Düsseldorf resolutions

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The Düsseldorf resolutions (also: Düsseldorfer Sportverbot ) were made on August 16, 1961 by the German Sports Confederation (DSB) and the National Olympic Committee for Germany (NOK).

The resolutions were a direct result of the construction of the Berlin Wall , which began on August 13, 1961. Until then, the DSB had held on to an all-German sports exchange, contrary to several demands by German politicians. After the border of the western sectors of Berlin had been cordoned off, however, the then West Berlin mayor Willy Brandt in particular demanded a visible Berlin demonstration from West German sports. The background was that the West Berlin sports business had long been boycotted by GDR sports associations. This forced the relatively quick expression of solidarity.

For example, on August 16, 1961, in the Park Hotel in Düsseldorf, the following declaration was made by representatives of the executive board of the DSB and members of the German NOK and then announced at a press conference:

“ 1. The constricting measures taken by the regime of the Soviet occupation zone are strongly disapproved. This approach contradicts the principles of humanity and also violates all sporting principles. After these measures, only people with systematic hearing have the opportunity to have sporting encounters with the Federal Republic. With this, the SBZ stopped all German sports traffic. She bears sole responsibility for this.
As long as normal traffic between the Soviet Zone and Berlin and the Federal Republic is not possible, the central associations can no longer issue permits to hold sporting events in the Soviet Zone and with sports groups in the Soviet Zone in the Federal Republic. Likewise, the sports federations of the Federal Republic cannot participate in international sporting events within the SBZ for the duration of this situation created by the SBZ.
Negotiations on all-German issues make no sense under these circumstances;
2. In the current situation it is an honorary duty of the gymnastics and sports movement of the Federal Republic to increase the sports traffic with West Berlin with all their might.
3. The illegal lockout of sports journalists from West Berlin and the Federal Republic of the rowing elimination in Potsdam cause DSB and NOK to ask the central associations to vigorously advocate at all sporting events that the sports journalists of the Federal Republic in accordance with international customs like all journalists other countries and are not hindered in their work. "

As a result, the German government discussed these resolutions with NATO countries in order to demand solidarity there. As a consequence, this also means that GDR athletes were temporarily denied entry to international championships in host NATO countries. On the part of individual professional sports associations, this meant that international championships were even postponed in anticipation of the possible non-participation of GDR athletes.

Affected were z. B. the Canoe World Championships in Essen in 1962, which were canceled. “Since the representative appearance of canoeists from the Soviet-occupied zone of Germany - as representatives of the so-called GDR - could not be accepted by the government, there were only two options. Either the zone team would not have been allowed to take part in the World Cup - this would have been in contradiction to the regulations because the zone association is an independent ICF member - or the World Cup had to be canceled. "

The "Düsseldorf Resolutions" were repealed on September 25, 1964 by the then DSB President Willi Daume . With effect from September 30, 1965, the Federal Republic of Germany re-opened sports traffic at club level.

text

  • Presidium of the NOK for Germany and executive board of the DSB: Communique of the meeting on August 16, 1961 in Düsseldorf , quoted in Die Welt , August 18, 1961, printed in: Willi Lemke : Sport and Politics: a documentation of inner-German sports traffic . Volume 5 of series of publications for sports science and sports practice, Ahrensburg: Ingrid Czwalina, 1971, ISSN 0080-7141, p. 80f.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ NN: Canoe World Championships 1962 in Essen are canceled. "Kanu-Sport" 9/1962, p. 167, as well as Walter Künne: Was that necessary? A serious consideration of the canceled Canoe World Championship in Essen. "Kanu-Sport" 12/1962, p. 234 f.
  2. ↑ Rolf Mahlert: The second 25 years, dates, events and names . In: German Canoe Association (Ed.): 50 Years of the German Canoe Association e. V. 1914-1964 . Hanover 1964, p. 257 .
  3. ↑ HE Vesper: Why not also on the Elbe and Saale? In: Canoeing . No. 6 , 1965, pp. 106 .
  4. ^ HE Vesper: Again all-German sports traffic . In: Canoeing . No. 22 , 1965, p. 498 .