Reception to mark the 125th anniversary of FSV in Frankfurt’s Kaisersaal

Yesterday, Thursday (29-08-2024), a festive reception was held in the time-honoured Kaisersaal of the Frankfurt Römer in honour of the 125th anniversary of FSV Frankfurt 1899. The invited guests included members, employees, volunteers, club officials, players from the first men’s team, youth players from the youth training centre, those responsible for the FFH football school, players from the successful women’s team of the time and a small delegation from the 1972 amateur champions. In addition to representatives of city politics, the descendants of the former Jewish FSV presidents Dr David Rothschild and Alfred J. Meyers were also present in the Kaisersaal.

After a short musical performance, the event was opened by Frankfurt’s Lord Mayor Mike Josef, who welcomed the guests to the ‘sold-out Kaisersaal’ and emphasised the significance of the anniversary for the city of Frankfurt. In his speech, Lord Mayor Josef honoured FSV as one of the city’s most traditional clubs, recalling the club’s beginnings and highlighting the eventful history of the ‘football sports club’. Josef made special mention of the lost championship match in 1925 against 1. FC Nürnberg, which, despite the defeat, represents an important point in the club’s history. In his remarks, the Lord Mayor emphasised the role of the club as an important part of Frankfurt’s sporting culture and praised in particular the work of the volunteers who actively support the traditional club with heart and soul.

As a sign of recognition and appreciation, Josef, on behalf of the City of Frankfurt, presented FSV with the silver badge of honour and a symbolic cheque for 1,250 euros, which will help the club to continue its important tasks in the area of youth football and club work in the future.

FSV President Michael Görner then took the floor. He thanked the Lord Mayor for his words of appreciation and for the generous gifts and also welcomed those present in the hall. Görner recalled the club’s long and varied history in detail and also listed former sports departments such as handball, boxing, hockey and the tennis department, which still exists today. Görner also mentioned the athletics department with its most prominent athlete, the 1960 Olympic gold medallist Armin Hary. Görner’s words to the descendants of the former Jewish club presidents Dr David Rothschild and Alfred J. Meyers were particularly moving and were followed by a long round of applause from those present in the hall. On the occasion of the 125th anniversary, Rothschild and Meyers were posthumously named honorary presidents of FSV Frankfurt – a gesture that emphasised the club’s deep connection to its history. Görner also praised the outstanding youth work of the NLZ and cited Andu Kelati, who was trained at FSV and now plays in the first Bundesliga for Holstein Kiel, as an outstanding example. The work of the FFH Football School was also recognised. At the end of his speech, the FSV President appealed to all those present to continue to actively support the club and attend the home matches.

The final speaker was Axel Hellmann, Spokesman of the Board of Eintracht Frankfurt. In his speech, the SGE representative, like the previous speakers, welcomed those present in the Kaisersaal and also paid tribute to the work of the volunteers and the professional performance of the fourth division club. Hellmann took the audience on a journey through the long history of the former enmity and current friendship between the two traditional Frankfurt clubs, quoting from old press articles about the legendary city derbies that have been played over the past 125 years. Hellmann also recalled the brief period of the wartime sports association between Eintracht and FSV, which existed from 1944 until the end of the war. The board spokesman made special mention of Richard Herrmann from Bornheim and Eintracht player Alfred Pfaff as Frankfurt’s 1954 world champions.

At the end, Michael Görner thanked all those present and invited them to a get-together with food and drinks in the adjoining room. The reception in the Römer was not only a celebratory review of the 125-year history of FSV Frankfurt, but also a look ahead to the coming years, in which the club will continue to play an important role in Frankfurt’s sporting life. The presence of numerous personalities from the worlds of sport and politics emphasised the significance of this anniversary for the entire city.