16th August 1942
Hertha BSC

Hertha Berlin Sport-Club

From Wikipedia:

The club was formed in 1892 as BFC Hertha 92, taking its name from a steamship with a blue and white smokestack; one of the four young men who founded the club had taken a day trip on this ship with his father. The name Hertha is a variation on Nerthus, referring to a fertility goddess from Germanic mythology.

German football was re-organized under the Third Reich in 1933 into 16 top-flight divisions, which saw Hertha playing in the Gauliga Berlin-Brandenburg. The club continued to enjoy success within their division, regularly finishing in the upper half of the table and capturing the divisional title in 1935, 1937 and 1944. It faded from prominence, however, unable to advance out of the early rounds of the national championship rounds. Politically, the club was overhauled under Hitler, with Hans Pfeifer, a Nazi party member, being installed as president.

Herta BSC presidents during the 3rd Reich period

Taken from the official Herta BSC website:

Wilhelm Wernicke (1882-1967) was president of Hertha with short interruptions from 1909 to 1933 and represents the club's most successful period in the championship years (1930 and 1931). As a long-time SPD member and trade unionist in Wedding, Wernicke had to move into the background from 1933/34, but he continued to pull the strings in the club. Wernicke remained an important contact for the players at this time. During the war he sent a letter every week with the coveted 'Football Week' to the 300 Herthaners at the front.

Hans Pfeiffer was appointed president in 1933, succeeding Wilhelm Wernicke, who felt unable to continue as chairman of the association due to his long-standing SPD membership. The Nazi regime tried to prevent democratic elections in the association. However, at Hertha BSC, the auditors and members of the honorary council continued to be elected by the club meeting in subsequent years. Pfeiffer's term of office ended at the beginning of 1936 when his dubious business practices (including title fraud and possible embezzlement) and his financial mismanagement became known.

Gottfried Rinderspacher was appointed 'club leader' by the Reichssportführer on 10th January 1936. He had been a member of the SA since 15th March 1934, but did not join the NSDAP. In March 1936, Gottfried Rinderspacher appointed business graduate Karl Windgassen as his deputy.

On 27th April 1940, Karl Windgassen was elected the new 'club leader' at an extraordinary general meeting. After the war and the re-establishment of the club, he became the new club chairman and led Hertha BSC through the turmoil of the post-war period with Wilhelm Wernicke, Hanne Sobek, Karl Tewes and Rudi Romarus.

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