TuS Helene Altenessen
Encyclopedia
TuS Helene Altenessen is a German football club
from the district of Altenessen in the city of Essen
, North Rhine-Westphalia
.
family-owned mining company until the mid-50s. Helene Amalie Krupp, co-founder of the family's industrial empire, is acknowledged in the names of several local football and sports clubs.
The team won promotion from the Bezirksklasse Niederrhein (II) in 1940 after a failed attempt to advance out of the playoff round the previous year. TuS then captured the Gauliga Niederrhein
(I) title in 1941 and made appearances in the opening rounds of both the national championship and the Tschammerpokal, predecessor to today's DFB-Pokal
(German Cup). Despite a poor season the next year, TuS remained competitive, earning upper table finishes in their following two campaigns. As World War II overtook the country, the team became part of the wartime side Kriegspielegemeinschaft Helene/Preußen Essen alongside Essener Sportclub Preußen. The combined side played only two matches in the war-shortened 1944–45 season.
Like most other organizations in the country, including sports and football clubs, TuS was disbanded by occupying Allied authorities after the war. It was re-established in 1945 as VfR 1928 Essen before adopting the name TuS Helene Essen in 1948. Between 1948 and 1956 the team competed in the Amateurliga Niederrhein (II), but ultimately was unable to keep up with its local rivals.
The team enjoyed some fresh success in the 1980s as three consecutive promotions advanced the side to the Verbandsliga Niederrhein
(V) where they played three seasons before backsliding to the local Kreisliga. The club had a successful 2007–08 season, winning promotion to the Landesliga Niederrhein (V) out of the Bezirksliga Niederrhein (VI).
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...
from the district of Altenessen in the city of Essen
Essen
- Origin of the name :In German-speaking countries, the name of the city Essen often causes confusion as to its origins, because it is commonly known as the German infinitive of the verb for the act of eating, and/or the German noun for food. Although scholars still dispute the interpretation of...
, North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North 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...
.
History
The team was established in 1928 as Werks-TuS Helene Altenessen and in 1934 merged with TuS Sälzer-Amalie Essen to form Turn- und Sportverein Helene Altenessen . In 1939, the TSV Amalie Essen also became part of the sports club. TuS was a worker's side that had a close association with the KruppKrupp
The Krupp family , a prominent 400-year-old German dynasty from Essen, have become famous for their steel production and for their manufacture of ammunition and armaments. The family business, known as Friedrich Krupp AG Hoesch-Krupp, was the largest company in Europe at the beginning of the 20th...
family-owned mining company until the mid-50s. Helene Amalie Krupp, co-founder of the family's industrial empire, is acknowledged in the names of several local football and sports clubs.
The team won promotion from the Bezirksklasse Niederrhein (II) in 1940 after a failed attempt to advance out of the playoff round the previous year. TuS then captured the Gauliga Niederrhein
Gauliga Niederrhein
The 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...
(I) title in 1941 and made appearances in the opening rounds of both the national championship and the Tschammerpokal, predecessor to today's DFB-Pokal
DFB-Pokal
The 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...
(German Cup). Despite a poor season the next year, TuS remained competitive, earning upper table finishes in their following two campaigns. As World War II overtook the country, the team became part of the wartime side Kriegspielegemeinschaft Helene/Preußen Essen alongside Essener Sportclub Preußen. The combined side played only two matches in the war-shortened 1944–45 season.
Like most other organizations in the country, including sports and football clubs, TuS was disbanded by occupying Allied authorities after the war. It was re-established in 1945 as VfR 1928 Essen before adopting the name TuS Helene Essen in 1948. Between 1948 and 1956 the team competed in the Amateurliga Niederrhein (II), but ultimately was unable to keep up with its local rivals.
The team enjoyed some fresh success in the 1980s as three consecutive promotions advanced the side to the Verbandsliga Niederrhein
Verbandsliga Niederrhein
The Niederrheinliga, formerly the Verbandsliga Niederrhein, is the highest football league in the region of Niederrhein which is part of the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen. It is the 6th tier of the German football league system...
(V) where they played three seasons before backsliding to the local Kreisliga. The club had a successful 2007–08 season, winning promotion to the Landesliga Niederrhein (V) out of the Bezirksliga Niederrhein (VI).
Stadium
TuS played its home fixtures in the Helene-Stadion Bäuminghausstraße which originally had a capacity of 25,000. After 1939 the facility was known as Im Schollbrank and in 2001 had a capacity of 18,000. Today the stadium accommodates 11,000.Notable players
- Otto RehhagelOtto RehhagelOtto Rehhagel is a German football coach and former football player. Along with Helmut Schön, Ottmar Hitzfeld, Udo Lattek and Hennes Weisweiler, he is considered one of the most successful German managers....
began his career with TuS Helene in 1952 before joining Rot-Weiß Essen in 1960 and then, in 1963, Hertha Berlin. He has since become one of Germany's most successful coaches, guiding Greece to the Euro 2004 title. - Franz "Penny" Islacker also played with TuS Helene before going to "big brother" Rot-Weiß Essen. In 1954, he scored three goals for RWE in their 4–3 victory in the national final against 1. FC Kaiserslautern1. FC Kaiserslautern1. Fußball-Club Kaiserslautern, also known as 1. FCK, FCK or simply Kaiserslautern, is a German association football club based in Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate. On 2 June 1900, Germania 1896 and FG Kaiserslautern merged to create FC 1900...
. - Rolf Lawrenz, who after a prolific goal scoring season in 1953–54, broke his leg and was forced to retire. He worked as a plasterer and was one of the first victims of asbestos poisoning, dying from its effects at age 51.