ESV Wittenberge 1888
The Eisenbahnersportverein (ESV) Wittenberge 1888 eV is based in the northern Brandenburg city of Wittenberge . In 2008 it had twelve sports departments for the popular sports such as soccer, athletics, swimming, cycling, table tennis, wrestling and chess. The football department uses the club's own ESV sports facility, the athletes can use the city’s Ernst-Thälmann-Stadion.
General development
The ESV traces its history back to the Wittenberger Turnverein 88 founded in 1888. In 1919, the Wittenberger SV split off in 1888, which was converted into the Reichsbahn TSV 1888 Wittenberge in 1938. This was in competition with the Singer and Nordeuma clubs until 1945, without being known for any particular success.
In 1945 all sports clubs were banned at the instigation of the Soviet occupying forces. In order to continue the sports traffic, which was initially only permitted at the district level, several loosely organized sports communities were founded in Wittenberge, which were taken over by company sports communities (BSG) from 1948 on a central arrangement . The Wittenberger Reichsbahnausbesserungswerk founded the BSG Verkehr Wittenberge on February 18, 1949, which began with 375 members. After the establishment of the central sports association Lokomotive for all Reichsbahn company sports associations , the Wittenberg BSG adopted the name Lokomotive Wittenberge on May 1, 1950.
As is common practice, the BSG had several sports sections. Over the years the handball, badminton, table tennis and football sections emerged as the most successful. The handball ladies took 3rd place in the GDR championships in 1953, the badminton team was 5th in the first GDR championship in 1960 and the table tennis team played in the second-class GDR league in 1966.
Development of the sport of football
The football section has always been in the shadow of BSG Chemie / Veritas Wittenberge . The BSG Verkehr started in 1949 in the third-class district class Brandenburg, after the introduction of the new league system in GDR football in 1952, the BSG locomotive was classified in the also third-class district league Schwerin . From there she rose in 1960 for two years in the then third class II. GDR League . Then it was played again in the district league until 1969. In 1965 Lok Wittenberge was district champion, but missed promotion to the second-rate GDR league without a win in the subsequent promotion round. In the 1968/69 season, the team was relegated to the district class for a year and then reached 11th place in the district league in the 1970/71 season. After that, the team was withdrawn and did not appear on a district scale until the end of GDR football in 1990.
Throughout the GDR, the BSG Lok Wittenberge attracted attention through numerous participation in the FDGB soccer cup competition . Between 1954 and 1964 she qualified six times for the GDR competition. In 1954, 1956 and 1957 the Wittenbergers failed only in the third round. The most prominent opponents were the later GDR champions SC Turbine Erfurt in 1954 (0: 5) and in 1957 the later league promoted SC Empor Rostock (0: 2). Lok Wittenberge plays a total of 13 games in the FDGB Cup, seven of which were won.
Situation after 1990
After the change in economic conditions as a result of the political change in 1989, the Reichsbahn repair shop stopped promoting the Lokomotiv company sports association. As a result, BSG members founded the registered association ESV Wittenberge 1888 under the umbrella of the Association of German Railway Sports Associations. When it was named, reference was made to the old Reichsbahn TSV 1888 association. The new club continued most of the sports carried out in the previous BSG. The table tennis division has been the most successful so far, with the men playing in the regional league in 2008. Football is currently only represented by a women's team, which plays in the district league, and an old man's team.
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The following sources were used for the first version of the article: