Founding meeting of the German Football Association

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Restaurant Zum Mariengarten in Leipzig (around 1905)

The founding assembly of the German Football Association took place as “I. General German Football Day ”took place on January 28, 1900 in the Leipzig restaurant Zum Mariengarten . The aim of this event was to create an umbrella organization for the football associations and clubs in Germany that had been established by then in order to ensure uniform rules and the implementation of national championships and international encounters. It led to the founding of what is now the world's largest individual sports association, the German Football Association (DFB).

Historical background and prehistory

Reminder plaque for the foundation of the DFB

The football in Germany was the end of the 1880s gradually popular and spread to the end of the 19th century in various cities of the German Empire. The first associations were founded primarily in Berlin, and calls for a nationwide organization of football competitions were soon loud. The initial claim to sole representation of the Berlin associations Bund Deutscher Fußballplayer (1890), Deutscher Fußball- und Cricket Bund (1891) and the Verband Deutscher Ballspielvereine (1897) met with resistance, especially in southern Germany, so that until the end of the 19th century due to the Rivalries neither nationwide championships nor official international comparisons could be organized. At that time there was also a lack of uniform rules and appropriate training for referees. The insight that a nationwide umbrella organization was needed was there, but various attempts and calls to found such an organization had failed by the turn of the century.

On the fringes of the “General German Sports Festival”, which took place in Leipzig in July 1899, some representatives of the Leipzig Ball Game Association as well as visitors from outside Germany met for a brief discussion. The topic was the organization of a "general German football day" at which the founding of a German football association was to be decided. This was to take place in Leipzig in September, but the event did not take place. After the games played in Berlin and Karlsruhe in November 1899 (three of the later so-called original international matches ) between German and English national teams had another dispute over the responsibilities and competencies for the organization of international matches, the chairman of the Leipzig Football Association took action, Johannes Kirmse , the initiative and published the following announcement in the "Deutsche Sportnachrichten" on January 4, 1900:

Taking into account the approvals and requests we received from all parts of Germany, we have decided to convene the 1st General German Football Day for Saturday, January 27th and Sunday, January 28th, in Leipzig, Mariengarten, Carlstrasse. Agenda: whether and how is it possible for all German football clubs to reach an agreement? Every German soccer club or association is entitled to vote. Each association has as many votes as there are members.
The committee to convene the first general German football day in Leipzig.
Signed JE Kirmse, chairman.

On January 22nd, the exact process was announced as follows: The III. The election meeting of the German Sports Authority for Athletics takes place on the evening of January 27th and the First General German Football Day on the following day.

The "First General German Football Day"

Program of the First General German Football Day

On January 28th at 10:40 am, Johannes Kirmse opened the “First General German Football Day” as host and chairman. The 36 participants consisted mainly of the first generation of players who had become acquainted with football as high school students or students in the 1890s and who were between 25 and 30 years old at that time; At the age of 47, Ferdinand Hueppe from DFC Prague was the oldest among them. They represented a total of 86 clubs at this conference. The clubs represented also included two German clubs from Prague ( DFC and Germania ), which at the time belonged to Austria-Hungary . At the request of the Verband Deutscher Ballspielvereine (VDB), this circumstance led to an initial controversy about whether only imperial German clubs and associations should be allowed; In the end, however, the majority favored the participation of all clubs with 69 votes against 16 (with one abstention).

The only item on the agenda afterwards was: "Whether and how is an agreement of all German football associations and clubs possible?" And the initiators believe that the following points are in the foreground in order to solve this question:

  • The establishment of a commission to prepare the establishment of a general football association.
  • The establishment of general German football rules.
  • The elimination of English game terms.
  • Appointing a Supreme Court of Arbitration for Disputes.
  • The organization of the next football day.

