D

Spiel Ohne Grenzen 1968

Heat 1

Event Staged: Saturday 27th April 1968
Venue: Ludwig-Schwabl-Stadion (Ludwig Schwabl Stadium),
Inzell, Bayern, West Germany

Transmission:
WDR 1 (D): Saturday 27th April 1968, 4.00-5.15pm (Live)

Referees on Duty:
Kurt Hauser and assistants Gennaro Olivieri and Guido Pancaldi

Weather Conditions:
Sunny and Warm

Theme: Playtime for Adults (Spielzeit für Erwachsenen)

Teams: Inzell v. Schongau

Team Members included:
Inzell - Manfred Ellmann, Günther Traube, Jürgen Traube;
Schongau - Martin Hoffmann, Willi Kuner, Adolf Ott.

Games: The Go-Karters, The Giant Dolls, The Descent, Curling Baskets, Caged Ice-Hockey, The Great Pram Race, The Carousel Crossing, Sliding the Snowman, The Giant Ostriches, The Guide Leader.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd

 I • Inzell ● ●
 S • Schongau

24
0

Inzell qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Épinal, France,
scheduled to be staged on Wednesday 19th June 1968.

By the time of this It's A Knockout heat, student riots in Paris had already caused the French international heat to be relocated from its original venue in Paris to Épinal, some 374km (232 miles) south-east of the capital. With the rioting continuing and gradually spreading across France, the heat was subsequently cancelled.

Inzell ultimately participated in Schwäbisch-Hall, West Germany:
staged on Wednesday 4th September 1968.

The Host Town

Inzell, Bayern

Inzell is a town and recognised health resort with a population of around 4,500 in the state of Bayern. It is located 48km (30 miles) east of Rosenheim, 32km (20 miles) south of Trostberg and due to the shape of the country, lies just 10km (6 miles) north and 14km (9 miles) west of the border with Austria.

The town’s coat of arms is made up of a red background with a silver hammer and miner’s hammer crossed, lying below a silver fish. The silver fish is taken from the Augustinian priory of St. Zeno and the crossed miner’s tools remember the earlier mining and smelting industry of the town.

This popular Bavarian resort nestles in a large, sunny Alpine valley surrounded by lush green meadows, picturesque mountains and crystal clear lakes. During the summer and winter, there is always plenty to keep you fit - cross-country skiing, Alpine skiing, ski tours, snow shoe hikes, walking, sledding, climbing etc. Families are so well catered for, that Inzell qualifies as an accredited Kinderland Bayern® resort. The inhabitants of Inzell love Bavarian traditions and ensure that guests can experience them too, with most local farmhouses being built and decorated in the traditional style.

The town is now known for being the home of the National Training Centre for roller-skating and speed-skating, and was used as the training venue for German speed skaters Erhard Keller and Anni Friesinger-Postma. After retiring from the sport at the beginning of 1973, Erhard Keller went on to present the West German heats of Spiel Ohne Grenzen following the retirement of original host, Camillo Felgen.

The Visiting Town

Schongau is a town with a population of around 15,000 inhabitants in the state of Bayern and is located 138km (86 miles) west of Inzell.

The Venue

Ludwig-Schwabl-Stadion (Ludwig Schwabl Stadium)

The games were played at the local ice stadium, the Ludwig-Schwabl-Stadion, named after Inzell-born German politician and sports official, Ludwig Schwabl (1921-2007).

Before 1963, ice-skating took place during the winter months on a makeshift course on the Frillensee, a lake located in the mountains which had a special feature in that it would freeze from the centre outwards, rather the reverse of other lakes. This course became very popular and it was decided that a larger facility had to be built, not only to cater for the increasing numbers, but for health and safety reasons.

Construction of a new natural ice stadium took place in the town adjacent to Zwingsee lake between 1963 and 1965. It would be designed to cater for speed skating, ice speedway and ice hockey, and one which could be used by locals and tourists alike, all year round. It could also be used as a dry track during the summer months by melting the ice and allowing it to dry out, as was the case at this heat.

In June 2008, The International Skating Union (ISU) announced that Inzell had been successful in their bid and were awarded the World Single Distance Speed Skating Championships in 2011. However, a pre-requisite for this was that a new artificial indoor speed-skating hall be constructed. Work began in the autumn of 2009 and was completed in time for the Championships. The stadium was renamed as the Eishalle Max Aicher Arena in 2012 following sponsorship by engineering and construction company, Max Aicher Bischofswerda GmbH & Co. During the summer months the hall can also be used for roller-skating.

