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Vorwärts (former DDR soccerclub, Germany)

Vorwärts Leipzig, Berlin, Frankfurt (Oder)

image by Jens Pattke, 20 Sep 2009
flag of ASK Vorwärts Berlin

ASK Vorwärts Berlin
FC Vorwärts Berlin
FC Vorwärts Frankfurt (Oder)

See also:

Football Clubs (Germany)
Germany

ASK Vorwärts Berlin

The club was originally founded as the army club KVP Vorwärts Leipzig (KVP = Kasanierte VolksPolizei / People's Police, who lived in army barracks.) in 1951. One of the characteristics of East German football after World War II, under the socialist German regime, was the willingness of the ruling authorities to manipulate teams in various ways for political or other reasons.
In 1953, the club was picked up and moved to Berlin to play as ZSK Vorwärts der KVP Berlin (ZSK = Zentraler SportKlub der Kasanierten VolksPolizei). In
October 1956 they were re-named ZASK Vorwärts Berlin (ZASK = Zentraler ArmeeSportKlub), in February 1957 ASK Vorwärts Berlin ASK = ArmeeSportKlub).
The season 1954 began to enjoy a run of success that included a GDR Cup in 1954, GDR championships in 1958, 1960, 1962, and 1965, as well as losing appearances in the 1956 GDR Cup, and the 1957 and 1959 national finals. Their success continued after the club was again re-named, this time as FC Vorwärts Berlin, one of the new football clubs formed to increase the level of performance in the GDR-Oberliga (Oberliga = High League). They won another pair of championships in 1966 and 1969, and in 1970 took the GDR Cup, but made a losing appearance in the national final. Throughout the entire period from 1951-1971 the side played in the East German Oberliga (I).

In 1971, the club picked up and moved again - this time to Frankfurt (Oder) - to replace the local secret police sponsored side, BFC Dynamo Berlin, which was then disbanded. Vorwärts then enjoyed another decent run in the 1980s, going to the UEFA Cup four times (where they were twice knocked out by West German clubs, (Werder Bremen and VfB Stuttgart). In 1983 they finished second place nationally.

After German re-unification in 1990, the club dropped its affiliation with the army and became FC Victoria Frankfurt (Oder).
Just as in Croatia, Serbia, Russia, Czech Republic and Poland the successor of former army or police football club wre used by hooligans, neo-nazis and people with right-wing ideology.
P.S.: For the first time in my life I had seen live in the November 1974 in the "Stadium of friendship" in Frankfurt (Oder) the match FC Vorwärts Frankfurt (Oder) vs Juventus Turin (2:1). Wow!
Jens Pattke, 20 Sep 2009

FC Vorwärts Berlin

image by Jens Pattke, 20 Sep 2009

FC Vorwärts Frankfurt (Oder)

image by Jens Pattke, 20 Sep 2009