Fryderyk Scherfke
Encyclopedia
Friedrich Egon Scherfke, ' onMouseout='HidePop("29326")' href="/topics/Poznan">Posen
(Poznań), German Empire
- died on September 15, 1983 in Bad Soden
, Germany) was an ethnic German
who became an interwar soccer midfield player for the Polish national football team.
in late 1918, and by the Treaty of Versailles
became officially part of the Second Polish Republic
in 1920 when he was 10. He spent most of his career in Warta Poznań
, which was one of the best teams of the Polish Soccer League in the 1920s and 1930s, winning the league in 1929 and finishing second in 1938. Scherfke also played 12 games for the Polish national team
, scoring 2 goals. His debut occurred on October 2, 1932 in a 2-1 win against Latvia
. He participated in the 1936 Olympic Games
in Berlin, where Poland finished fourth, playing in games against Hungary
(3-0) and Great Britain (5-4). His name, however, will always be remembered in Poland as the one who scored the first goal for Poland in the 1938 FIFA World Cup
. This happened on June 5, 1938, in Strasbourg
, France
, during the legendary match Poland - Brazil
. Poland lost 5-6 and Scherfke netted on the penalty kick in the 23rd minute.
During the Second World War, as Volksdeutscher (ethnic German), he was called up to the Wehrmacht
. In February 1940 he became director of the football section in the administration of the new region Reichsgau Wartheland
. After two months he was replaced by an officer of the Wehrmacht. Also in February 1940 he became president and captain of the new German club 1. FC Posen. In this position he managed to protect some former soccer team mates from persecution by the Nazis. Among those Poles he helped were goalkeeper of Warta, Marian Fontowicz (captured by the Wehrmacht
during Polish September Campaign), wife of Zbigniew Szulc, another Warta's goalie (German authorities planned to send her to Germany as OST-Arbeiter
), Warta's forward Bolesław Gendera (arrested for playing football), and Michał Flieger, who with Warta was Polish Champion in 1929.
When the 1. FC Posen came under the control of the Luftwaffe
and changed its name to Luftwaffen Sportverein Posen in October 1940 Scherfke left the club and ended his carrier as football player at the age of 31. In 1942 he informed his Polish friends that he could not help them any more, he felt himself observed by the Gestapo
. In 1943 he was commanded to the Eastern Front
, and later to Jugoslavia. Wounded in January 1945 in Jugoslavia, at the end of the war he was captured as POW by British soldiers. He was released on 25 July 1945 and found a new home in West Berlin
, where he opened a furniture store. In early 1980s, he sold the store and moved to Eschborn
near Frankfurt am Main. Scherfke died in the hospital of Bad Soden
in the region of Frankfurt
.
Poznan
Poznań is a city on the Warta river in west-central Poland, with a population of 556,022 in June 2009. It is among the oldest cities in Poland, and was one of the most important centres in the early Polish state, whose first rulers were buried at Poznań's cathedral. It is sometimes claimed to be...
(Poznań), German Empire
German Empire
The German Empire refers to Germany during the "Second Reich" period from the unification of Germany and proclamation of Wilhelm I as German Emperor on 18 January 1871, to 1918, when it became a federal republic after defeat in World War I and the abdication of the Emperor, Wilhelm II.The German...
- died on September 15, 1983 in Bad Soden
Bad Soden
Bad Soden is a town and spa in the Main-Taunus-Kreis, Hesse, Germany. Population 21,412 .Bad Soden is a popular residential town for commuters working in Frankfurt am Main. It is known for its various springs, which contain carbonic acid gas and various iron oxides. The waters are used both...
, Germany) was an ethnic German
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
who became an interwar soccer midfield player for the Polish national football team.
Biography
Scherfke's native city in the Provinz Posen saw a Polish uprisingGreater Poland Uprising (1918–1919)
The Greater Poland Uprising of 1918–1919, or Wielkopolska Uprising of 1918–1919 or Posnanian War was a military insurrection of Poles in the Greater Poland region against Germany...
in late 1918, and by the Treaty of Versailles
Treaty of Versailles
The Treaty of Versailles was one of the peace treaties at the end of World War I. It ended the state of war between Germany and the Allied Powers. It was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly five years after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. The other Central Powers on the German side of...
became officially part of the Second Polish Republic
Second Polish Republic
The Second Polish Republic, Second Commonwealth of Poland or interwar Poland refers to Poland between the two world wars; a period in Polish history in which Poland was restored as an independent state. Officially known as the Republic of Poland or the Commonwealth of Poland , the Polish state was...
in 1920 when he was 10. He spent most of his career in Warta Poznań
Warta Poznan
Warta Poznań is a football club based in Poznań, Poland. Founded in 1912, the club are two-time winners of the Polish Football Championship, in 1929 and 1947, but currently reside in the Polish First League. The name means the Guard in Polish and also a name of river Warta on which Poznań is...