The Games in Detail

Introduction

This heat opened to glorious warm spring sunshine and, in true West German style, with a marching band leading the teams into the arena. Not to be outdone, presenter Camillo Felgen entered the arena on one of the petrol-fuelled go-karts used in the first game. After stopping the kart and stepping out, he addressed the assembled crowd in his calm inimitable style, with a simple “Guten Tag, Sie die Zuschauer” (Good Afternoon, to you the audience)!

Game 1 - The Go-Karters
(Die Go-Karters)

The first game - ‘The Go-Karters’ (Die Go-Karters) - was played in unison and featured a male competitor from each team driving a petrol-fuelled go-kart. On the whistle, the competitor had to complete four laps of a 400m (1,312ft 4in) course which comprised a small hurdle covered with paper. On the first lap, the competitor had to break through the paper as he passed under the hurdle, whilst the remaining three laps simply required the competitor to pass under the hurdle. The only other obstacle on the course was a corrugated board which was located on the home straight of each lap. The team completing the four laps in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Before the game began, the go-karts were started by stagehands and, after being given a signal by the referees, were released. Although it was a one-horse race from the outset, there were some light-hearted moments when the Schongau competitor skidded on the wet bends at either end of the track. The race ended with Inzell completing the four laps in 2 minutes 34 seconds with Schongau finishing in 3 minutes 5 seconds.

Game 2 - The Giant Dolls
(Die Riesigen Puppen)

The second game - ‘The Giant Dolls’ (Die Riesigen Puppen) - was played in unison over four minutes duration and featured two male competitors from each team and a giant wooden doll hanging from scaffolding and attired in a hat, a jacket and a skirt. Each team were equipped with a small manually-operated scooter. On the whistle, one of the competitors had to climb a step-ladder in order to remove the hat and jacket from the doll (which was clad out in underwear to save any blushes) whilst his team-mate remained on the ground to remove the skirt. One of the competitors then had to attire himself in the three removed items of clothing. Once attired, he then had to circumnavigate the 400m (1,312ft 4in) track on the scooter and return to the same point where he had to remove the items of clothing and, with the assistance of his team-mate, re-clothe the doll. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The game was started and, once the competitors had removed the doll’s clothing and were dressed in the female attire, the fun began. The Inzell competitor appeared to be quite adept and very familiar with the fact that the long skirt needed to be lifted above the knees at the front to enable any progress to be made on the scooter. The Schongau competitor on the other hand was not so familiar with this and it resulted in the long skirt becoming entangled around the back wheel of the scooter, causing it to jam. Inzell took full advantage of their rival’s mishap and sped around the track. From this point in the game, Schongau’s fate was sealed and only a disaster by Inzell would prevent their second successive victory. With all the clothes intact, the Inzell team completed the game in exactly the same time as they had the first game, registering a time of 2 minutes 34 seconds whilst Schongau finished the game in 3 minutes 1 second.

Game 3 - The Descent
(Die Abfahrt)

With the venue predominantly used for winter sports, it was fitting that the third game - ‘The Descent’ (Die Abfahrt) - was the first of four games to utilise the frozen ice-hockey rink located in the middle of the track. It was played individually over two heats of three minutes duration and featured three male competitors from each team at the top of a miniature ski-slope and a 55m (180ft 5in) course with a set of three small hurdles along its length. On the whistle, the competitors had to descend the slope and as they exited, they had to take a crouched-down pose, which they had to hold, to enable them to travel under the hurdles and reach a finish line. The distance achieved by each skier was measured and then they had to race back to the slope and ascend to the top via a set of wooden slats and repeat the game throughout. The team with the greater overall distance covered would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Schongau and on the first run all three of their competitors reached the finish line and registered a sub-total of 165m (3 x 55m). Their second run was not so successful with only two of the competitors reaching the line and the third stopping short at 41.80m. This gave them a second total of 151.80m. The third run was even less successful and, with two the team failing to reach the finish line, the third total was 146.20m. The whistle was blown just before any of the team could descend for a fourth time and the overall total for Schongau was 463m (165m + 151.80m + 146.20m).

The second heat featured Inzell and they were faster in their execution and more successful. With all three competitors reaching the line on all four of their runs, it gave the team an overall total of 660m (4 x 165m).

