. Schickeria changed that completely.
The group organised exhibitions, discussions and memorial events while producing some of the most remarkable choreographies ever seen inside the Allianz Arena. Their displays did not celebrate victories or famous players. Instead, they honoured a man whose contribution had almost disappeared from public memory. This campaign eventually forced Bayern Munich itself to confront an important chapter of its own history. The club officially recognised Landauer's legacy, documentaries were produced, educational projects were introduced and his name became permanently associated with Bayern's identity.
Many supporters across Europe regard this as one of the greatest examples of ultras influencing a football club in a positive way. Rather than protesting for short-term changes, Schickeria permanently changed how Bayern remembers its own past. Historical remembrance has remained one of the group's defining themes ever since.
Every year, members participate in educational projects connected to the Holocaust, National Socialism and discrimination. Memorial banners regularly appear during significant anniversaries, reminding supporters that football cannot be separated completely from society. These activities have also attracted criticism.
Some supporters believe politics should remain outside football altogether. Others argue that terraces have always reflected wider social issues and that silence itself represents a political position. Schickeria has consistently defended its approach, arguing that opposing racism and discrimination is part of protecting football culture rather than distracting from it. Beyond historical remembrance, the group has become one of Germany's strongest voices against the commercialisation of football.
Modern football has changed dramatically during the last two decades. Ticket prices have increased, television schedules have become more demanding, corporate influence has expanded and traditional supporter culture has often been pushed aside in favour of entertainment aimed at global audiences. Schickeria has repeatedly challenged these developments.
One of its longest-running campaigns concerns affordable ticket prices. Members argue that football should remain accessible to working people and local communities rather than becoming an exclusive product for tourists and corporate guests. Numerous banners displayed inside the Allianz Arena have criticised rising prices, expensive away allocations and decisions that make travelling more difficult for ordinary supporters. Another major issue has been kick-off scheduling.
Television companies increasingly dictate match times to maximise audiences across international markets. Friday evening fixtures, Monday night matches and irregular schedules have complicated travel for supporters who follow their clubs every week.
Schickeria has participated in nationwide German supporter protests demanding that football authorities prioritise fans inside stadiums rather than television audiences watching from home. Perhaps no campaign better represents modern German supporter culture than the protests against outside investors entering professional football.
When the German Football League considered opening greater commercial influence through private investment, coordinated demonstrations appeared across Bundesliga stadiums. Schickeria played a leading role. Tennis balls, chocolate coins, remote-controlled cars and other objects were repeatedly thrown onto the pitch across Germany, forcing temporary stoppages while delivering a symbolic message against the increasing commercialisation of the sport.
Although these actions frustrated television broadcasters and some neutral viewers, supporters argued that temporary delays were insignificant compared to the long-term future of German football. The relationship between Schickeria and Bayern Munich's leadership has therefore remained complex.
Unlike supporter groups at smaller clubs, Schickeria operates inside one of the richest football organisations in the world. Bayern's board often presents stability, commercial success and global expansion as essential objectives. Schickeria generally accepts Bayern's ambition to remain among Europe's elite but frequently challenges decisions affecting supporter culture. This relationship has produced both cooperation and conflict.
Club officials have praised Schickeria's historical projects and anti-discrimination work while simultaneously criticising certain protests, pyrotechnic displays or confrontations with authorities. Supporters, meanwhile, often argue that criticism demonstrates independence rather than disloyalty. For Schickeria, unconditional support does not mean unconditional agreement.
If the group believes Bayern has made mistakes regarding ticket prices, supporter treatment or football policy, it will express those concerns publicly. This willingness to criticise the club has strengthened Schickeria's credibility among many German ultras groups, even those supporting Bayern's biggest rivals. Another controversial issue has involved pyrotechnics.
Like many ultras movements throughout Europe, Schickeria considers controlled pyrotechnic displays an important element of football culture. German authorities generally prohibit such displays inside stadiums, leading to repeated fines, investigations and stadium bans. Supporters argue that organised pyrotechnics create spectacular visual effects without necessarily endangering spectators when properly coordinated. Football authorities maintain that safety concerns justify strict restrictions.
The disagreement continues today and remains one of the most debated subjects in German football. Schickeria has also experienced conflicts with police. Large away followings inevitably attract heavy security operations. Identity checks, escort procedures, stadium searches and movement restrictions have frequently generated tension between organised supporters and law enforcement.
Several demonstrations organised by German supporter groups have criticised what they describe as excessive policing, collective punishment and restrictions on freedom of movement. Schickeria has regularly supported these campaigns while calling for greater dialogue between supporters, clubs and authorities. Banner restrictions have created additional controversy. Football authorities increasingly regulate the size, content and placement of banners inside stadiums. Supporters often see these measures as attacks on terrace culture.
Schickeria has repeatedly defended the importance of banners, arguing that they represent the identity, memory and creativity of supporter groups rather than simple decoration. One aspect that distinguishes Schickeria from many ultras groups is the importance placed on education. Members regularly organise lectures, exhibitions and public discussions about football history, discrimination and supporter culture. These events often involve historians, former players, journalists and academics, reflecting the group's belief that football supporters should understand both their club's history and their wider social responsibility.
This approach has helped reshape international perceptions of ultras culture. For decades, many outsiders associated ultras exclusively with violence and disorder. Schickeria demonstrated another possibility. A supporters' group could produce world-class choreographies, organise unforgettable away trips, defend supporter rights and preserve historical memory while remaining deeply committed to football itself. That does not mean controversy has disappeared.
Critics continue to accuse the group of bringing politics into stadiums, confronting club management too aggressively or creating unnecessary conflict through protests. Supporters respond that football has never existed separately from society. Every stadium reflects questions of identity, community, economics and history. Ignoring those issues, they argue, would represent the truly political decision. After more than twenty years, Schickeria has become far more than Bayern Munich's leading ultras group. It has become one of the most influential voices in European supporter culture.
Whether through campaigns against discrimination, protests against commercialisation or efforts to preserve football's historical memory, the group has repeatedly shown that terraces can shape clubs just as much as clubs shape terraces. For Schickeria, supporting Bayern Munich has never been limited to ninety minutes on the pitch. It has always meant defending the culture that makes football worth supporting in the first place.