Karlsruher FV 1909: Hirsch seated far right.
This blog was originally inspired by a comment that a German friend made to me regarding the record win by Germany over Russia in 1912.
Since working on this blog I have had the good fortune to come into contact with a number of German football enthusiasts. Karlsruher FV , through their President, Steffen L. Herberger, have shown an interest, as has Dirk Leu, a lifelong supporter of Hamburg SV. It was thanks to Dirk that I was put in touch with the esteemed German football historian Werner Skrentny.
Werner Skrentny has written extensively on the history of German football. He has kindly sent me a book that he published on the occasion of the Fuchs family reunion in Canada in 2012:
Werner has also written a biography of Julius Hirsch:
The following is the text of a brief post on Julius Hirsch that I was writing before Werner contacted me:
Hirsch (white jersey) in action.
Germany side that played Austria June 1912: Hirsch standing far left.
Julius Hirsch joined the youth of Karlsruher FV as a ten year old. He was a regular in the first team from 1909-1913. In 1910 he was in the National Championship winning side and made his debut for Germany aged 19 in December 1911. Gottfried Fuchs made his debut in March 1911 so Hirsch is not, as is often stated, 'the first Jew to play for Germany'.
In Hirsch's second international he got 4 goals in a 5-5 draw with Netherlands, the first German player to achieve this. A promising start, but these turned out to be his only international goals in his seven appearances.
Juller was back in the German team for the 1912 Olympics, but missed the game with Russia in which Fuchs scored his 10.
Hirsch moved to SpVgg Fürth in 1913, winning a second National Championship in 1914, but returned to Karlsruher FV after the end of the war (during which he won an Iron Cross).
Hirsch terminated his membership of Karlsruher FV in 1933 when southern German clubs were directed to exclude Jewish people.
Whilst his erstwhile teammate Gottfried Fuchs managed to move to Canada, Hirsch remained in Germany He was interned in 1943 and was killed in Auschwitz.
A brief sketch of a remarkable man.
Readers of the German language who wish to know more about these great men need look no further than Herr Skrentny's works.
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