Vorwärts Leipzig
Encyclopedia
ASG Vorwärts Leipzig was an German association football club
from the city of Leipzig
, Saxony. The history of the club is marked by several wholesale transfers of the player squad to other cities. The team was founded in 1951 as Sportsverein Volkspolizei Vorwärts Leipzig as the sports club of the Volkspolizei
(en: People's Police, the East German national police) based in the city. The name Vorwärts was used in East Germany by those clubs associated with the armed forces, paramilitary organizations, and police.
(Deutscher Sportausschuss Oberliga or German Sports Association Upper League) was inaugurated with the 1949–50 season.
In their debut season in 1951–52 SV competed as part of the first division which was by then known as the DDR-Oberliga. The club was renamed in December 1952 as Sport Klub Vorwärts der Kasernierten Volkspolizei Leipzig and in April 1953 the first team players were transferred en masse to Berlin to become Sport Klub Vorwärts der KVP Berlin, which continued to play in the top flight.
The remaining footballers carried on under the original club’s name and on 1 January 1955 the team assumed the place of SC DHfK Leipzig II in the DDR-Liga (II). In July 1955 the entire first team squad was again transferred, this time to SV Vorwärts Cottbus and the remaining rump side disappeared into lower tier play. On 1 October 1956 the Leipzig team became an army rather than police club and took on the name Armee-Sportgemeinschaft Vorwärts Leipzig. They recovered to make their way back to the 2.DDR-Liga (III) in 1960 and after a division title in 1962 returned to the DDR-Liga (II) where they would remain throughout the decade.
ASG bounced back after a last place finish and relegation in 1970 to win the Bezirksliga Leipzig (III) title in 1970–71. In 1973, two seasons after their return to second tier play, they won their division and subsequently took part in a failed Oberliga promotion playoff. Vorwärts played one more season in Leipzig and in 1974 the squad was again transferred, this time to Dessau where they became ASG Vorwärts Dessau
.
Vorwärts Leipzig regularly took part in the preliminary rounds of the FDGB-Pokal (East German Cup) throughout this period. Their first appearances took place in 1957 and 1959, and between 1960 and 1974, they missed out on cup play only in 1961 and 1972. Their best result was an advance to the quarterfinals in 1959 where they were eliminated 0:3 by SC Turbine Erfurt.
The Leipzig team’s unusual history has left a legacy of teams linked to the original 1951 club including current day clubs Vorwärts Dessau and Frankfurter FC Viktoria, as well as defunct sides Vorwärts Berlin, Vorwärts Cottbus, and Vorwärts Kamenz
.
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...
from the city of 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...
, Saxony. The history of the club is marked by several wholesale transfers of the player squad to other cities. The team was founded in 1951 as Sportsverein Volkspolizei Vorwärts Leipzig as the sports club of the Volkspolizei
Volkspolizei
The Volkspolizei , or VP, were the national police of the German Democratic Republic . The Volkspolizei were responsible for most law enforcement in East Germany, but its organisation and structure were such that it could be considered a paramilitary force as well...
(en: People's Police, the East German national police) based in the city. The name Vorwärts was used in East Germany by those clubs associated with the armed forces, paramilitary organizations, and police.
History
Following World War II Germany was occupied by the victorious Allies and a separate state – the German Democratic Republic (German: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, DDR; commonly in English, East Germany) – emerged in the Soviet-held eastern part of the country. The formation of an independent East German football competition soon followed and the new first division DS-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...
(Deutscher Sportausschuss Oberliga or German Sports Association Upper League) was inaugurated with the 1949–50 season.
In their debut season in 1951–52 SV competed as part of the first division which was by then known as the DDR-Oberliga. The club was renamed in December 1952 as Sport Klub Vorwärts der Kasernierten Volkspolizei Leipzig and in April 1953 the first team players were transferred en masse to Berlin to become Sport Klub Vorwärts der KVP Berlin, which continued to play in the top flight.
The remaining footballers carried on under the original club’s name and on 1 January 1955 the team assumed the place of SC DHfK Leipzig II in the DDR-Liga (II). In July 1955 the entire first team squad was again transferred, this time to SV Vorwärts Cottbus and the remaining rump side disappeared into lower tier play. On 1 October 1956 the Leipzig team became an army rather than police club and took on the name Armee-Sportgemeinschaft Vorwärts Leipzig. They recovered to make their way back to the 2.DDR-Liga (III) in 1960 and after a division title in 1962 returned to the DDR-Liga (II) where they would remain throughout the decade.
ASG bounced back after a last place finish and relegation in 1970 to win the Bezirksliga Leipzig (III) title in 1970–71. In 1973, two seasons after their return to second tier play, they won their division and subsequently took part in a failed Oberliga promotion playoff. Vorwärts played one more season in Leipzig and in 1974 the squad was again transferred, this time to Dessau where they became ASG Vorwärts Dessau
Vorwärts Dessau
ASG Vorwärts Dessau is a German association football club based in Dessau-Roßlau, Saxony-Anhalt.- ASG Vorwärts :At the end of the 1973–74 season of the second-tier DDR-Liga the leadership of the Armeesportvereinigung Vorwärts decided to move ASG Vorwärts Leipzig to Dessau...
.
Vorwärts Leipzig regularly took part in the preliminary rounds of the FDGB-Pokal (East German Cup) throughout this period. Their first appearances took place in 1957 and 1959, and between 1960 and 1974, they missed out on cup play only in 1961 and 1972. Their best result was an advance to the quarterfinals in 1959 where they were eliminated 0:3 by SC Turbine Erfurt.
The Leipzig team’s unusual history has left a legacy of teams linked to the original 1951 club including current day clubs Vorwärts Dessau and Frankfurter FC Viktoria, as well as defunct sides Vorwärts Berlin, Vorwärts Cottbus, and Vorwärts Kamenz
Vorwärts Kamenz
ASG Vorwärts Kamenz was an East German association football club from the city of Kamenz, Saxony.Following World War II Germany was occupied by the victorious Allies and a separate state – the German Democratic Republic – emerged in the Soviet-held eastern part of the country...
.
Honours
- 2.DDR-Liga (III) divisional champions: 1960, 1962
- Bezirksliga Leipzig (III) champions: 1971
- DDR-Liga (II) divisional champions: 1973