Oskar Rohr
Encyclopedia
Oskar Rohr was a German footballer and one of the first footballers to play abroad in a foreign league. He was born in Mannheim
, Germany.
. He was quickly marked as a talented striker with a natural instinct for scoring goals. Fueled by the desire to display his talents at a higher level, he signed with FC Bayern Munich
in 1930. In his first season with FC Bayern, Rohr and his teammates barely missed out on the final round of the German Championship. In his second season with the club, FC Bayern went on to defeat Eintracht Frankfurt
in the final and claim its first German Championship with a 2–0 victory. Ossi Rohr, who scored one of the two goals in the match against Eintracht, was German Champion at the young age of 20 years. The following year, Bayern's fortunes were significantly poorer, resulting in a mid-table finish within Bavaria
. This lackluster finish encouraged Rohr to continue his career elsewhere.
At the age of 19, Rohr received his first German national team call-up by German manager Otto Nerz
. There he found himself on the pitch with stars such as Ernst Kuzorra
and Richard Hofmann
. He played in a total of four national team matches through March 1933, receiving his first cap a year earlier against Switzerland (2–0) in March 1932. He later scored two goals in a 4–3 win against Sweden, one goal in a 1–3 loss to Italy
, and two goals in a 3–3 draw with France
. With five goals in four matches, Rohr looked to be on the verge of a very successful national career.
side Racing Strasbourg. Due to his numerous transfers, football magazine "Der Fußball" referred to Rohr as "the Gladiator, whom sells himself abroad."
This antaganism towards Rohr only endeared him even more to the press and fans in the Alsace
. During the 1934–35 season, he proved his worth scoring 20 goals in 22 matches while leading Strasbourg to runner-up in the French Championship. The following season Rohr scored at an even higher rate, netting 28 goals in 28 matches. This performance saw him end up second on the French goal scoring list, with Strasbourg finishing third in the league. Although only finishing 6th in the league during the 1936–37 season, Rohr did obtain a French Cup runners-up medal with Strasbourg, as well as becoming the French League scoring champion with 30 goals. The following season he would finish again in second on the goal scoring list with 25 goals. With 117 Ligue 1 goals, Rohr is still the all-time goal scorer at Racing Strasbourg. He is still fondly remembered to this day by fans of the club.
in southern, unoccupied France where he live until 1942. During this time, the Third Reich declared him Persona non grata
. It is unknown if he played at local club FC Sète during this time period; he was however, not listed on the players roster during the 1941–42 season. Additionally disputed is whether Rohr served as a member of the French Foreign Legion
between 1940–1942.
In November 1942, he was sentenced to a three-month prison term after his arrest by French police in Marseille
for "anti-French or communist propaganda." He was handed over to the authorities by his nephew, Philip Rohr. He served his sentence at the Strasbourg Citadel, after which he was handed over to German authorities. The Gestapo
interned him in a concentration camp at Karlsruhe-Kieslau; two months later he was sent to the Eastern Front
. After arriving at the Eastern Front, Rohr was permitted to join a German Army football team, enabling him to perform the one task he truly enjoyed; scoring goals. Shortly before the end of the war, a German pilot recoginzed him from his football days and offered him a flight back to Germany.
(1945–46, 7 matches, 3 goals), TSV Schwaben Augsburg
(1945–46, 15 matches, 8 goals) and SV Waldhof
(1948–49, 17 matches, 5 goals) as well as for (Oberliga Südwest) FK Pirmasens
(1947–48, 21 matches, 11 goals). At VfR Rohr briefly played in the same side as his nephew Philipp. After his retirement, he worked as a clerk for the Mannheim city prosecutors office.
Gernot Rohr
, grandnephew of Oskar Rohr, would eventually also play for FC Bayern
as well as in the French League with Girondins Bordeaux; Gernot even became a French citizen in 1982 and worked as a football manager until 2005 in the same country where his great uncle, Oskar Rohr, made his name as the greatest goal scorer of the 1930s.
