Culver City,
California
x
Pennant
Date Made: 1970-1990
Country: German Democratic Republic
Materials: fabric; yarn; string
Measurements: 12 1/2 in x 6 in; 31.75 cm x 15.24 cm
A pennant for Fussballclub Vorwärts Frankfurt (O). The pennant has the insignia of the football club on its front side. The banner is yellow with red contrasts, and it is surrounded by black, yellow, and red yarn, the club's colors. The back of the pennant lists the years when FC Vorwärts Frankfurt (O) won the DDR-Oberliga. FC Vorwärts Frankfurt (O) can trace its history back to 1951. At the start of the 1950s, the Main Directorate for Reconnaissance (HVA) founded a sports association called “Vorwärts” taking inspiration from the Soviet Union. The name was used by teams who had ties to the armed forces, paramilitary organization, and the People’s Police. The most successful of these clubs was Leipzig Vorwärts which was renamed SV Volkspolizei (VP) Vorwärts Leipzig on August 2, 1951 after beating out all other Vorwärts teams to earn a spot in the DDR-Oberliga. After two disastrous initial seasons, the team now known as SV Vorwärts der Kasernierte Volkspolizei (KVP) Leipzig was relegated to the second division. During this same time, East Berlin was struggling to field a competitive team in the Oberliga due to many of the best East Berlin players moving to West Berlin teams. In an effort to save face, it was decided that the most competitive, escape-resistant team would be moved to Berlin as the region’s new top team; SV Vorwärts der KVP Leipzig, made up of army personnel, was chosen and played the 1953/54 season as SV Vorwärts der KVP Berlin. The team went through some name changes in the following months, landing on Zentraler Sportklub (ZSK) Vorwärts Berlin in 1954 just as they regained promotion to the DDR-Oberliga. After some mediocre seasons, the team was renamed ASK Vorwärts Berlin in 1957 which marked the start of the club’s most successful run of form. They went on to win the Oberliga 5 times (1957/58, 59/60, 61/62, 64/65, and 65/66) between 1957 and 1966. The last of these was won under their new name FC Vorwärts Berlin after it, and 9 other Oberliga teams, were restructured to increase the level of the league. The club won its last Oberliga title in the 1968/69 season, thus marking the end of its decade-long dominance. In July of 1971, the team was relocated to Frankfurt (Oder) per Stasi Chief Erich Mielke’s orders, who wanted to clear the path in Berlin for his beloved BFC Dynamo. The club was renamed FC Vorwärts Frankfurt (O), failing to replicate its past success. It struggled competitively and financially in the years to come, but especially after reunification and the dissolution of the HVA. Since 2012, the club has been known as 1. FC Frankfurt (O) EV and oscillates between the 5th and 6th tier of German football.
Accession Number: 2010.976.017