Baltic Lawn and Winter Sports Association

Baltic Lawn and Winter Sports Association

founding	January 26, 1908
resolution	1933
region	East Prussia , West Prussia , Pomerania (partly Western Pomerania )
Competitions	Baltic football championship

The Baltic Lawn and Winter Sports Association ( BRWV ) was the regional football association for Northeast Germany. East Prussia , West Prussia , Danzig , Memelland and from 1911 to 1930 also Pomerania belonged to his association area . The association was founded on January 26, 1908 as the Baltic Lawn Sports Association (BRV). In December 1910 the name was changed to the Baltic Lawn and Winter Sports Association and on April 10, 1927 to the Baltic Sports Association (BSV).

development

The first final round of the Baltic championship took place in the spring of 1908. The three masters from East Prussia, West Prussia and Danzig took part in this. Champion became the VfB 1900 Königsberg .

The gaming districts were subdivided several times over the years up to 1933. In East Prussia , the districts of Tilsit / Memel, Insterburg / Gumbinnen, Rastenburg / Lyck and Allenstein / Osterode were established in addition to Königsberg . After the First World War , the division into Königsberg , north, west and south took place. In 1921/22, the district even comprised eight equal leagues. These were reduced over the years and in the mid-1920s the East Prussian League (also known as the District League and League East Prussia) was created. After the annexation of Memel to Lithuania , the associations from could Memel and the surrounding area do not participate in the league matches of the Baltic Association more.

Before the First World War, West Prussia and Danzig were divided into two and later three districts ( Graudenz , Elbing and Danzig). In 1919/20 they went back to the original format of two leagues (West Prussia and Danzig), one season later the district of West Prussia switched to East Prussia, so that the Danzig clubs remained alone in District II. It was not until the 1929/30 season that the district was renamed Grenzmark and expanded to include several districts.

In 1911, the first clubs in Pomerania also joined the Baltic Association. The Association of Pomeranian Ball Game Clubs , which is based in Szczecin , did not join until 1913, after the attempt to found its own regional association had failed miserably. As a rule, only Stettin was reported from Pomerania in contemporary sports newspapers . In the 1920s there were up to seven districts (Stolp / Lauenburg, Kolberg / Köslin, Stettin, Stargard, Grenzmark / Schneidemühl, Uckermark / Pasewalk and Gollnow / Pyritz).

The clubs from Western Pomerania belonged to the North German Football Association (NFV) until 1925/26 ; the VfB Swinoujscie and Stralsund 07 (twice) took part in the championship finals, was given to the area of the Baltic Association. However, gaming only started in the BSV in 1928.

The level of play in the entire northeast remained very weak. Due to the thin population with only very few large cities, long distances and poor transport connections, the enormous gap to the metropolises and industrial centers in the west could never be bridged. The playing strength was, compared to the much stronger clubs in the west, at best second class.

In the course of the Gleichschaltung, the Baltic Sports Association was dissolved a few months after the National Socialists came to power in 1933 . The East Prussian clubs were assigned to the Gauliga East Prussia and the associated lower-class leagues after 1933 , the Pomeranian clubs were assigned to the Gauliga Pomerania or the associated lower leagues.

German championship

VfB 1900 Königsberg was the first Baltenmeister to take part in the final round of the German championship in 1907/08. Despite home advantage, the Königsbergers were clearly shown the class difference in the 0: 7 against the eventual German champions BTuFC Viktoria 1889 . In the following season both clubs met again at the same place, this time VfB was outclassed with 1:12. In 1909/10 the Baltenmeister left, this time the SpVgg. Prussia Samland 1904 Königsberg , in the preliminary round against the champions of the Märkischen Fußball-Bund FC Tasmania 1900 Rixdorf with 1: 5 on the VfB place. In the 1910/11 season, the Baltenmeister SC Lituania 1907 Tilsit even waived the preliminary round game, which meant that Berlin's Viktoria reached the semifinals without a fight.

