Gauliga

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Gauliga
Founded
1933
Disbanded
1945
Nation
Flag of Nazi Germany Nazi Germany
Map of Germany in 1933
Number of Seasons
12
Replaced by
Oberliga
Level on Pyramid
Level 1
Domestic Cup
Tschammerpokal
Last Champions 1943-44
Dresdner SC

A Gauliga was the highest level of play in German football from 1934-45. The leagues were introduced in 1933, after the Nazi takeover of power.

Contents

[edit] Name

The German word Gauliga is composed of Gau, approximately meaning county or region, and Liga, or league. The plural is Gauligen. While the name Gauliga is not in use in German football anymore, mainly because it is attached to the Nazi past, some sports in Germany still have Gauligen, like gymnastics and faustball.

[edit] Overview

The Gauligen were formed in 1933 to replace the previously existing Bezirksligas in Weimar Germany. The Nazis initially introduced 16 regional Gauligen, some of them subdivided into groups.[1] The introduction of the Gauligen was part of the Gleichschaltung process, where by the Nazis completely revamped the domestic administration. The Gauligen were largely formed along the new Reichsgaue, designed to replace the old German states, like Prussia and Bavaria, and therefore gain better control over the country.

This step came as a disapointment to many more forward thinking football officials, who had hoped for a Reichsliga, a unified highest competition for all of Germany, like the ones already in place in countries like Italy (Serie A) and England (The Football League). In reality, this step was not taken until 1963, when the Bundesliga was formed.[2] It did, however, reduce the number of clubs in top leagues in the country considerably, from roughly 600 to 170.[3]

Beginning in 1935, with the re-admittance of the Saarland into Germany, the country and the leagues began to expand. With the aggressive expansion politics, and later, through the Second World War, Germany grew considerably in size. New or regained territories were incorporated into the Third Reich. In those regions incorporated into Germany, new Gauligen were formed.[4]

With the outbreak of the Second World War, football continued but competitions were reduced in size as many players were drafted to the German Wehrmacht. Most Gauligen split into subgroups to reduce travel, which became increasingly more difficult as the war went on.

Many clubs had to merge or form Kriegsgemeinschaften (war sssociations) due to lack of players. The competition became increasingly flawed as the list of available players to a club fluctuated on a weekly base, depending on who was where at a time.

The last season, 1944-45, was never completed, as large parts of Germany were already under allied occupation and the German unconditional surrender on 8 May 1945 ended all sports competitions, the last official match having been played on 23 April.

[edit] Aftermath

While some areas took until 1947, to restart football competitions, in the south of Germany, a highest league was formed soon after the Nazi collapse. The new Oberligen took the place of the Gauligen from 1945, when six new leagues were gradually formed in what was left of Germany:

[edit] Influence of the Nazis in football

With the rise of the Nazis to power, the DFB came fully under the party's influence. All sport, including football, was controlled by the Reichssportführer (Reich Sports Leader) Hans von Tschammer und Osten. In 1935, the newly established German cup, the Tschammerpokal, now the DFB-Pokal, was named after him. The Nazis prohibited all workers sports clubs (Arbeiter Sportvereine) and, increasingly so, all Jewish sport associations. Jewish clubs were immediately removed from all national football competitions in 1933 and had to play their own tournaments. From 1938, all Jewish sport clubs were forbidden outright.[5].

Additionally, clubs with strong connections to Jews were punished and fell into disfavor, like Bayern Munich, who had a Jewish coach (Richard Dombi) and chairman (Kurt Landauer).[6]

The Nazis were, however, interested in furthering sport, especially football, as success in the sport served their propaganda efforts. Hans von Tschammer und Osten specifically ordered that players from former workers' sports movements be integrated in the Nazi-approved clubs, as the Nazis could not afford to lose the country's best players. Upon his orders, teams were not selected by political critica, but by performance criteria.

Despite this, the number of active players and clubs declined in regions like the Ruhr area, where the workers' movement was traditionally strong.[7]

The fact that some famous players, like FC Schalke 04's Tibulski, Kalwitzki, Fritz Szepan, and Ernst Kuzorra, had less then German sounding names and were mostly decendants of Polish immigrants was ignored by the Nazis. On the contrary, players like Szepan successfully represented Nazi Germany in the 1934 and 1938 World Cups.[8]

[edit] In occupied territories

The Nazis' position to football and its clubs in the occupied territories varied greatly. Local clubs in Eastern Europe, such as Polish and Czech clubs, were not permitted to compete in the Gauligen. The situation was different in Western Europe, where clubs from Alsace, Lorraine, and Luxembourg took part in the Gauliga system under Germanised names.

