Jena, September 15, 2026 – The Thuringian city of light is celebrating one of its greatest sports legends: Peter Ducke, long-time center forward for FC Carl Zeiss Jena, is about to receive an extraordinary honor. On September 22, 2026, the ‘Sternstunden’ event series will dedicate an exclusive tribute to the exceptional player at the Zeiss-Planetarium.
- Event: Exclusive tribute to Peter Ducke
- Location: Zeiss-Planetarium Jena
- Date: September 22, 2026
- Occasion: Recognition of his sporting lifetime achievement and upcoming 85th birthday
Nowhere in GDR football was success as close as at the Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld on the Saale. In the 1960s and 1970s, the Jena team dominated the Oberliga under coach Georg Buschner. In the midst of this golden era, Peter Ducke stood out as the undisputed crowd favorite. With his unconventional, ball-loving style of play and his instinct for goals, he drew thousands of spectators to the stadium on average.
National successes and international class
Ducke’s record in the Thuringian jersey is impressive: three-time GDR champion, three-time FDGB Cup winner, 351 Oberliga matches with 153 goals, and 41 European Cup matches. He also made a name for himself internationally. Even Brazilian world champion Pelé paid him respect during a South American tour, counting him among the world’s best strikers. In the vote for Germany’s ‘Footballer of the Century’ by the magazine Kicker, Ducke was the only East German player to finish in the top ten.
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Background: FC Carl Zeiss Jena and the Ducke era
FC Carl Zeiss Jena wrote international football history in the 1970s and 1980s, reaching the final of the European Cup Winners’ Cup in 1981, among other achievements. Players such as Peter Ducke, Roland Ducke, and Lothar Kurbjuweit shaped the university city’s reputation as a stronghold of technically demanding German football. The Ernst-Abbe-Sportfeld is still considered the emotional center of this tradition today.
A star for the exceptional striker
For the upcoming event on September 22, the organizers of the ‘Sternstunden’ series are leaving the stadium for once and moving to the Zeiss-Planetarium. In addition to rare film footage of Ducke’s greatest moments, the emotional highlight will be the dedication of a real star in the firmament to the soon-to-be 85-year-old. The exact coordinates and the official name of this star will only be revealed at the end of the evening in the planetarium.
Source:
GDR football legend Peter Ducke: In Jena he was bigger than everyone else
Transparency note: This article was created automatically, editorially reviewed, and expanded with AI support.