In the last three finals before the First World War , the Baltic masters fared no better, in 1911/12 the BuEV Danzig was defeated by the BTuFC Viktoria in 1889 with 0: 7, in 1912/13 the master Prussia Samland had to travel for the first time and lost to in Berlin Viktoria 1: 6 and in 1913/14, again Prussia Samland, lost against VfB 1893 Leipzig at VfB Königsberg Platz with 1: 4.

It was not until the 1919/20 season that the Baltenmeister survived the preliminary round for the first time. Surprisingly, the north champion SV Arminia 1910 Hanover in Kiel was defeated 2-1 in extra time. In the next round, the semifinals, followed by the 0: 3 on the Berlin Preußenplatz against the eventual German champions 1. FC 1900 Nuremberg but then the end. With a bye, VfB 1900 Königsberg reached the semifinals in 1922/23 and lost in Stettin 2: 3 against Hamburger SV 1887 .

From the 1924/25 season, two representatives of the Baltic took part in the final round of the German championship. The VfB 1900 Konigsberg met Hertha BSC, and divided by 2 with the same tight Result: Figure 3. At the same time, FC Titania 1902 Stettin lost to Altonaer FC from 1893 2: 4. Also in 1926/27 VfB Königsberg was only just eliminated 1: 2 against Berlin Hertha. In the following season 1927/28, VfB 1900 Königsberg won in Breslau against the local SC 1908, but failed 4-0 in the quarter-finals at Hamburger SV 1887 in their home environment.

Only in the last season of the Baltic Sports Association 1932/33 did one of its representatives survive the round of 16. The SV Hindenburg Allenstein beat Hertha BSC in 1892 , surprisingly with 4: 1, went in the quarterfinals but with 2:12 in the SG Eintracht Frankfurt in 1899 under.

In 32 final rounds of the German championship, including a waiver, the masters and runners-up of the Baltic came to three wins and 29 defeats. The goal balance of 37: 154 showed how playfully weak and underdeveloped the Northeast was compared to other associations.

Champion of the Baltic Lawn and Winter Sports Association

society	title	year
VfB Koenigsberg	11	1908, 1909, 1921, 1922, 1923, 1924, 1925, 1926, 1928, 1929, 1930
SV Prussia-Samland Koenigsberg	5	1910, 1913, 1914, 1931, 1933
Szczecin FC Titania	2	1920, 1927
SC Lituania Tilsit	1	1911
BuEV Danzig	1	1912
SV Hindenburg Allenstein	1	1932

Crown Prince Cup

The Baltic Lawn Sports Association has also participated in the Crown Prince Cup with its selection team since its introduction in the 1908/09 season. In the preliminary round a 1-0 victory over southeast Germany was achieved, but in the semifinals an 8-0 defeat against Central Germany followed. In the twelve games in the Crown Prince's Cup, the Balts managed only one victory and one draw (with lost repetition), which were faced with nine defeats with 10:63 goals.

Federal Cup

It was not until 1922/23 that the Balts reached the semifinals by bye for the competition, which was renamed the Federal Cup after the fall of the monarchy . This was lost against southern Germany with 1: 4. Also in 1929/30 the Balts reached the semifinals with a bye, in which they were eliminated in Stettin against Brandenburg with 1: 3. In the following 1930/31 season, the Baltic Association brought the selection of southern Germany in Königsberg to the brink of defeat and only surrendered 3: 4 in extra time. Also in 1931/32 the elimination with 3: 4 against Northern Germany was honorable. All 14 games in the national cup were lost with a goal balance of 17:59.

Fighting Game Cup

The Baltic Association also took part twice in the Fighting Game Cup , which is only held every four years . In the first competition in 1922, the Balts were eliminated 1: 5 against Brandenburg in Berlin . In 1926 against Northern Germany in Hamburg , the Baltic team only had to bend 1: 3 in extra time. The Balts were not qualified for the 1930 competition.

In all three competitions for national teams the Baltic federation played a total of 27 games, won one, drew once and lost 25 times with 29: 130 goals.