Stunning Modern Palaces for an Ancient Sport

Bowling is thousands of years old: Scientists have uncovered similar games during times of Egyptian pharaohs and Germanic tribesman, who spent idle time between wars by throwing stones at bones. The bowling alley, then, is a modern phenomenon. Robert Goetzfried, a German photographer interested in patterns and architecture, set out to document the palaces for sport—from a single alley under an Italian restaurant to Europe's largest bowling center. Today, Germans remain among the most enthusiastic bowlers in Europe. Some 100,000 people organized in 5,000 clubs either pursue the American 10-pin bowling or its European predecessor, a sport called Kegeln. Kegeln is similar to bowling, but it uses just nine pins and smaller balls. While bowling has become increasingly popular in recent years in Germany, Kegeln is still played religiously in the country's rural regions, including in Bavaria.
Photographs by Robert Goetzfried