Gauliga Mittelrhein
Encyclopedia
- For the main article, see GauligaGauligaA 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 by the Sports office of the Third Reich.-Name:...
.Gauliga Mittelrhein Gauliga Köln-Aachen Gauliga Moselland Founded 1933 Disbanded 1945 Nation Nazi Germany
Nazi GermanyNazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
Provinces Provinces of PrussiaThe Provinces of Prussia constituted the main administrative divisions of Prussia. Following the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806 and the Congress of Vienna in 1815 the various princely states in Germany gained their nominal sovereignty, but the reunification process that culminated in...
, Countries and RegionsRhine Province Rhine ProvinceThe Rhine Province , also known as Rhenish Prussia or synonymous to the Rhineland , was the westernmost province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia, within the German Reich, from 1822-1946. It was created from the provinces of the Lower Rhine and Jülich-Cleves-Berg...Luxembourg
LuxembourgLuxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
(from 1941)Eupen-Malmedy
Eupen-MalmedyEupen-Malmedy, or the East Cantons , is a group of cantons in Belgium, composed of the former Prussian districts of Malmedy and Eupen, together with the Neutral Moresnet...
(from 1941)Gau (from 1934) Köln-Aachen Moselland Number of Seasons 12 Replaced by Oberliga West Oberliga West (1947-63)The Oberliga West was the highest level of the German football league system in the west of Germany from 1947 until the formation of the Bundesliga in 1963...Level on Pyramid Level 1 German football league systemThe German football league system, or league pyramid, refers to a series of hierarchically interconnected leagues for association football clubs in Germany that consists of over 2,300 men's divisions, in which all leagues are bound together by the principle of promotion and relegation...Domestic Cup Tschammerpokal DFB-PokalThe DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...Last Champions 1943-44 Gauliga Köln-Aachen
KSG VfL 99 Köln/SpVgg Sülz 07Gauliga Moselland
TuS Neuendorf
The Gauliga Mittelrhein was the highest football league in the central and southern part of the PrussiaPrussiaPrussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...
n Rhine ProvinceRhine ProvinceThe Rhine Province , also known as Rhenish Prussia or synonymous to the Rhineland , was the westernmost province of the Kingdom of Prussia and the Free State of Prussia, within the German Reich, from 1822-1946. It was created from the provinces of the Lower Rhine and Jülich-Cleves-Berg...
from 1933 to 1945. Shortly after the formation of the league, the Nazis reorganised the administrative regions in Germany, and the Gaue Köln-Aachen and Moselland replaced the Prussian provinceProvinces of PrussiaThe Provinces of Prussia constituted the main administrative divisions of Prussia. Following the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire in 1806 and the Congress of Vienna in 1815 the various princely states in Germany gained their nominal sovereignty, but the reunification process that culminated in...
in the Middle RhineMiddle RhineBetween Bingen and Bonn, Germany, the Rhine River flows as the Middle Rhine through the Rhine Gorge, a formation created by erosion, which happened at about the same rate as an uplift in the region, leaving the river at about its original level, and the surrounding lands raised...
(German: Mittelrhein) region.
From 1941, the Gauliga Mittelrhein was split into two separate leagues, the Gauliga Köln-Aachen and the Gauliga Moselland. From this time, it also included clubs from the occupied LuxembourgLuxembourgLuxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
and the BelgianBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
region of Eupen-MalmedyEupen-MalmedyEupen-Malmedy, or the East Cantons , is a group of cantons in Belgium, composed of the former Prussian districts of Malmedy and Eupen, together with the Neutral Moresnet...
.
Gauliga Mittelrhein
The league was introduced in 1933, after the Nazi takeover of powerMachtergreifungMachtergreifung is a German word meaning "seizure of power". It is normally used specifically to refer to the Nazi takeover of power in the democratic Weimar Republic on 30 January 1933, the day Hitler was sworn in as Chancellor of Germany, turning it into the Nazi German dictatorship.-Term:The...
in Germany. It replaced the BezirksligasBezirksklasseThe Bezirksliga, Bezirksklasse or Landesklasse is the 8th tier of football in Germany. The Bezirksliga exists in all regions of German football. Below the Bezirksliga usually ranks the Kreisliga...
and Oberligas as the highest level of play in German football competitions.