However, many present wanted to see an association founded that day, so that a heated discussion broke out around this question. While the Hamburg representative Walter Sommermeier saw the right moment for the founding, Fritz Boxhammer , chairman of the VDB and thus a representative of numerous Berlin associations, considered it premature and announced that the associations he represented would adopt the resolutions of the first general German Football days would not easily be regarded as binding. Initially, he only expects the establishment of uniform rules of the game as a positive result of Football Day. Even Walther Bensemann , who was known more for his brisk approach than for restraint, was of the opinion that the prerequisites for founding an association were uniform game and referee rules and the strengthening of local associations. Johannes Kirmse again suggested the establishment of a commission to prepare a foundation. As with earlier attempts, the establishment of a nationwide association seemed to have been postponed indefinitely.

However, after Gustav Manning had once again pointed out the intention of Football Day to “take final action” and Walter Sommermeier appealed to the delegates' patriotism with the memory of the founding of the empire in 1870/71, the following motion was made shortly before lunch break: “Signed apply for the establishment of a general German football association by today's assembly. Fred Manning, Sommermeier, Hueppe, Wamser. “The result of the vote was 64 against 22 votes in favor of the immediate establishment of the association. Johannes Kirmse then announced "to thunderous applause" that the German Football Association had been constituted.

Demmler (Berlin) wanted the game of cricket to be considered on behalf of the new association. Brandeis (Prague) suggests the name General German Football Association. Ultimately, at the suggestion of Bensemann (Karlsruhe / Mannheim), the name Deutscher Fußball-Bund was adopted.

The legality of this ad hoc establishment of the federal government was, however, controversial, especially since not all persons present considered themselves authorized to make this far-reaching decision for the associations whose voting rights they had to exercise. Boxhammer and other opponents of the foundation protested after the lunch break, and Kurt Doerry got to the heart of the situation by asking who is now, the German Football Association or the German Football Day. Despite the protests, facts have already been created by the declaration of membership of the representatives of 60 clubs for the new association.

The following Eleven Committee was then elected: Ferdinand Hueppe (Prague), Franz Behr (Hamburg), Ferdinand Wilhelm Fricke (Hanover), Albrecht (Magdeburg), Thomas (Dresden), Johannes Kirmse (Leipzig), Gustav Manning (Strasbourg), Hermann Stasny ( Frankfurt), Werkmüller (Berlin), Büttner I (Leipzig). One place remained vacant and was reserved for the VDB, which was expected to join in the short term. Hueppe (Prague) was elected chairman.

Founding clubs of the German Football Association

The 86 associations listed in the table below were represented at the founding meeting. 53 of them immediately agreed to join, another seven with reservations. These 60 associations are considered to be founding members (highlighted in bold in the table).

The DFB joined immediately: The member clubs of the Hamburg-Altonaer Fußball-Bund (8), the Süddeutscher Verband (7 and 8 with the Freiburg FC), the Berlin German Football and Cricket Association (4) and the clubs of the host Leipzig Association (5), each of which appeared separately, as well as 29 individual clubs, including the Freiburg FC. Since this cannot be counted twice, there are a total of 53 immediate accessions. Six clubs from Frankfurt am Main and Hanau, as well as Germania 88 (Berlin) joined with reservations.

The clubs of the Bremen Association (7) remain outside for the time being, as their representative Sommermeier believed that they did not have such a far-reaching mandate. Eleven clubs of the Berlin VDB did not join until June 17 of the same year, and the six Mannheim and Karlsruhe clubs represented by Bensemann as well as two other Berlin individual clubs (Favorit and Fortuna) also followed later.