Clubs with a Czech majority, while part of the German Reich, played out their own national, Bohemia/Moravia championship in this time, parallel to the German Gauliga Böhmen und Mähren, but were racially segregated.[9]

[edit] German championship

Main article: German football champions

The winners of the various Gauligen qualified for the finals of the German championship, held at the end of season.

From 1934-38, the system was straight forward, as the 16 Gauliga champions were allocated in four groups of four teams. After a home-and-away round, the winners of the four groups played a semi-final on neutral ground. The two winners of the semi-finals went to the final to determine the German champion.

In the years 1939, 1940, and 1941, the number of groups was extended to compensate for the additional Gauligen created.

From 1942, the competition was played in a single-game knock-out format due to the worsening situation in the war.

While FC Schalke 04 was by far the most successful club in this era, it is worth noting that with Rapid Wien in 1941, the title went to Austria. Also, a Luxembourgian club, Stade Dudelange (renamed FV Stadt Düdelingen), managed to reach the first round of the championship and cup in 1942.

[edit] German championship finals under the Gauliga system

Year Champion Runner-Up Result Date Venue
1944 Dresdner SC Luftwaffen-SV Hamburg 4-0 18 June 1944 Berlin
1943 Dresdner SC FV Saarbrücken 3-0 27 June 1943 Berlin
1942 FC Schalke 04 First Vienna FC 2-0 05 July 1942 Berlin
1941 Rapid Wien FC Schalke 04 4-3 22 June 1941 Berlin
1940 FC Schalke 04 Dresdner SC 1-0 21 July 1940 Berlin
1939 FC Schalke 04 Admira Wien 9-0 18 June 1939 Berlin
1938 Hannover 96 FC Schalke 04 3-3 ET
4-3 ET		 26 June 1938
03 July 1938		 Berlin
Berlin
1937 FC Schalke 04 1. FC Nuremberg 2-0 20 June 1937 Berlin
1936 1. FC Nuremberg Fortuna Düsseldorf 2-1 ET 21 June 1936 Berlin
1935 FC Schalke 04 VfB Stuttgart 6-4 23 June 1935 Cologne
1934 FC Schalke 04 1. FC Nuremberg 2-1 24 June 1934 Berlin

[edit] German cup finals under the Gauliga system

The German Cup competition was first played out in 1935 and ceased in 1943, only restarting again in 1953. During the Third Reich, it was called The von Tschammer und Osten Pokal.

Year Winner Finalist Result Date Venue Attendance
1943 First Vienna FC Luftwaffen-SV Hamburg 3-2 ET 31 October 1943 Stuttgart 45,000
1942 TSV 1860 Munich FC Schalke 04 2-0 15 October 1942 Berlin 80,000
1941 Dresdner SC FC Schalke 04 2-1 02 October 1941 Berlin 65,000
1940 Dresdner SC 1. FC Nuremberg 2-1 ET 01 December 1940 Berlin 60,000
1939 1. FC Nuremberg SV Waldhof Mannheim 2-0 08 April 1940 Berlin 60,000
1938 Rapid Wien FSV Frankfurt 3-1 08 January 1939 Berlin 38,000
1937 FC Schalke 04 Fortuna Düsseldorf 2-1 09 January 1938 Köln 72,000
1936 VfB Leipzig FC Schalke 04 2-1 03 January 1937 Berlin 70,000
1935 1. FC Nuremberg FC Schalke 04 2-0 08 December 1935 Düsseldorf 55,000

[edit] List of Gauligen

Map of Nazi Germany showing its administrative subdivisions, the Reichsgaue
Map of Nazi Germany showing its administrative subdivisions, the Reichsgaue

[edit] Original Gauligen in 1933

[edit] Gauligen formed through subdivision of existing leagues

  • Gauliga Braunschweig-Südhannover: formed when the Gauliga Niedersachsen split in 1942, covering the eastern half of its region, the Gauliga Ost-Hannover split from it in 1943, split into regional groups in 1944
  • Gauliga Hamburg: formed when the Gauliga Nordmark was split in 1942
  • Gauliga Hessen-Nassau: formed when the Gauliga Südwest/Mainhessen was split in 1941, covering the region now part of the federal state of Hesse
  • Gauliga Köln-Aachen: formed when the Gauliga Mittelrhein was split in 1941
  • Gauliga Mecklenburg: formed when the Gauliga Nordmark was split in 1942
  • Gauliga Moselland: formed when the Gauliga Mittelrhein was split in 1941, played in two regional groups and included clubs from Luxembourg
  • Gauliga Niederschlesien: formed when the Gauliga Schlesien was split in 1941, covering the north-western half of the region
  • Gauliga Oberschlesien: formed when the Gauliga Schlesien was split in 1941, covering the south-eastern half of the region
  • Gauliga Ost-Hannover, split from the Gauliga Braunschweig-Südhannover in 1943
  • Gauliga Schleswig-Holstein: formed when the Gauliga Nordmark was split in 1942
  • Gauliga Weser-Ems: formed when the Gauliga Niedersachsen split in 1942, covering the western half of its region, split into regional groups from 1943
  • Gauliga Westmark: formed when the Gauliga Südwest/Mainhessen was split in 1941, covering the region now part of the federal states of Saarland and Rhineland-Pfalz, also included the FC Metz from the Lorraine region