In its first season, the league had eleven clubs, playing each other once at home and once away. The league champion then qualified for the German championshipGerman football championsThe German football champions are the annual winners of the highest association football competition in Germany. The history of the German football championship is complex and reflects the turbulent history of the country through the course of the 20th century.Brought to the country by English...
. The bottom three teams were relegated. The season after, the league was reduced to ten teams and remained at this strength until 1939. From 1937, it also included Alemannia AachenAlemannia AachenAlemannia Aachen is a German football club from the western city of Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia. A long term fixture of the country's second division, Alemannia enjoyed a three-year turn in the top flight in the late 1960s and, after a successful 2005–06 campaign, returned to first division play...
which had previously belonged to the Gauliga NiederrheinGauliga NiederrheinThe Gauliga Niederrhein was the highest football league in the northern part of the Prussian Rhine Province from 1933 to 1945. Shortly after the formation of the league, the Nazis reorganised the administrative regions in Germany, and the Gaue Essen and Düsseldorf replaced the Prussian province in...
.
Due to the outbreak of the 2nd World War in 1939, the league was split into two regional groups, a northern division of seven and a southern of six clubs. The two group champions then played a home-and-away final for the Gauliga championship.
In its last season, 1940–41, the league returned to a single-division, ten-team format. At the end of this season, the league was split into two separate Gauligas, divided along the administrative divisions of the two Gaue.
Gauliga Köln-Aachen
The territory of the new Gauliga Köln-Aachen was made up of the area of the Gau Köln-Aachen and the Eupen-MalmedyEupen-MalmedyEupen-Malmedy, or the East Cantons , is a group of cantons in Belgium, composed of the former Prussian districts of Malmedy and Eupen, together with the Neutral Moresnet...
region, the German speaking part of BelgiumBelgiumBelgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
which had been annexed to the Gau after the German victory in 1940. However, no club from this formerly Belgian region did play at highest level during the war.
The league started with nine clubs in a single division in 1941 and expanded to ten for the 1942-43 season. In its last completed season, 1943–44, it returned to a strength of nine teams. Due to the arrival of the war in the region and the conquest of AachenAachenAachen has historically been a spa town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Aachen was a favoured residence of Charlemagne, and the place of coronation of the Kings of Germany. Geographically, Aachen is the westernmost town of Germany, located along its borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, ...
by the allied forces, the last season probably not started anymore at all.
Gauliga Moselland
The territory of the new Gauliga Moselland was made up of the area of the Gau Moselland and LuxembourgLuxembourgLuxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, which had been annexed by Germany and added to the Gau after the German victory in 1940.
The league started out with two regional divisions of six clubs each with a home-and-away final to determined the Gauliga champion. The western group compromised two clubs from the city of TrierTrierTrier, historically called in English Treves is a city in Germany on the banks of the Moselle. It is the oldest city in Germany, founded in or before 16 BC....
and four Luxembourgian clubs. The league modus remained the same for the 1942-43 season but the number of clubs from Luxembourg increased to five.
In the 1943-44 season, the eastern group comprised five teams while the western had seven clubs. With the arrival of allied forces in the region in late 1944, football was of low priority and the last season, 1944-45 was probably not started any more.
Aftermath
With the end of the Nazi era, the Gauligas ceased to exist and the northern part of the region found itself in the BritishUnited KingdomThe United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
occupation zoneAllied Occupation Zones in GermanyThe Allied powers who defeated Nazi Germany in World War II divided the country west of the Oder-Neisse line into four occupation zones for administrative purposes during 1945–49. In the closing weeks of fighting in Europe, US forces had pushed beyond the previously agreed boundaries for the...
while the south became part of the FrenchFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
zone. The annexed regions of Belgium and Luxembourg were taken from Germany again after 1945.
The Oberliga SüdwestOberliga Südwest (1945-63)The Oberliga Südwest was the highest level of the German football league system in the southwest of Germany from 1945 until the formation of the Bundesliga in 1963. It covered the two states of Rheinland-Pfalz and Saarland.-Overview:...
was introduced as the highest football league in the French occupation zone in 1945, replacing the Gauliga. The territory of the pre-1940 Gau Moselland became part of the new state of Rhineland-PalatinateRhineland-PalatinateRhineland-Palatinate is one of the 16 states of the Federal Republic of Germany. It has an area of and about four million inhabitants. The capital is Mainz. English speakers also commonly refer to the state by its German name, Rheinland-Pfalz ....
