DFC Prag
Encyclopedia
The Deutscher Fussball Club Prag was a German association football club
that played in the city of Prague
in what is today the Czech Republic
, but was at the time of the club's founding on 25 May 1896, part of Bohemia
in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Originally the club was the football department of the Deutscher Eis- und Ruder-Club Regatta Prag established in 1891, consisted of ethnic Germans.
The multi-national character of Austria-Hungary created some confusion for footballers of the period as they could find themselves playing in the "national" leagues of Germany, Austria, Hungary or Czechoslovakia. It was common for sports clubs to be founded based on the shared ethnicity of their members and DFC Prag was created by a group of German Jews, many of them students at Charles University in Prague
.
When it was formed in 1896, the German Football Association
(Deutscher Fussball Bund or German Football Association), actively sought out members among ethnically German clubs from outside of the country. DFC Prag was a founding member
of the German association and its president, Dr. Ferdinand Hueppe, became the first president of this new national association.
. The Karlruhers received a telegram, supposedly from the DFB, indicating that the game had been rescheduled and so they did not travel to the appointed match-up. Prag, already waiting in Leipzig for the arrival of KFV, were declared the winners by forfeit and advanced to the final, over the loud protests of Karlsruhe. To this day the origin of the telegram is unknown. The final was scheduled for 31 May 1903 at the homefield of FC Altona in Hamburg. The heavily favoured Pragers took themselves off on an ill-advised pub crawl the night before the match and so arrived to the pitch in less than ideal game-shape. The contest against VfB Leipzig was delayed half an hour as officials scrambled to find a football that was in good enough condition to play the match. The Altona club provided a new ball and eleven minutes in Prag scored the first goal. At the end of the half it was 1:1, but Leipzig then pulled away to emerge as the first German champions with a 7:2 victory. They later that same year agreed to a challenge match of sorts against Karlsruher FV and were again victorious, this time by a 7:3 score.
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in 1904, Prag was no longer eligible for play in that country. FIFA also rebuffed attempts to create ethnic German and Slavic football associations within the borders of the fractious Austro-Hungarian empire, preferring to stay clear of politics. DFC played variously in Austria, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia and remained a strong side until about 1914. They sent a number of players to the Austrian national team in spite of the club's uncertain status. Prag dominated the Sudeten
league in the ethnically German region of Czechoslovakia, and in the period immediately prior to World War II, won a pair of amateur championships, in 1931 and 1933.
The rise to power of the Nazis
in the early 30s led to discrimination against Jews and by 1933 Jewish teams were excluded from general competition and limited to play in separate leagues or tournaments. In 1938 Jewish players and teams were banned outright as discrimination turned to persecution. The annexation of the Sudetenland
by the Germans in 1938 was quickly followed by the imposition of these policies in the region.
In 1933 German football was re-organized under the Third Reich into sixteen top-flight divisions known as Gauligen
. As other countries or regions came under German control new divisions were formed: the Gauliga Ostmark
in Austria after the Anschluss
and the Gauliga Sudetenland
after the seizure of the region from Czechoslovakia.
DFC Prag and Deutsche Sportbrüder Prag were merged into a politically acceptable side under the regime known as Nationalsozialistische Turngemeinde Prag in 1940. They played one season in the Gauliga Sudetenland where they won the division title, leading to participation in the national championship round and German Cup. The next season they won the Gauliga Sudeten-Mitte, and again took part in Cup play, but voluntarily withdrew from participation in the national playoff or further Gauliga play. The team disappeared with the end of World War II.
Football in Germany
Association football is the most popular sport in Germany. The German Football Association is the sport's national governing body, with 6.6 million members organized in over 26,000 football clubs. There is a league system, with the 1. and 2. Bundesliga on top, and the winner of the first...
that played in the city of Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
in what is today the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
, but was at the time of the club's founding on 25 May 1896, part of Bohemia
Bohemia
Bohemia is a historical region in central Europe, occupying the western two-thirds of the traditional Czech Lands. It is located in the contemporary Czech Republic with its capital in Prague...
in the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Originally the club was the football department of the Deutscher Eis- und Ruder-Club Regatta Prag established in 1891, consisted of ethnic Germans.
Founding member of the German Football Association
Charles University in Prague
Charles University in Prague is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1348, it was the first university in Central Europe and is also considered the earliest German university...
.
When it was formed in 1896, the German Football Association
German Football Association
The German Football Association is the governing body of football in Germany. A founding member of both FIFA and UEFA, the DFB organises the German football leagues, including the national league, the Bundesliga, and the men's and women's national teams. The DFB is based in Frankfurt and is...
