History of FC Bayern Munich - History To World War II

History To World War II

The club was formed in 1900 when a number of football enthusiasts split from Münchner TurnVerein 1879 to escape the influence of the club's gymnasts, who did not hold a great enthusiasm for the new game – an attitude typical of the times. Almost from day one Bayern was a strong local side, but failed to have much of an impact beyond that.

For financial reasons, and to take advantage of better facilities held by other clubs, they twice entered into mergers. In 1906, they negotiated a union with Münchner Sport Club. As part of the arrangement the footballers gave up black as one of their team colours and adopted the red of their new partners, which they wear to this day. Bayern won their first title, as champions of the Bavarian league, in 1909 as a department of MSC. In 1919, shortly after World War I, Bayern left MSC, whose focus turned to field hockey and tennis, sports they are still active in today. Bayern then joined forces with Turn- und Sportverein 1890 Jahn München until leaving that club in 1923, and have remained independent ever since.

In these early days, Bavarian football was dominated by teams from Franconia, in the north of the state, notably 1. FC Nuremberg and their twin town neighbours SpVgg Fürth. In 1914, Fürth became the first team from the state to become national champions and by 1930 these two sides had accumulated eight titles between them. Bayern President Kurt Landauer, hold the office on and off from 1913 til 1933 and from 1947 well into the 1950s, adopted a strategic approach to building up the team and challenging this dominance. He hired William Townley as the side's first professional coach. The Englishman was the best coach on the market in Germany and had a championship with Karlsruher FV, in 1910, to his credit.

In 1926, the Bayern won the South German Championship, but found themselves outdone by local rivals 1860 Munich who, in 1931, became the first side from the Bavarian capital to reach the national final. Inside a year Bayern topped this by even winning the Championship in the final against Eintracht Frankfurt. The team coached by the Hungarian Richard Dombi triumphed through a penalty by Oskar "Ossi" Rohr and another goal by Franz Krumm 2–0.

But history was against Bayern. The advent of the Hitler regime saw the Jewish President Landauer resigning quickly, and the team visiting him in his Swiss exile did not help their fortunes in the new era. Dombi, also a Jew, moved on the Netherlands where he picked up the reins of SC Feijenoord in Rotterdam, and laid the foundations for the future greatness of the club. In the ensuing years the club decayed into irrelevance.

An interesting historical footnote is the fact that the last recorded football match played in the Reich was the derby between Bayern and 1860 Munich (3–2) on April 23, 1945. Less than three weeks later Germany capitulated.