# society city Association represented by
1 Altonaer FC from 1893 Altona HAFB Walter Sommermeier
2 FC Eintracht Altona Altona HAFB Walter Sommermeier
3 Ascherslebener SC 1898 Aschersleben - Gustav Oehmichen
4th BFC from 1893 Berlin DFuCB Müller
5 Academic SC 1893 Berlin Berlin VDB Fritz Boxhammer
6th BTuFC Alemannia 90 Berlin DFuCB Müller
7th BTuFC Britannia 1892 Berlin VDB Fritz Boxhammer
8th BFC Burgundy 1896 Berlin VDB Fritz Boxhammer
9 BFC Columbia 1896 Berlin - Squire
10 BFC Concordia 1895 Berlin VDB Fritz Boxhammer
11 BFuCC Germany Berlin - Aßmus
12 BSC Favorite 1896 Berlin - Herder
13 BFC Fortuna 1894 Berlin - Carl Perls
14th BFC Frankfurt 1885 Berlin - Markhardt
15th BFC Germania 1888 Berlin - Georg Demmler
16 BFC Hertha 1892 Berlin DFuCB Müller
17th SC Comet Berlin Berlin - ranger
18th BFC Phoenix Berlin VDB Fritz Boxhammer
19th BFC Prussia 1894 Berlin - Werkmüller
20th BFuCC Rapide 1893 Berlin VDB Fritz Boxhammer
21st BFC star 1889 Berlin VDB Fritz Boxhammer
22nd BFC Tasmania 1890 Berlin VDB Fritz Boxhammer
23 BTuFC Toscana Berlin VDB Richard Schröder
24 BTuFC Union 1892 Berlin VDB Fritz Boxhammer
25th BTuFC Victoria 89 Berlin VDB Fritz Boxhammer
26th BFC Forward 1890 Berlin DFuCB Müller
27 FC Brunsviga 1896 Braunschweig Braunschweig - Karl Stansch
28 FuCC Eintracht 1895 Braunschweig Braunschweig - Karl Stansch
29 FC Germania Braunschweig Braunschweig - Karl Stansch
30th ASC 1898 Bremen Bremen VBFV Walter Sommermeier
31 SC Germania 1899 Bremen Bremen VBFV Walter Sommermeier
32 SC Hansa 1898 Bremen Bremen VBFV Walter Sommermeier
33 Bremer SC 1891 Bremen VBFV Walter Sommermeier
34 KSV Simson Bremen Bremen VBFV Walter Sommermeier
35 Club SuS 1896 Bremen Bremen VBFV Walter Sommermeier
36 FV Werder 1899 Bremen Bremen VBFV Walter Sommermeier
37 SV Blitz 1897 Breslau Wroclaw - Aßmus
38 Academic BC 1897 Charlottenburg Charlottenburg VDB Fritz Boxhammer
39 Britannia Chemnitz Chemnitz - Udo Steinberg
40 Dresden FC 1893 Dresden - Thomas
41 Dresdner SC 1898 Dresden - Kühnel
42 SC Erfurt 1895 Erfurt - Beyer
43 1. Bockenheimer FC 1899 Frankfurt am Main - Albert Wamser
44 FC Frankfurt 1880 Frankfurt am Main - Albert Wamser
45 Frankfurt FC 1899 Frankfurt am Main - Albert Wamser
46 Frankfurt FC Germania 1894 Frankfurt am Main VSFV Gustav Manning
47 Frankfurt FC Victoria 1899 Frankfurt am Main - Albert Wamser
48 Freiburg FC 1897 Freiburg - Ernst Schottelius
49 Sport-Excelsior Friedenau Friedenau - Kurt Doerry
50 FC Association 1893 Hamburg Hamburg HAFB Walter Sommermeier
51 Hamburger FC 1888 Hamburg HAFB Walter Sommermeier
52 SC Germania 1887 Hamburg HAFB Walter Sommermeier
53 FC Hammonia 1896 Hamburg Hamburg HAFB Walter Sommermeier