(Deutscher Fussball Bund or German Football Association), actively sought out members among ethnically German clubs from outside of the country. DFC Prag was a founding member
Founding Clubs of the DFB
The DFB was formed January 28, 1900 in Leipzig. The commonly accepted number of founding clubs represented at the inaugural meeting is 86, but this number is uncertain. The vote held to establish the association was 62:22 in favour . Some delegates present represented more than one club, but may...
of the German association and its president, Dr. Ferdinand Hueppe, became the first president of this new national association.
Contesting Germany's first championship
DFC Prag was a very strong side at the time: they were Czech champions in 1896, played in Germany's first ever national final in 1903, and repeated as Czech champions in 1917. The story of Prags appearance in that 1903 final is an odd one as they got there without having to play a scheduled playoff match against Karlsruher FVKarlsruher FV
Karlsruher FV is a German association football club that plays in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg. Established on 17 November 1891, KFV was a founding member of the German Football Association in 1900. The team went on to capture the national championship in 1910 with a 1–0 victory over Holstein Kiel...
. The Karlruhers received a telegram, supposedly from the DFB, indicating that the game had been rescheduled and so they did not travel to the appointed match-up. Prag, already waiting in Leipzig for the arrival of KFV, were declared the winners by forfeit and advanced to the final, over the loud protests of Karlsruhe. To this day the origin of the telegram is unknown. The final was scheduled for 31 May 1903 at the homefield of FC Altona in Hamburg. The heavily favoured Pragers took themselves off on an ill-advised pub crawl the night before the match and so arrived to the pitch in less than ideal game-shape. The contest against VfB Leipzig was delayed half an hour as officials scrambled to find a football that was in good enough condition to play the match. The Altona club provided a new ball and eleven minutes in Prag scored the first goal. At the end of the half it was 1:1, but Leipzig then pulled away to emerge as the first German champions with a 7:2 victory. They later that same year agreed to a challenge match of sorts against Karlsruher FV and were again victorious, this time by a 7:3 score.
Play outside of Germany and dissolution
When Germany joined FIFAFIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
in 1904, Prag was no longer eligible for play in that country. FIFA also rebuffed attempts to create ethnic German and Slavic football associations within the borders of the fractious Austro-Hungarian empire, preferring to stay clear of politics. DFC played variously in Austria, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia and remained a strong side until about 1914. They sent a number of players to the Austrian national team in spite of the club's uncertain status. Prag dominated the Sudeten
Sudetenland
Sudetenland is the German name used in English in the first half of the 20th century for the northern, southwest and western regions of Czechoslovakia inhabited mostly by ethnic Germans, specifically the border areas of Bohemia, Moravia, and those parts of Silesia being within Czechoslovakia.The...
league in the ethnically German region of Czechoslovakia, and in the period immediately prior to World War II, won a pair of amateur championships, in 1931 and 1933.
The rise to power of the Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
in the early 30s led to discrimination against Jews and by 1933 Jewish teams were excluded from general competition and limited to play in separate leagues or tournaments. In 1938 Jewish players and teams were banned outright as discrimination turned to persecution. The annexation of the Sudetenland
Sudetenland
Sudetenland is the German name used in English in the first half of the 20th century for the northern, southwest and western regions of Czechoslovakia inhabited mostly by ethnic Germans, specifically the border areas of Bohemia, Moravia, and those parts of Silesia being within Czechoslovakia.The...
by the Germans in 1938 was quickly followed by the imposition of these policies in the region.
In 1933 German football was re-organized under the Third Reich into sixteen top-flight divisions known as Gauligen
Gauliga
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 by the Sports office of the Third Reich.-Name:...
. As other countries or regions came under German control new divisions were formed: the Gauliga Ostmark
Gauliga Ostmark
The Gauliga Ostmark, renamed Gauliga Donau-Alpenland in 1941, was the highest football league in Austria after its annexation by Germany in 1938...
in Austria after the Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
and the Gauliga Sudetenland
Gauliga Sudetenland
The Gauliga Sudetenland, was the highest football league in predominantly German speaking parts of Czechoslovakia, the Sudetenland, which was awarded to Germany on 30 September 1938 through the Munich Agreement...
after the seizure of the region from Czechoslovakia.
DFC Prag and Deutsche Sportbrüder Prag were merged into a politically acceptable side under the regime known as Nationalsozialistische Turngemeinde Prag in 1940. They played one season in the Gauliga Sudetenland where they won the division title, leading to participation in the national championship round and German Cup. The next season they won the Gauliga Sudeten-Mitte, and again took part in Cup play, but voluntarily withdrew from participation in the national playoff or further Gauliga play. The team disappeared with the end of World War II.
Honours
- Bohemian champion: 1896, 1917
- German vice-champion: 1903
- Czechoslovak amateur champion: 1931, 1933
- Sudeten German champions (10): 1923, 1924, 1926, 1927, 1928, 1929, 1931, 1932, 1933, 1937