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Hamburg Athletics Clubs (Germany)

Flaggen Hamburger Turnvereine

Last modified: 2017-11-11 by german editorial team
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Hamburger Turnerschaft von 1816 r.V. (HT16)

HT16 is the oldest athletics club in the world. Today the club has several departments and more than 8000 members and is based in the Hamburg boroughs of Hamm, Horn and Billstedt in the East of the city.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 Jun 2012

HT16 First Flag

[HT16 first flag] image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 Jun 2012

According to Mr. Edgar Toth, a functionary of HT16, the flag had been consecrated in 1841. But probably the flag is much older. It is the first flag of an athletics club and inspired by the "Wartburgfahne", which was used during Wartburg festival in 1817.
It is a red over black over red horizontal triband. In the centre ot the black stripe is a row of four golden "f" in Gothic style surrounded by agolden wreath of laurel. The row is based on the decoration on the gable of the house of Friedrich Ludwig Jahn, the initiator of the athletics movement in Germany.
According to Mr. Toth the original had been given to the Museum für hamburgische Geschichte (Hamburg Historical Museum) and the club still has a replica. Seeing my draft Mr. Toth immediately identified the flag.
Sources:: 1) Testimony of Mr. Edgar Toth on 3 May 2012
2) Hans-Dieter Normann: "Nichts ist so beständig wie der Wandel", publ. April 2010 in "ATB-Blätter 245" (periodical of Academical Athletics Federation (ATB))
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 Jun 2012

HT16 Flag reported 1847

[HT16 flag 1847] image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 Jun 2012

It is a red over white over red horizontal triband. In the centre ot the white stripe is a row of four silver "f" in Gothic style surrounded by silver wreath of laurel. This flag today is in the Museum für hamburgische Geschichte. According to the filing card the date is 1847. The flag has been patched several times. According to Mrs. Gudrun Hildebrandt, the museum's textiles restorer, it is impossible, that the black stripe has turned to white by old age. Thus either this flag is not the first flag or the (destroyed) black stripe has been replaced by a white one later on.
Source: Own photo on filing card no.1954/79 of Museum für hamburgische Geschichte
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 Jun 2012

HT16 Vertical Pennant 1994

[HT16 vertical pennant 1994] image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 Jun 2012

It is a dark burgundy red pennant with a white fimbriation. Shifted to the top is the logo. The logo is an oval fimbriated white with a white inscription "HT". The "T" is higher and spread out over the total width, also over the white date "18" (left visible) and "16" (right visible).
Source: I spotted this pennant in the club house on 7 June 2012
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 Jun 2012


Hamburg-Harvestehuder Turnverein von 1872 e.V.

[Hamburg-Harvestehuder TV 1872] image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 13 Jun 2012

The nowadays "Hamburg-Harvestehuder Turnverein" (HHT) was founded as "Hamburg Männerturnverein von 1872" (=Hamburgian Athletics Club for Males). In 1872 in the city existed five athletics clubs having altogether 710 members. The club was based in the New Town, later on also in Eimsbüttel. The club expanded to the East of Hamburg and merged with "Harvestehuder Turnverein von 1910" in 1928.
Since 1921 also females were allowed to take part in athletics.
Besides athletics there were departments of fistball, handball, track and field sports and swimming.
Frequently the members took part in German Athletics' Festivals and nine members were part of the German team during the Olympics in Berlin 1936.
In 2012 the club has about 275 members and its main business is sports for everybody. New departments were established after WW2: table tennis (1965), dancing (1968-200) and volleyball(1979). For further information click: club page

The flag:
The new flag was sewn by the females of the club on the occasion of the 80 years anniversary.
The obverse is dark red with a white Hamburg castle, masoned black, in the centre. The castle was surrounded by two embowed, yellow inscriptions "Hamburg-Harvestehuder" (top) and "Turnverein von 1872 e.V." (bottom). In each corner was a mainly green bunch of oak leaves with two acorns.
The reverse is royal blue with a white logo in the centre and red embroideries "DTB" (=German Athletics Federation) and "FFFF" (Athletics' Cross) in two corners each. The logo is a blue oval cotized white. In the centre is a white inscription "HTH" (the "T" is higher, centred and shaped like a hammer) with a white date "1872" (smaller) beneath.
Günther Holst bore this flag at German Athletics' Festival in Hamburg in 1953.
The flag had golden fringes at three sides. The spear of the pike was made of brass with a gilded Athletics' Cross in the centre. The flag was fixed to the pike by two hooks of brass and five yellow nooses.
Günther Holst bore this flag at German Athletics' Festival in Hamburg in 1953. He overhanded the flag to Museum für hamburgische Geschichte on 1 December 1998.
Sources: 1) colour photo provided by Günther Holst (HHT)
2) filing card no.1998,14a of Museum für hamburgische Geschichte
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 13 Jun 2012


Hamburger Turngesellschaft Barmbeck-Uhlenhorst e.V.

[Hamburger TG Barmbeck-Uhlenhorst] image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 Jun 2012

Brief History:
"Barmbeck-Uhlenhorster Turnverein von 1876" was the origin of the club. The first gymnastics hall was accomplished in 1885. In 1909 the club merged with "Männer-Turnverein Barmbeck-Uhlenhorst" (males' athletics club), established in 1888 and with "Hamburger Turnverein von 1902". The new club was renamed as "Hamburger Turnerschaft Barmbeck-Uhlenhorst" (HTBU).
The females of the new born club won the German championships in fistball (1925) and handball (1926).
In 1998 the club merged with "Turngemeinschaft Alster Hamburg Eimsbüttel e.V." (TG Alster) and finally in 2002 with "Uhlenhorster Turngesellschaft R.V.". Since then the club has its current name.
Source: club page
Pennant:
It is a blue pennant with a white logo shifted to the hoist. The logo is a vertical oval fimbriated white with serifed initials ""H"" (top), "T" (bottom), "B" (left) and "U" (right) interlooped with one another.
Source: I spotted the logo on a flee market at the information stall of the club on 20 May 2012. The information about the pennant (a "triangular flag") was given by a member in the stall.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 14 Jun 2012


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