54 St. Georger FC 1895 Hamburg HAFB Walter Sommermeier
55 FC Victoria 1895 Hamburg HAFB Walter Sommermeier
56 1. Hanauer FC 1893 Hanau VSFV Gustav Manning
57 Hanauer FG 1899 Hanau - Albert Wamser
58 FC Viktoria 1894 Hanau Hanau - Albert Wamser
59 German FV 1878 Hanover Hanover - Hermann Raydt
60 Karlsruhe FV 1891 Karlsruhe VSFV Gustav Manning
61 FC Phoenix 1894 Karlsruhe Karlsruhe - Walther Bensemann
62 Karlsruher FC Südstadt Karlsruhe - Walther Bensemann
63 Leipzig BC 1893 Leipzig - Oskar Buettner
64 FC Lipsia 1893 Leipzig Leipzig - Paul Schröter
65 BV Olympia 1896 Leipzig Leipzig - Gustav Oehmichen
66 VfB Sportbrüder 1893 Leipzig Leipzig - Johannes Kirmse
67 FC Wacker 1895 Leipzig Leipzig - Georg Schacht
68 Magdeburg FC Viktoria 1896 Magdeburg - Eberl
69 FuCC Cricket-Viktoria 1897 Magdeburg Magdeburg - Müller
70 Mannheim FG 1896 Mannheim VSFV Gustav Manning
71 Mannheim FV 1898 Mannheim MFB Walther Bensemann
72 Mannheim FG Germania 1897 Mannheim MFB Walther Bensemann
73 Mannheim FG Union 1897 Mannheim MFB Walther Bensemann
74 Mannheim FC Viktoria 1897 Mannheim MFB Walther Bensemann
75 Mittweidaer BC 1896 Mittweida - Udo Steinberg
76 FC Germania 1899 Mulhouse Mulhouse - Beyer
77 1. Munich FC 1896 Munich - Buttner
78 FC Bavaria 1899 Munich Munich - Buttner
79 FC Nordstern 1896 Munich Munich - Buttner
80 SC Naumburg Naumburg - Beyer
81 VfB 1893 Pankow Pankow - Fred Manning
82 1. FC 1896 Pforzheim Pforzheim VSFV Gustav Manning
83 Pforzheimer FC Frankonia Pforzheim VSFV Gustav Manning
84 German FC 1892 Prague Prague - Ferdinand Hueppe
85 German FC Germania 1898 Prague Prague - Heinrich Nonner
86 Strasbourg FV 1890 Strasbourg VSFV Gustav Manning
  1. ↑ The association membership is only given for those associations that were also represented by a representative of the respective association. Most of the other clubs also belonged to a regional association, but appeared as an individual club.
  2. ↑ For some clubs more than one representative was present at the meeting. The person named in the game and sport of February 3, 1900 is named here.
  3. ↑ Green, 100 years of German championship , p. 42, and Fuge, Ein Jahrhundert Leipziger Fußball , p. 129, instead of Sport-Excelsior Friedenau mistakenly name two clubs ( Friedenau Sport and BSC Excelsior ).
  4. ↑ The FC Association 1893 Hamburg (# 50) withdrew from the league games in the course of the autumn series 1899/1900 and dissolved a little later. However, he was still represented at the founding meeting in Leipzig.
  5. ↑ not identical to the Munich representative of the same name
  6. ↑ not identical to the Berlin representative of the same name

