Men's national volleyball team of the GDR
| German Democratic Republic | |
|
|
| Association | Confédération Européenne de Volleyball |
| World Championship | |
|---|---|
| Participation in the finals | 1956, 1962-1982 |
| best result | World Champion 1970 |
| Olympic games | |
| Participation in the finals | 1968 , 1972 |
| best result | Silver 1972 |
| European Championship | |
| Participation in the finals | 1958-1983, 1989 |
| best result | Fourth in 1967 and 1971 |
| World cup | |
| Participation in the finals | 1965, 1969 |
| best result | 1969 winner |
| World league | |
| Participation in the finals | no |
| best result | no |
| European League | |
| Participation in the finals | no |
| best result | no |
| (As of September 11, 2012) | |
The GDR men's national volleyball team was a selection of the best East German players who represented the German Democratic Republic in international tournaments and matches. It existed during the German division parallel to the team of the Federal Republic . Her greatest successes were winning the 1970 World Cup and the silver medal at the 1972 Olympic Games. After reunification , some active GDR players continued their careers in the joint German national team.
history
World Championship
The GDR took part in a world championship for the first time in Paris in 1956 and reached twelfth place. She was one rank better in 1962 in the Soviet Union . Four years later, the men from East Germany rose to the top and narrowly missed the medal ranks at the tournament in the CSSR as fourth. In 1970 in Bulgaria they achieved the greatest success in the history of the GDR World Cup. The team remained unbeaten in the preliminary round with only one set lost. In the final round, she defeated the defending champions Czechoslovakia , among others , before a 2: 3 defeat against Japan on the penultimate matchday . In the decisive final game against the hosts , the GDR won the fifth set after a clear deficit and became world champions. In 1974 in Mexico , the defending champion came fourth. At the next tournaments in Italy in 1978 and in Argentina in 1982 , the GDR selection came in ninth and twelfth. Then she could no longer qualify for the World Cup.
European Championship
In 1958 in Prague , the GDR took part in a European championship for the first time. In the first game of the preliminary round there was a duel with the Federal Republic of Germany , which the East German volleyball players won 3-0. In the final round, they finally won the group that played for places 9 to 16. The GDR achieved the same result in Romania in 1963 . This time the two German teams met in the last game of the tournament. Four years later, the GDR improved to fourth place at the European Championships in Turkey . In 1971 in Italy , the team started as the reigning world champion, but again just missed the medal ranks. After seventh place in 1975 , the GDR was ninth in 1977 and 1979 . In the preliminary round of the European Championship in 1981 there was another German duel, which the GDR won 3-0. Then the GDR lost all five games in the final group and came in sixth. Two years later, the East Germans hosted the EM 1983 . In the final group they managed only one victory against Italy , which is why they finished the tournament in sixth place. Then they missed two tournaments. At the last European Championship appearance before reunification, there was another German duel in Sweden in 1989 . This time, the GDR was defeated by the Federal Republic and thus lost all preliminary round matches. In the placement games, however, she was more successful and came in ninth place.
Olympic games
The GDR took part in two Olympic tournaments. 1968 in Mexico City all participants played in one group and the GDR took fourth place. In 1972 in Munich , the East Germans defeated the hosts, among others, and came second in the group behind Japan. After defeating the defending champions Soviet Union in the semifinals , they met again in the final against the Asians, who won 3-1. The silver medal is the best result a German team has ever achieved at the Olympic Games.
World cup
At the first edition of the World Cup, the GDR qualified as group winners for the final round in Poland in 1965 . There she finally came in fifth. Four years later, the East Germans hosted the World Cup in 1969 . They survived the preliminary round without defeat and only lost the last game against Japan in the final group. Nevertheless they prevailed in the overall standings just ahead of the Asians and won the competition. It was also her last participation.
World league / European league
These two competitions came into being after the end of the German Democratic Republic .
Player personalities
- Jürgen Freiwald
- Horst Hagen
- René Hecht
- Jürgen Kessel
- Wolfgang Lion
- Wolfgang Maibohm
- Jürgen Maune
- Horst Peter
- Eckehard Pietzsch
- Siegfried Schneider
- Arnold Schulz
- Rudi Schumann
- Rainer Tscharke
- Wolfgang Webner
- Wolfgang Weise
Senior national team coach
| from | to | Surname |
|---|---|---|
| 1951 | 1952 | Herbert Gabriel |
| 1953 | 1954 | Werner Brock |
| 1955 | 1955 | Gerhard Feck |
| 1955 | 1957 | Fritz Döring |
| 1957 | 1958 | Helmut Hampel |
| 1959 | 1959 | Fritz Döring |
| 1960 | 1974 | Herbert Jenter |
| 1975 | 1978 | Kurt Radde |
| 1979 | 1980 | Herbert Jenter |
| 1981 | 1983 | Lothar Schröter |
| 1984 | 1986 | Bernd Walther |
| 1987 | 1987 | Rolf Hornschuch |
| 1988 | 1990 | Ulrich Sernow |
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Jürgen Holz: Forgotten high flyers. Volleyball Magazine, August 2006, accessed September 11, 2012 .