Game 4 - Curling Baskets
(Eisschießen)

The cameras stayed on the rink for the fourth game - ‘Curling Baskets’ (Eisschießen) - which was played in unison over four rounds by two male competitors from each team who were equipped four large straw baskets with a male team-mate crouched down inside each one. The course was marked out with six large rings, each with a value ranging from 1pt for the outer ring and rising to 6pts for the innermost ring. On the whistle, the two competitors had to lift a basket and swing it back and forth in order to pick up momentum and then release it on a forward swing and send it down the ice towards the rings. Although the baskets would stop on the ice, they would still be able to be knocked out of the way (or into better scoring areas) by future baskets. The team with the greater total from all four baskets would be declared the winners.

It was apparent from the outset that Inzell would be victorious once more as their two ‘throwers’ were more heavily built than the opposition. Schongau participated first and they scored 1pt whilst Inzell scored 5pts. The second round saw Schongau score a further 2pts whilst Inzell repeated their first score of 5pts (Inzell were now leading Schongau by 10-3 on aggregate). The third round was a repeat of the first with Schongau and Inzell scoring 1pt and 5pts, respectively (Inzell were now leading Schongau by 15-4). With just one round remaining and a miracle throw required by Schongau, Inzell had virtually already secured victory. However, this did not prevent the team from sitting on their laurels and whilst Schongau missed the target completely and scored 0pts, Inzell scored another 5pts. However, it should be noted that whilst doing so they also nudged the second of their baskets already on the ice into the 6pts ring. The game ended with Inzell having an aggregate total of 21pts (5 + 6 + 5 + 5) and Schongau with an aggregate total of just 4pts (1 + 2 + 1 + 0).

Game 5 - Caged Ice Hockey
(Käfig Eishockey)

The fifth game - ‘Caged Ice Hockey’ (Käfig Eishockey) - was played in unison over four minutes duration in total and featured four male competitors from each team standing in ‘Λ’ shaped contraptions with open circular bases. On the whistle, the competitors had to use the contraptions, in a similar fashion to that of a fairground dodgem car, to move a giant puck around the rink. At the start of the game, only one of the competitors from each team was permitted on the field of play, with his three team-mates standing behind their respective goal line. However, once the game had started they could join him on the ice. The team scoring the greater number of goals (in reality pushing the puck over a marked line at each end of the rink) within the time permitted would be declared the winners.

Schongau set the game in motion with a bully-off and following a second whistle, three seconds later, the other competitors joined in the action. The game was very simple and straightforward and the first half saw Inzell score goals after 11, 36 and 57 seconds of elapsed time. With no further goals being scored, the first half ended with Inzell leading Schongau by 3-0. The second half saw the teams change ends for parity and saw Inzell bullying-off. Unlike the previous half, it was somewhat of a disappointment with neither team able to score and ended goalless. The final score confirmed Inzell as winning by 3-0.

Game 6 - The Great Pram Race
(Der Große Kinderwagen-Rennen)

The sixth game - ‘The Great Pram Race' (Der Große Kinderwagen-Rennen) - was played in unison and witnessed Schongau presenting their Joker for play. The game featured a male competitor from each team dressed as a clown wearing giant shoes with eight small castors attached to the soles and a female team-mate sitting inside an oversized pram. On the whistle, the competitor had to push the pram along a 100m (328ft 1in) course and towards the end, there was a row of ten water-filled balloons. All the balloons had to be picked up by the competitor, handed to his team-mate and then the pram had to be pushed a small distance to cross a line. Once accomplished, the competitor then had to go to the back of the pram and push it all the way back to the start. Any balloons that had been burst or not collected would each incur a 5-second penalty. The team with the faster overall time would be declared the winners.

Another straightforward game saw Inzell finish in 1 minute 40 seconds followed by Schongau in two minutes exactly. The number of balloons were then counted and Schongau had collected only 8 balloons and incurred an additional 10 seconds, bringing their total time to 2 minutes 10 seconds. Inzell had collected 9 balloons and incurred an additional 5 seconds, bringing their total time to 1 minute 45 seconds. Inzell had won their sixth consecutive game and in the process had nullified the Schongau Joker.

Intermission

The intermission featured a 2 minutes 40 seconds comedic slapstick display of figure-skating by 23-year old Sepp Schönmetzler. Schönmetzler, who had held the title of West German figure-skating champion in 1962 and 1965, was accompanied on the ice by strains of In The Mood by Glenn Miller (1904-1944).

