Chemnitzer BC
Encyclopedia
Chemnitzer BC was a German association football club
playing in Chemnitz
, Saxony. The club was established 2 December 1899 as Chemnitzer Sportclub Britannia and was a founding member
of the German Football Association
(Deutscher Fußball Bund or German Football Association) at Leipzig
in 1900.
(2–3).
In November 1933 the club merged with Sportclub Sachsen 1909 Chemnitz but could not avoid bankruptcy and collapsed. The membership immediately re-established the association as Chemnitzer Ballspiel-Club 1933.
That same year German football was re-organized under the Third Reich into sixteen top flight Gauligen
. Britannia took up play in the Gauliga Sachsen
, but were immediately relegated. The team earned a return to the top flight in 1939 and finished second to Dresdner SC in group 2 of the division. Chemnitz fell to a mid-table side as play in the Gauliga Sachsen came to be almost completely dominated by Dresden to near the end of World War II. As the war overcame that part of the country the Gauliga was broken up into a number of smaller city-based divisions and play in the 1944–45 season was incomplete.
After the war occupying Allied authorities ordered most organizations in Germany disbanded, including sports and football clubs. In late 1945 the formation of new clubs was allowed and the former membership of CBC became part of SG Chemnitz-West. The team then went through a succession of name changes as was common in East German football playing briefly as BSG Nagema Chemnitz (1950–51) and then BSG Stahlwerk Chemnitz (1951–52). The city of Chemnitz itself was then re-named Karl-Marx-Stadt in 1953, and the football club followed suit becoming BSG Stahl Karl-Marx-Stadt. After German re-unification in 1990 the city's original name was restored and the team played as BSG Stahl Chemnitz.
.
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...
playing in Chemnitz
Chemnitz
Chemnitz is the third-largest city of the Free State of Saxony, Germany. Chemnitz is an independent city which is not part of any county and seat of the government region Direktionsbezirk Chemnitz. Located in the northern foothills of the Ore Mountains, it is a part of the Saxon triangle...
, Saxony. The club was established 2 December 1899 as Chemnitzer Sportclub Britannia and 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 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.
History
The team was re-named SC Britannia Chemnitz in April 1900 and through the first two decades of the century made regular appearances in the playoff rounds of the Verband Mitteldeutscher Ballspiel-Vereine (Middle German Football League), but was generally unable to advance past the semi-finals. The club's best results came in the late 20s. In 1927 they finished as vice-champions to VfB Leipzig and then advanced to the opening round of the national playoffs as regional cup winners, where they were put out by 1. FC Nuremberg (1–5). They made a second regional final appearance in 1929, but lost again, this time to Dresdner SCDresdner SC
Dresdner SC is a German multisport club playing in Dresden, Saxony. Founded on 30 April 1898, the club was a founding member of the German Football Association in 1900...
(2–3).
In November 1933 the club merged with Sportclub Sachsen 1909 Chemnitz but could not avoid bankruptcy and collapsed. The membership immediately re-established the association as Chemnitzer Ballspiel-Club 1933.
That same year German football was re-organized under the Third Reich into sixteen top flight 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:...
. Britannia took up play in the Gauliga Sachsen
Gauliga Sachsen
The Gauliga Saxony was the highest football league in the German state of Saxony from 1933 to 1945. Shortly after the formation of the league, the Nazis reorganised the administrative regions in Germany, and the Gau Saxony replaced the state Saxony.-Overview:The league was introduced in 1933,...
, but were immediately relegated. The team earned a return to the top flight in 1939 and finished second to Dresdner SC in group 2 of the division. Chemnitz fell to a mid-table side as play in the Gauliga Sachsen came to be almost completely dominated by Dresden to near the end of World War II. As the war overcame that part of the country the Gauliga was broken up into a number of smaller city-based divisions and play in the 1944–45 season was incomplete.
After the war occupying Allied authorities ordered most organizations in Germany disbanded, including sports and football clubs. In late 1945 the formation of new clubs was allowed and the former membership of CBC became part of SG Chemnitz-West. The team then went through a succession of name changes as was common in East German football playing briefly as BSG Nagema Chemnitz (1950–51) and then BSG Stahlwerk Chemnitz (1951–52). The city of Chemnitz itself was then re-named Karl-Marx-Stadt in 1953, and the football club followed suit becoming BSG Stahl Karl-Marx-Stadt. After German re-unification in 1990 the city's original name was restored and the team played as BSG Stahl Chemnitz.
Stadium
Chemnitzer played its home matches at the Garrison-Exerzierplatz until 1917, and at Bernhardstraße until 1926. In 1926 they moved to the Kampfbahn an der Reichenhainer Straße which had a capacity of 10,000. The facility underwent several name changes – Südkampfbahn (1933–38), Großkampfbahn (1938–45), Ernst-Thälmann-Stadion (1945–1992) – and is today known as the Sportforum ChemnitzSportforum Chemnitz
Sportforum Chemnitz is a multi-purpose stadium, in Chemnitz, Germany. The capacity of the stadium is 18,500 spectators. It is used as the stadium of Chemnitzer BC matches.-External links:*...
.