Mannheim
Mannheim is a city in southwestern Germany. With about 315,000 inhabitants, Mannheim is the second-largest city in the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg, following the capital city of Stuttgart....
, Germany.
Early career
Rohr, known primarily by his nickname "Ossi", began his career in the 1920s as a striker for hometown clubs FC Phönix Mannheim and later for VfR MannheimVfR Mannheim
VfR Mannheim is a German association football club based in Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg formed in 1911 out of the fusion of Mannheimer FG 1896, Mannheimer FG 1897 Union, and FC Viktoria 1897 Mannheim...
. He was quickly marked as a talented striker with a natural instinct for scoring goals. Fueled by the desire to display his talents at a higher level, he signed with FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
in 1930. In his first season with FC Bayern, Rohr and his teammates barely missed out on the final round of the German Championship. In his second season with the club, FC Bayern went on to defeat Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its association football club.- Club origins :...
in the final and claim its first German Championship with a 2–0 victory. Ossi Rohr, who scored one of the two goals in the match against Eintracht, was German Champion at the young age of 20 years. The following year, Bayern's fortunes were significantly poorer, resulting in a mid-table finish within Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
. This lackluster finish encouraged Rohr to continue his career elsewhere.
At the age of 19, Rohr received his first German national team call-up by German manager Otto Nerz
Otto Nerz
Otto Nerz was a German football manager, the first head coach of the German national football team between 1923 and 1936....
. There he found himself on the pitch with stars such as Ernst Kuzorra
Ernst Kuzorra
Ernst Kuzorra was a German footballer of the pre-war era. During his entire career, he played for Schalke 04, whom he led to six national championships and one national cup...
and Richard Hofmann
Richard Hofmann
Richard Hofmann was a German football player. He played in 25 internationals for Germany as a centre forward, scoring 24 goals, including the first ever international hat-trick against England by a player from outside the home nations.-Life and career:He was born in Meerane, Saxony, Germany, and...
. He played in a total of four national team matches through March 1933, receiving his first cap a year earlier against Switzerland (2–0) in March 1932. He later scored two goals in a 4–3 win against Sweden, one goal in a 1–3 loss to Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
, and two goals in a 3–3 draw with France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
. With five goals in four matches, Rohr looked to be on the verge of a very successful national career.
Success Abroad
During the summer of 1933, Rohr transferred to Grasshoppers Zürich in the Swiss League, where he would go on to win the Swiss Cup. Although football results were important to him, Rohr's real mission was to earn a living playing football. The pursuit of money convinced him to transfer to French LeagueLigue 1
Ligue 1 , is the French professional league for association football clubs. It is the country's primary football competition and serves as the top division of the French football league system. Ligue 1 is one of two divisions making up the Ligue de Football Professionnel, the other being Ligue 2....
side Racing Strasbourg. Due to his numerous transfers, football magazine "Der Fußball" referred to Rohr as "the Gladiator, whom sells himself abroad."
This antaganism towards Rohr only endeared him even more to the press and fans in the Alsace
Alsace
Alsace is the fifth-smallest of the 27 regions of France in land area , and the smallest in metropolitan France. It is also the seventh-most densely populated region in France and third most densely populated region in metropolitan France, with ca. 220 inhabitants per km²...
. During the 1934–35 season, he proved his worth scoring 20 goals in 22 matches while leading Strasbourg to runner-up in the French Championship. The following season Rohr scored at an even higher rate, netting 28 goals in 28 matches. This performance saw him end up second on the French goal scoring list, with Strasbourg finishing third in the league. Although only finishing 6th in the league during the 1936–37 season, Rohr did obtain a French Cup runners-up medal with Strasbourg, as well as becoming the French League scoring champion with 30 goals. The following season he would finish again in second on the goal scoring list with 25 goals. With 117 Ligue 1 goals, Rohr is still the all-time goal scorer at Racing Strasbourg. He is still fondly remembered to this day by fans of the club.
