1. Münchner FC 1896 was a German association football club

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...

 in Munich

Munich

Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...

, 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...

 whose origins were in the formation on 5 September 1896 of the club Terra Pila (Latin: earth + ball) by a group of students playing football on the city's Theresienwiese

Theresienwiese

Theresienwiese is an open space in the Munich borough of Ludwigsvorstadt-Isarvorstadt. It serves as the official ground of the Munich Oktoberfest. A space of , it is bordered in the west by the Bavaria statue, symbolizing the State of Bavaria, and in the east by Esperantoplatz, a square named for...

, which is today the official ground of the Munich Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest, or Wiesn, is a 16–18 day beer festival held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, running from late September to the first weekend in October. It is one of the most famous events in Germany and is the world's largest fair, with more than 5 million people attending every year. The...

. Both 1. FC and FC Nordstern München

FC Nordstern 1896 München

FC Nordstern 1896 München was a short-lived German association football club in Munich, Bavaria. Both Nordstern and 1. Münchner FC 1896 laid claim to being the oldest football clubs in the city...

laid claim to being the earliest football club in the city and were made up primarily of students. Alongside FC Bavaria 1899 München

FC Bavaria 1899 München

FC Bavaria München was a short-lived German association football club from Munich, Bavaria. Alongside FC Nordstern 1896 München and 1. Münchner FC 1896, Bavaria was notable as one of the founding members of the German Football Association at Leipzig in 1900.Established on 1 November 1899, in...

, these clubs are notable as founding members

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 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) at Leipzig

Leipzig

Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...

 in 1900.

1. FC was split in two in 1898 when a number of members whose enthusiasm was for climbing left to form the Bergaffen or Mountain Monkeys. The footballers of Terra Pila carried on, with some leaving to become part of the football department of TV München 1860 while others formed 1. Münchner Fußball-Club von 1896 in 1899. This team provided the opposition in the first ever match played by 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 March 1900, who won the game 5:2.

1. FC continued to play in local and regional football competition until 1910 when for some reason not explained in the club chronicle they abandoned the game. However, the association remained active until 1960 as a bowling

Bowling

Bowling Bowling Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule Bowling (1375–1425; late Middle English bowle, variant of boule...

 club.

A later, unrelated club was formed in 1933 out of the merger of Deutscher SV München and FC Teutonia München to play as 1. FC München in the Gauliga Bayern

Gauliga Bayern

The Gauliga Bayern was the highest football league in the German state of Bavaria from 1933 to 1945. Shortly after the formation of the league, the Nazis reorganised the administrative regions in Germany, and the five Gaue Bayreuth, Munich-Upper Bavaria, Swabia, Main Franconia and Franconia de...

. The union was short-lived and ended in 1936.