[edit] Gauligen formed after German expansion

Map of Nazi Germany showing its expansion 1938 -1945
Map of Nazi Germany showing its expansion 1938 -1945
  • Gauliga Böhmen und Mähren: formed in the occupied parts of what is now the Czech Republic, then called the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, in 1943, two regional groups, only including German clubs, Czech clubs played their own championship
  • Gauliga Danzig-Westpreußen: formed in occupied Reichsgau Danzig-West Prussia in 1940
  • Gauliga Elsaß: formed in the occupied French region of Alsace in 1940, first in two groups, from 1941 in a single division
  • Gauliga Generalgouvernement: formed in the occupied Polish provinces which became part of the so called General Government in 1941, in various numbers of groups
  • Gauliga Ostmark: formed in the annexed country of Austria in 1938, in 1941 renamed Gauliga Donau-Alpenland
  • Gauliga Sudetenland: formed in the predominantly German speaking parts (Sudetenland) of Czechoslovakia annexed in 1938, from 1940 also with German clubs from Prague, in various number of groups
  • Gauliga Wartheland: formed in the occupied Reichsgau Wartheland in 1941, first in two groups, from 1942 in a single division

[edit] Non-German clubs in the Gauligen

Three of the Gauligen contained non-German clubs from regions occupied by Germany after 1940.

The Gauliga Elsaß was completely made up of French clubs from Alsace, who had to Germanise their names, like RC Strasbourg, which become Rasen SC Straßburg.

In the Gauliga Westmark three clubs from the French Lorraine region played under their German names:

In the Gauliga Moselland, clubs from Luxembourg took part in the competition, including:

[edit] Gauliga timeline

This timeline shows the length of time periods certain Gauligen existed. Note however, that all Gauligen were severely restricted after 1944 and none finished the 1944-45 season. Due to the German military collapse, information on the last season is generally limited, especially in the occupied areas.


[edit] See also

[edit] Further reading

  • Matthias Marschik. "Between Manipulation and Resistance: Viennese Football in the Nazi Era". Journal of Contemporary History, Vol. 34, No. 2 (April 1999), pp. 215-229

[edit] Sources

[edit] References

  1. ^ V wie Viktoria. Accessed 14 May 2008. (German)
  2. ^ Karl-Heinz Huba. Fussball Weltgeschichte: Bilder, Daten, Fakten von 1846 bis heute. Copress Sport. (German)
  3. ^ Soccer in the Third Reich: 1933-1945. The Abseits Guide to Germany. Accessed 14 May 2008.
  4. ^ DerErsteZug.com. Fußball, by Tait Galbraith. Accessed 15 May 2008
  5. ^ Jewish Teams Worldwide at RSSSF.com. Accessed 15 May 2008.
  6. ^ German Jews and football history. European Jewish Press. 4 July 2006. Accessed 15 May 2008.
  7. ^ Dietrich Schulze-Marmeling. "Fußball unterm Hakenkreuz". ak - Zeitung für linke Debatte und Praxis. Accessed 15 May 2008. (German)
  8. ^ Dirk Bitzer, Bernd Wilting. Stürmen für Deutschland: Die Geschichte des deutschen Fußballs von 1933 bis 1954. Campus Verlag, pp. 60-64. Google Books. Accessed 15 May 2008 (German).
  9. ^ Bohemia/Moravia and Slovakia 1938-1944. RSSSF.com. Accessed 31 May 2008.


v • d • e
Flag of Nazi Germany Gauliga
Original Gauligen
Gauligen
formed after 1939
Gauligen in
occupied territories
Gauliga Böhmen und Mähren  · Gauliga Danzig-Westpreußen  · Gauliga Elsaß  · Gauliga Generalgouvernement  · Gauliga Sudetenland  · Gauliga Ostmark  · Gauliga Wartheland
League system: German football league system, Cup competition: Tschammerpokal
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