War Years
The start of World War II in 1939, as well as the occupation of various parts of France by the German Army in 1940, troubled Rohr and he decided to flee to SèteSète
Sète is a commune in the Hérault department in Languedoc-Roussillon in southern France. Its inhabitants are called Sétois....
in southern, unoccupied France where he live until 1942. During this time, the Third Reich declared him Persona non grata
Persona non grata
Persona non grata , literally meaning "an unwelcome person", is a legal term used in diplomacy that indicates a proscription against a person entering the country...
. It is unknown if he played at local club FC Sète during this time period; he was however, not listed on the players roster during the 1941–42 season. Additionally disputed is whether Rohr served as a member of the French Foreign Legion
French Foreign Legion
The French Foreign Legion is a unique military service wing of the French Army established in 1831. The foreign legion was exclusively created for foreign nationals willing to serve in the French Armed Forces...
between 1940–1942.
In November 1942, he was sentenced to a three-month prison term after his arrest by French police in Marseille
Marseille
Marseille , known in antiquity as Massalia , is the second largest city in France, after Paris, with a population of 852,395 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Marseille extends beyond the city limits with a population of over 1,420,000 on an area of...
for "anti-French or communist propaganda." He was handed over to the authorities by his nephew, Philip Rohr. He served his sentence at the Strasbourg Citadel, after which he was handed over to German authorities. The Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
interned him in a concentration camp at Karlsruhe-Kieslau; two months later he was sent to the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War II)
The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of World War II between the European Axis powers and co-belligerent Finland against the Soviet Union, Poland, and some other Allies which encompassed Northern, Southern and Eastern Europe from 22 June 1941 to 9 May 1945...
. After arriving at the Eastern Front, Rohr was permitted to join a German Army football team, enabling him to perform the one task he truly enjoyed; scoring goals. Shortly before the end of the war, a German pilot recoginzed him from his football days and offered him a flight back to Germany.
Post war
After the war ended, Rohr decided to remain in Germany instead of returning to Strasbourg. Until 1949 he continued to play in the first division of German football (Oberliga Süd) for VfR MannheimVfR Mannheim
VfR Mannheim is a German association football club based in Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg formed in 1911 out of the fusion of Mannheimer FG 1896, Mannheimer FG 1897 Union, and FC Viktoria 1897 Mannheim...
(1945–46, 7 matches, 3 goals), TSV Schwaben Augsburg
TSV Schwaben Augsburg
TSV Schwaben Augsburg is a German football club which is part of a larger sports association whose origins go back to the 1847 formation of the gymnastics club Turnverein Augsburg...
(1945–46, 15 matches, 8 goals) and SV Waldhof
SV Waldhof Mannheim
SV Waldhof Mannheim is a German association football club, located in Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg. The club today has a membership of over 2,400.-History:...
(1948–49, 17 matches, 5 goals) as well as for (Oberliga Südwest) FK Pirmasens
FK Pirmasens
FK Pirmasens is a German association football club in Pirmasens, Rhineland-Palatinate. The team was formed as the football section of the gymnastics and sports club TV Pirminia Pirmasens in 1903 and became independent in 1914. They took on their current name in 1925...
(1947–48, 21 matches, 11 goals). At VfR Rohr briefly played in the same side as his nephew Philipp. After his retirement, he worked as a clerk for the Mannheim city prosecutors office.
Gernot Rohr
Gernot Rohr
Gernot Rohr is a German manager and former footballer, who currently managed the Gabon national football team.-Managerial career:...
, grandnephew of Oskar Rohr, would eventually also play for FC Bayern
FC Bayern
FC Bayern usually refers to FC Bayern MunichIt may also refer to one of the following:* FC Bayern Alzenau* FC Bayern Hof...
as well as in the French League with Girondins Bordeaux; Gernot even became a French citizen in 1982 and worked as a football manager until 2005 in the same country where his great uncle, Oskar Rohr, made his name as the greatest goal scorer of the 1930s.