It sounded like the perfect sequel to the summer fairy tale: on 13 July 2014, Germany were crowned world champions in Rio de Janeiro, Mario Götze scored in the 113th minute to make it 1–0 against Argentina, millions celebrated in the streets, on balconies and at fan zones. More than 30 million viewers in Germany watched the final on television. Soon the question arose: shouldn’t such an exceptional state of euphoria also have consequences for the birth statistics?
Even before the final, Saxon family policy expert Alexander Krauß (CDU) had predicted a baby boom in the Bild newspaper, as WirtschaftsWoche later reported: "When the ball is rolling, the mood is high not only in front of the television but also in bed. Goals for Germany mean babies for Saxony!" The claim could be put to the test in spring 2015, roughly nine months after the triumph in Brazil.