, which was one of the best teams of the Polish Soccer League in the 1920s and 1930s, winning the league in 1929 and finishing second in 1938. Scherfke also played 12 games for the Polish national team
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
, scoring 2 goals. His debut occurred on October 2, 1932 in a 2-1 win against Latvia
Latvia national football team
The Latvian national football team is controlled by the Latvian Football Federation, the governing body for football in Latvia and represents the country in international football competitions, such as the World Cup and the European Championships. So far, they have never qualified for a FIFA World...
. He participated in the 1936 Olympic Games
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
in Berlin, where Poland finished fourth, playing in games against Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
(3-0) and Great Britain (5-4). His name, however, will always be remembered in Poland as the one who scored the first goal for Poland in the 1938 FIFA World Cup
1938 FIFA World Cup
The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from 4 June to 19 June. Italy retained the championship, beating Hungary 4–2 in the final.-Host selection:...
. This happened on June 5, 1938, in Strasbourg
Strasbourg
Strasbourg is the capital and principal city of the Alsace region in eastern France and is the official seat of the European Parliament. Located close to the border with Germany, it is the capital of the Bas-Rhin département. The city and the region of Alsace are historically German-speaking,...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, during the legendary match Poland - Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
. Poland lost 5-6 and Scherfke netted on the penalty kick in the 23rd minute.
During the Second World War, as Volksdeutscher (ethnic German), he was called up to the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
. In February 1940 he became director of the football section in the administration of the new region Reichsgau Wartheland
Reichsgau Wartheland
Reichsgau Wartheland was a Nazi German Reichsgau formed from Polish territory annexed in 1939. It comprised the Greater Poland and adjacent areas, and only in part matched the area of the similarly named pre-Versailles Prussian province of Posen...
. After two months he was replaced by an officer of the Wehrmacht. Also in February 1940 he became president and captain of the new German club 1. FC Posen. In this position he managed to protect some former soccer team mates from persecution by the Nazis. Among those Poles he helped were goalkeeper of Warta, Marian Fontowicz (captured by the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
during Polish September Campaign), wife of Zbigniew Szulc, another Warta's goalie (German authorities planned to send her to Germany as OST-Arbeiter
OST-Arbeiter
OST-Arbeiter was a designation for slave workers gathered from Eastern Europe to do forced labor in Germany during World War II. The Ostarbeiters were mostly from the territory of Reichskommissariat Ukraine . Ukrainians made up the largest portion although many Belarusians, Russians, Poles and...
), Warta's forward Bolesław Gendera (arrested for playing football), and Michał Flieger, who with Warta was Polish Champion in 1929.
When the 1. FC Posen came under the control of the Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe
Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....
and changed its name to Luftwaffen Sportverein Posen in October 1940 Scherfke left the club and ended his carrier as football player at the age of 31. In 1942 he informed his Polish friends that he could not help them any more, he felt himself observed by 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...
. In 1943 he was commanded to the Eastern Front
Eastern Front
Eastern Front may refer to one of the following:* Eastern Front * Eastern Front * Eastern Front * Eastern Front * Eastern Front * 1635: The Eastern Front...
, and later to Jugoslavia. Wounded in January 1945 in Jugoslavia, at the end of the war he was captured as POW by British soldiers. He was released on 25 July 1945 and found a new home in West Berlin
West Berlin
West Berlin was a political exclave that existed between 1949 and 1990. It comprised the western regions of Berlin, which were bordered by East Berlin and parts of East Germany. West Berlin consisted of the American, British, and French occupation sectors, which had been established in 1945...
, where he opened a furniture store. In early 1980s, he sold the store and moved to Eschborn
Eschborn
Eschborn is a town near Frankfurt am Main in the Main-Taunus district, Hesse, Germany. As of 2009, it had a population of 20,789, but boasts fulltime employment of over 30,000 people...
near Frankfurt am Main. Scherfke died in the hospital of Bad Soden
Bad Soden
Bad Soden is a town and spa in the Main-Taunus-Kreis, Hesse, Germany. Population 21,412 .Bad Soden is a popular residential town for commuters working in Frankfurt am Main. It is known for its various springs, which contain carbonic acid gas and various iron oxides. The waters are used both...
in the region of Frankfurt
Frankfurt
Frankfurt am Main , commonly known simply as Frankfurt, is the largest city in the German state of Hesse and the fifth-largest city in Germany, with a 2010 population of 688,249. The urban area had an estimated population of 2,300,000 in 2010...
.
See also
- Polish Roster in World Cup Soccer France 1938
- Ernst Willimowski
- Władysław Szczepaniak