120 years of FC Bayern - that's 120 years full of triumphs, emotions and passion. On the occasion of the club’s 120th anniversary on 27 February, fcbayern.com looks back on significant moments in the history of the German record champions.
After the founding of FC Bayern on 27 February 1900 it wasn’t long before success arrived. Die Roten quickly became number one in the city. In 1910 and 1911 Bayern won the Ostkreismeister title, and so qualified for the final round of the south German championship. On both occasions the Munich side finished in second place behind Karlsruher FV, despite providing their first national team player Max Gablonsky.
After sport was put to one side during the First World War, the league was resumed in south Germany from the 1919-20 season. FC Bayern were the biggest football club in Munich with 700 members so it followed that the first big title would arrive before long: in 1926 Bayern won the south German championship. Two years later, they repeated this triumph and reached the semi-finals of the German championship – the biggest success in the club’s short history.
Qualification for the finals as south German runners-up
The big triumph would have to wait four more years. Despite a 2-0 defeat against Eintracht Frankfurt in the south German championship, FC Bayern still qualified for the German championship finals, in which 16 teams took part. After a 4-2 win in the first match against Minerva 1893 Berlin, the Munich side narrowly defeated PSV Chemnitz 3-2 and advanced to the semi-finals.
The team led by coach Richard Kohn prevailed 2-0 against FC Nürnberg in the semi-final. Oskar “Ossi” Rohr and Hans Welker scored the two goals against the five-time title winners from Franconia to ensure Bayern’s first final appearance. On 12 June 1932 in Nuremberg, it was a rematch of the south German final six weeks earlier against Eintracht Frankfurt.
Final revenge against Frankfurt
Thousands of Bayern fans made the pilgrimage to the Städtische Stadion, many making the 160km journey from Munich to Nuremberg by bicycle. In front of 55,000 spectators and in the heat of summer, the Munich side took the lead through a penalty converted by Ossi Rohr. As Frankfurt pushed for the equaliser in the second half, Franz Krumm scored in the 75th minute to wrap up a 2-0 victory. 32 years after their founding, FC Bayern were German champions for the first time.
Triumphant reception in Munich
The Victoria, the coveted trophy, went to a team from Munich for the first time and the return of the victorious team to the Bavarian capital was a triumphant journey. The team and captain Conny Heidkamp were led through the city centre in a horse-drawn carriage to jubilation as hundreds of supporters provided an enthusiastic reception. It was the beginning of a remarkable history of success.
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