Stahl Brandenburg
Encyclopedia
FC Stahl Brandenburg is a German association football club
based in Brandenburg an der Havel, Brandenburg
.
for the 1984–85 season and played there until German reunification
in 1990. After a name change to BSV Stahl Brandenburg they spent the 1991–92 season in the 2.Bundesliga Nord. In 1993, with the closing of the local steel mill and the loss of their financial support, 'stahl' was dropped from the team name.
By the end of the 90's they found themselves mired in financial difficulty. The club declared bankruptcy in 1998 and quickly re-formed as FC Stahl Brandenburg, but continued to stumble. In 2002, in a desperate move to save something of the club, a merger with crosstown rival Brandenburg Süd 05 to form FC Brandenburg was put into the works, but only went as far as the union of the clubs' youth sides. Fan protests from both sides – and more money problems – caused the merger to unravel the next year. Today FC Stahl Brandenburg play in the Brandenburg-Liga (VI).
department, which now is separate club, the Stahl Brandenburg Rugby
.
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...
based in Brandenburg an der Havel, Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
.
History
The club was formed in 1950 as BSG Einheit Brandenburg and played its earliest seasons in the II division of East German football. They took on the name BSG Stahl Brandenberg in 1955 to reflect the backing of the local steel company. With that support, the club able to assemble competitive sides by offering attractive salaries to the castoffs of other teams. The strategy drew some capable players to their ranks and helped them develop a solid fan base. The side earned promotion to the DDR-OberligaDDR-Oberliga
The DDR-Oberliga was, prior to German reunification in 1990, the elite level of football competition in the DDR , being roughly equivalent to the Oberliga or Bundesliga in West Germany.-Overview:Following World...
for the 1984–85 season and played there until German reunification
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
in 1990. After a name change to BSV Stahl Brandenburg they spent the 1991–92 season in the 2.Bundesliga Nord. In 1993, with the closing of the local steel mill and the loss of their financial support, 'stahl' was dropped from the team name.
By the end of the 90's they found themselves mired in financial difficulty. The club declared bankruptcy in 1998 and quickly re-formed as FC Stahl Brandenburg, but continued to stumble. In 2002, in a desperate move to save something of the club, a merger with crosstown rival Brandenburg Süd 05 to form FC Brandenburg was put into the works, but only went as far as the union of the clubs' youth sides. Fan protests from both sides – and more money problems – caused the merger to unravel the next year. Today FC Stahl Brandenburg play in the Brandenburg-Liga (VI).
Rugby department
During the East German era, the club also had a rugby unionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
department, which now is separate club, the Stahl Brandenburg Rugby
Stahl Brandenburg Rugby
Stahl Brandenburg Rugby is a German rugby union club from Brandenburg, currently playing in the Rugby-Regionalliga East A.The club, located in former East Germany, used to be part of the BSG Stahl Brandenburg, a multi-sports club formed in November 1950...
.