After the establishment

The first emblem of the DFB

Despite the differences of opinion among the participants and the organizational and formal inadequacies, the founding meeting in Leipzig turned out to be the hoped-for spark for football in Germany. In 1900, the second (in Erfurt) and third Bundestag (in Frankfurt am Main) two further meetings took place. Binding football rules were laid down on them and Ferdinand Hueppe was elected first chairman of the DFB. At the time of the third Bundestag in October 1900, the DFB had 91 clubs.

Admission of new members: Association of Magdeburger Ballspiel-Vereine , Darmstädter FC, FV Stuttgart, FC Bayern Munich (all June 2nd), Association of German Ballspielvereine (June 17th), Association of Hanoverian Ballspiel-Vereine , Casseler FC Sport 1899 (both October 6th) .

Further supraregional football associations - at the beginning of 1900, the Association of South German Football Associations and the Rheinischer Spiel-Verband only existed as two organizations operating well beyond urban areas - were founded. In December 1900, the Association of Central German Ball Game Associations was launched at the same location in Leipzig , and in the summer of 1901 Richard Schröder, a participant in the DFB's founding meeting, tried to resolve the disputes of the locally competing Berlin associations by founding the Free Berlin Football Association To cancel clubs and to include clubs from the Mark Brandenburg.

The DFB's aim to host a German football championship initially failed because of the regional associations, some of which were older and only partially prepared to share their power with the younger federal association. The first round of the championship came about a good three years after the DFB was founded; it was played in 1902/03 .

After joining FIFA in 1904, under pressure from the DFB, the Prague clubs involved in its establishment, one of which had even participated in the first German championship, had to be excluded from the association. Ferdinand Hueppe from DFC Prague resigned from his position and was replaced by Friedrich Wilhelm Nohe . The first international match hosted by the DFB did not take place until 1908.

literature

  • Philip Heineken: The soccer game . Association and rugby. Stuttgart 1898
  • 25 years of the German Football Association. Yearbook and Press Committee of the German Football Association, Industrie-Verlag und Druckerei AG, Düsseldorf, Festschrift 1925.
  • Jens Fuge: The founding of the German Football Association . In: ders .: A century of Leipzig football. The years 1893 to 1945 . Connewitzer Verlag-Buchhandlung, Leipzig 1996, ISBN 3-928833-23-5 , pp. 129-134
  • Hardy Greens: 100 years of the German Championship. The history of football in Germany . Verlag die Werkstatt, Göttingen 2003, ISBN 3-89533-410-3 , p. 41ff.

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Until about 1890, there was rugby before variant, only then began - especially in Berlin and Hamburg as well as in Baden - Association to enforce. For the early history of both types of football, cf. Heineken 1898.
  2. ^ According to Grüne, 100 years German championship , p. 41, the advertisement appeared on January 18, 1900.
  3. ↑ The building of the Mariengarten restaurant, located not far from Leipzig Central Station, was replaced in 1915 by the Friedrich Hofmeister publishing house. A commemorative plaque was attached to the front of the Hofmeister building in today's Büttnerstrasse for the 100th anniversary in 2000.
  4. ↑ quoted from Ulfert Schröder , Rainer Kalb: Fußball in Deutschland . In: Karl-Heinz Huba: World Football History. Pictures, dates, facts from 1846 until today . Copress Sport, Munich 2007, ISBN 978-3-7679-0958-8 , pp. 54–62, here: p. 56
  5. ^ Arthur Heinrich: The German Football Association. A political story . PapyRossa Verlag, Cologne 2000, ISBN 3-89438-194-9 , p. 25f.
  6. ^ A b c German Football Association (Ed.): German Football Yearbook 1904/05 . Grethlein and Co., Leipzig.
  7. ↑ Games and Sports , ibid
  8. ↑ According to the report from Spiel und Sport No. 444 of February 3, 1900, cf. Fuge, Leipzig 1996, p. 130
  9. ^ Only the Mannheim FG 1896 immediately joined the VSFV as a member, cf. also Gerhard Zeilinger: The pioneering days of the soccer game in Mannheim . Football archive, Mannheim 1992, ISBN 3-89426-044-0 , p. 13 ff.
  10. ↑ The FC Frankfurt 1880 (# 44) is not to be confused with the Frankfurt FC 1899 (# 45). More about this club near Heineken 1898, which at that time played almost exclusively rugby, on page 242 f .; as well as in: Thomas Bauer, Frankfurt am Ball , there 1999, page 10
  11. ↑ actually Wandsbek , but the venue was Hamburg
  12. ↑ Greens, 100 Years of German Championship , p. 44
  13. ↑ Greens, 100 Years of the German Championship , p. 48