German football legend Günter Kaczmarek dies at 85

Günter Kaczmarek, a long‑time player, interim coach and celebrated figure of the local club VfB Habinghorst, died peacefully on 17 July 2026 at the age of 85. He was formerly a fitter in the Schlosser department of the former Zeche Hansa mine in Dortmund‑Huckarde and later devoted himself to youth sports training in the region.

Family members recalled his love for football, television sport broadcasts and his iconic VW Beetle that he once fitted with a lawn‑care plow. A funeral service was held on Friday, followed by burial, after which his widow and daughter moved to an apartment near Castrop‑Rauxel’s city garden.