Event report from 21.02.2024

The Förderverein ehemalige Synagoge Kitzingen invited Bernd Siegler from Nuremberg to a presentation of the book "Heulen mit den Wölfen - Der 1. FC Nürnberg und der Ausschluss seiner jüdischenMitglieder". Mr. Siegler, who is often referred to as the "historian of FCN", reported on the events that led to the expulsion of 142 Jewish members from FCN's membership register on 30 April 1933 in front of a large and interested audience. The reading was moderated by Diethart Bischof from Fürth, an FCN supporter since the age of 4.
Bernd Siegler had discovered several boxes in the basement of the club building at Valnerweiher by chance, which contained the files of thousands of FCN members between 1928 and 1955. He immediately noticed index cards, all of which contained the resignation of Jewish members dated April 30, 1933. The FCN board had taken this step in a kind of "anticipatory obedience" before there were political orders to remove Jewish members from the clubs. This is why Bernd Siegler gave his book the corresponding title.
During the course of the evening, he explained how hard the exclusion hit the Jewish members, who had consciously joined a non-Jewish sports club as a sign of their affiliation to German society. On the other hand, at the time, the club was already a five-time German soccer champion and had great appeal. Very few (7) were members of soccer clubs; athletics, swimming and tennis in particular were very popular. On the basis of individual biographies, which Mr. Siegler was able to compile after intensive research, it became clear how much the former members suffered from being excluded from "their" club. Most of them were able to escape abroad, in some cases by adventurous means - especially to the USA and Palestine. 8, however, were persecuted and murdered in concentration camps.
The speaker also addressed the side of the perpetrators. Not unlike in the rest of post-war Germany, board and management positions at the time were again filled by the perpetrators of 1933 and later, including by issuing reciprocal "Persilscheine". For example, President Luwig Franz, who had already ordered the expulsion in 1933, was re-elected between 1948 and 1963.
Bernd Siegler concluded by discussing the club's current approach to dealing with the past, as well as its preventative work in response to increasing racist and anti-Semitic riots, particularly at soccer matches. For five years now, TSV Maccabi Nuremberg and 1.FC Nuremberg have been collaborating on the "Jenö Konrad Cup", which is named after the former Jewish coach of 1.FCN Nuremberg (1930 - 1932), who was forced to leave the club due to anti-Semitic incitement, particularly by the hate newspaper "Der Stürmer". A stumbling block was laid for Jenö Konrad near the Max Morlock Stadium. Furthermore, 1. FC Nürnberg is intensifying its educational work in schools with corresponding information events, including visits to Flossenbürg and Dachau.
The numerous listeners thanked the participants with long-lasting applause - the further discussions over drinks and snacks, to which the sponsoring association had invited, continued well into the evening.

Diethart Bischof

Photo credits: Margret Löther

Author and archivist Bernd Siegler (right) and presenter Diethart Bischof in conversation.