.
In the British zone, which the former Gau Köln-Aachen was part of, top-level football did not resume straight away, unlike in Southern Germany, and only in 1947 was a new, highest league introduced, the Oberliga WestOberliga West (1947-63)The Oberliga West was the highest level of the German football league system in the west of Germany from 1947 until the formation of the Bundesliga in 1963...
, which covered all of the new state of North Rhine-WestphaliaNorth Rhine-WestphaliaNorth Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
.
Founding members of the league
The eleven founding members and their league positions in the 1932-33 season were:- Mülheimer SV 06
- VfR 04 Köln
- SpVgg Sülz 07, champion Rhein division
- Eintracht Trier
- Bonner FV
- SV Westmark 05 Trier
- Kölner CfR
- Kölner SC 99
- FV 1911 Neuendorf
- Fortuna Kottenheim, champion Mittelrhein division
- SV Rhenania Köln
Gauliga Mittelrhein
Season Winner Runner-Up 1933-34 Mülheimer SV 06 VfR 04 Köln 1934-35 VfR 04 Köln Kölner CfR 1935-36 Kölner CfR Tura 04 Bonn 1936-37 VfR 04 Köln Kölner CfR 1937-38 SV Beuel 06 Alemannia Aachen 1938-39 SpVgg Sülz 07 SSV Troisdorf 05 1939-40 Mülheimer SV 06 SSV Troisdorf 05 1940-41 VfL Köln 99 VfR 04 Köln
Gauliga Köln-Aachen
Season Winner Runner-Up 1941-42 VfL Köln 99 VfR 04 Köln 1942-43 SV Victoria 11 Köln VfR 04 Köln 1943-44 KSG VfL 99 Köln/SpVgg Sülz 07 SG Düren 99
Gauliga Moselland
Season Winner Runner-Up 1941-42 FV Stadt Düdelingen Eintracht Kreuznach 1942-43 TuS Neuendorf FK Niederkorn 1943-44 TuS Neuendorf SV Schwarz-Weiß Esch
Gauliga Mittelrhein & Köln-Aachen
Club 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 Mülheimer SV 06 3 1 5 4 6 4 7 1 4 3 4 VfR 04 Köln 3 2 1 7 1 8 5 4 2 2 2 SpVgg Sülz 07 3 3 3 6 3 7 1 2 6 7 9 Eintracht Trier 4 8 10 Bonner FV 3 5 7 3 7 9 2 7 9 5 Westmark Trier 6 4 9 Kölner CfR 1 7 2 1 2 Kölner SC 99 1 8 6 5 9 Fortuna Kottenheim 9 Rhenania Köln 10 Blau-Weiß Köln 9 1. FC Idar 10 Tura 04 Bonn 3 2 8 6 3 3 8 TuS Neuendorf 8 10 9 6 Rhenania Würselen 4 5 4 6 8 SV Beuel 06 SV Beuel 06SV Beuel 06 is a German association football club that plays in Bonn, North Rhine-Westphalia.-History:The club's origins are as a group of high school students who were playing football in an informal association as early as 1903. They were known briefly as the Rapiditas or Rapidas after a...
45 1 8 4 10 SpVgg Andernach SpVgg AndernachSG Andernach is a German football club from the city of Andernach, Rhineland-Palatinate. The club was formed in 1999 through the merger of the football departments of SpVgg Andernach, BSV 1910 Andernach, and DJK Boulla Andernach based in the earlier association between these sides going back to 1992...
211 5 9 Alemannia Aachen Alemannia AachenAlemannia Aachen is a German football club from the western city of Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia. A long term fixture of the country's second division, Alemannia enjoyed a three-year turn in the top flight in the late 1960s and, after a successful 2005–06 campaign, returned to first division play...
42 10 7 6 4 VfL 99 Köln 1 3 3 6 3 1 1 3 Kölner BC 10 SSV Troisdorf 2 1 5 6 SG Düren 99 5 3 4 8 2 SV Victoria 11 Köln 5 1 5 SSV Vingst 05 7 9 LSV Bonn 10 10 KSG VfL 99 Köln/SpVgg Sülz 07 3 1 KSG VfR/Mülheimer SV 3 3 Kohlscheider BC 6 SV Bayenthal 7 KSG Bonn Bonner SCBonner SC is a German association football club based in Bonn. The club was formed in 1965 through the merger of Bonner FV and Tura Bonn.-History:...
38
Source:- 1 In May 1937, SC 99 Köln and CfR Köln merged to form VfL 99 Köln.
- 2 SpVgg Andernach joined the new Gauliga Moselland in 1941.
- 3 The following “war sport unions” (German: KSG) were formed between clubs in 1943:
- VfL 99 Köln and SpVgg Sülz 07 formed KSG VfL 99 Köln/SpVgg Sülz 07.
- VfR Köln and SV Mülheim formed KSG VfR/Mülheimer SV.
- Bonner FV and TuRa Bonn formed KSG Bonn.
- 4 Title awarded to SV Beuel 06 after the end of season, however, Alemannia Aachen took part in the German championship.
Gauliga Moselland
Club 1942 1943 1944 Eintracht Kreuznach 1 2 2 TuS Neuendorf 2 1 1 SpVgg Andernach SpVgg AndernachSG Andernach is a German football club from the city of Andernach, Rhineland-Palatinate. The club was formed in 1999 through the merger of the football departments of SpVgg Andernach, BSV 1910 Andernach, and DJK Boulla Andernach based in the earlier association between these sides going back to 1992...3 3 FV Engers 07 FV Engers 07FV Engers 07 is a German association football club based in the city of Engers, Rhineland-Palatinate that currently plays in the Oberliga Südwest .-History:...4 5 5 VfB Lützel 5 Viktoria Neuwied 6 6 6 FV Stadt Düdelingen 1 3 2 Moselland Luxemburg 2 4 5 SV Düdelingen 3 2 4 SV Schwarz-Weiß Esch 4 5 1 Eintracht Trier 4 5 6 Westmark Trier 4 6 Germania Mudersbach 4 4 FK Niederkorn 1 3 Reichsbahn SG Betzdorf SG BetzdorfSG Betzdorf is a German association football club from the city of Betzdorf, Rhineland-Palatinate. The team has its origins as a football department established within the gymnastics club Betzdorfer Turnverein on 6 September 1906...3 Schwarz-Weiß Wasserbillig 6 KSG Trier 4 7
Source:- 4 Eintracht Trier and Westmark Trier formed KSG Trier for the 1943-44 season.
Clubs from Luxembourg in the Gauliga Moselland
From 1941, clubs from the occupied country of Luxembourg took part in the German Gauliga system. The most successful of those was the FV Stadt Düdelingen, who reached the German championship finals round, losing to the FC Schalke 04FC Schalke 04Fußball-Club Gelsenkirchen-Schalke 04, commonly known as simply FC Schalke 04 or Schalke , is a German, association-football club originally from the Schalke district of Gelsenkirchen, North Rhine-Westphalia. Schalke has long been one of the most popular football teams in Germany, even though major...
0-2 in 1942.
The following clubs played in the Gauliga under their Germanised names:- FV Stadt Düdelingen, was Stade Dudelange
- FK Niederkorn, was Progrès Niedercorn
- Moselland Luxemburg, was Spora Luxembourg
- SV Düdelingen, was US Dudelange
- SV Schwarz-Weiß Esch, was Jeunesse d'Esch
- Schwarz-Weiß Wasserbillig, was Jeunesse Wasserbillig
Sources
- Die deutschen Gauligen 1933-45 - Heft 1-3 Tables of the Gauligas 1933-45, publisher: DSFS
- Kicker Almanach, The yearbook on German football from Bundesliga to Oberliga, since 1937, published by the Kicker Sports MagazineKicker (sports magazine)kicker Sportmagazin is Germany's leading sports magazine and is focused primarily on football. The magazine was founded in 1920 by German football pioneer Walther Bensemann and is published twice a week, usually Monday and Thursday, in Nuremberg...
External links
The Gauligas Das Deutsche Fussball Archiv- Germany - Championships 1902-1945 at RSSSF.com