Game 7 - The Carousel Crossing
(Überquerung des Karussells)

The seventh game - ‘The Carousel Crossing’ (Überquerung des Karussells) - was played individually over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured three male competitors from each team and a large carousel in the middle of a shallow pool with a podium on either side. Above the podium, on which the competitors started the game, there were two rows of nine inflated rings and in between the two was a large pole which overhung the edge of the carousel. On the other side of the pool there was an exact copy of the equipment. On the whistle, each of the competitors collected a ring and placed it around their neck. One by one they had to jump up and grab the pole and then edge their way along it in order to cross the pool and drop down on the moving carousel. They then had to cross the carousel and then jump up to the other pole and edge their way along to the opposite podium and place the ring on holders. Once achieved, they then had to return to the start and repeat the game. The team collecting the greater number of rings would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Inzell and they transported a total of 12 rings across the pool. The second heat featured Schongau and whilst the team provided some enjoyable antics over the carousel for the spectators, they were no match for Inzell and were only able to collect a total of 9 rings.

Game 8 - Sliding the Snowman
(Schieben des Schneemänner)

The eighth game - ‘Sliding the Snowmen’ (Schieben des Schneemänner) - was played in unison over four minutes duration on the ice hockey rink and witnessed Inzell presenting their Joker for play. The game featured a male competitor from each team dressed as a speed-skater attached to a long elasticated rope located at one end of the 50m (164ft) course and five wooden snowmen at the other end. On the whistle, the competitor had to race up the rink to collect a snowman and bring it back to the start. This was then repeated until all five snowmen had been transported to the opposite end of the rink. The game then had to be repeated in reverse by transporting the snowmen back up the course to their original start positions. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

It was apparent from the outset that Inzell had made a wise choice of Joker game and they completed the game in 3 minutes 23 seconds.

Game 9 - The Giant Ostriches
(Der Riese Strauße)

The ninth and penultimate game - ‘The Giant Ostriches’ (Der Riese Strauße) - was played in unison and was a straightforward relay race played over four laps of the 400m (1,312ft 4in) track. It featured two male competitors from each team dressed in giant ostrich costumes and wearing roller-skates. On the whistle, the first of the competitors had to set off and after completing one lap of the track, he had to tag the second competitor to do likewise. Once all four laps had been completed, the competitors had to cross a finish line. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Although Schongau got the better start, Inzell had taken the lead before the first bend after which there was no looking back. Inzell completed the game in 2 minutes 46 seconds followed by Schongau in 2 minutes 57 seconds.

Game 10 - The Guide Leader
(Die Führungsführer)

The tenth and final game - ‘The Guide Leader’ (Die Führungsführer) - featured five male competitors from each team and was played over four laps of a 100m (328ft 1in) course. The lead competitor was wearing roller-skates and facing forward. He was attached by rope to his four team-mates, who were sitting on chairs on castors behind him and facing backwards. On the whistle, whilst the standing competitor skated forward and pulled the chairs, his team-mates pushed backwards with their feet to assist him. At the end of each 100m run, the teams had to circumnavigate a small podium whilst remaining seated in the chairs and then race back to the start. This had to then be repeated and the first team to cross the finish line would be declared the winners.

As was the case in the previous game, Schongau took an early lead but suffered a mishap after the first 100m turnaround point, whereby two of their competitors became unseated and had to stop and recompose themselves. This permitted Inzell to take the lead and again there was no looking back. Inzell retained the lead for the remainder of the game and completed the course in 1 minute 52 seconds followed by Schongau in 2 minutes 5 seconds.

Final Scores and Positions: 1st Inzell (4pts awarded / Double Points Game / 24pts total) 2nd Schongau (0pts / 0pts)

Comments: The final 4pts of the competition were awarded to Inzell, meaning they had achieved a maximum score and had beaten Schongau by an incredible 24-0. Inzell had written themselves into the Jeux Sans Frontières history books as the second of only two teams ever to achieve the feat of a maximum score in any of its related programmes. The only other team to have achieved this was Swiss team Crans-sur-Sierre during the 1965 season of Interneige.

Presenters, Officials and Production Team

Both of the referees - Gennaro Olivieri and Guido Pancaldi - from the International series were amongst those assisting Kurt Hauser to officiate this year.

Records and Statistics

In this heat, Inzell became the first and only team in any domestic programme (West German or British) to achieve a maximum score by winning every single game. They also hold the record for the highest winning margin in a Domestic programme of 24pts.

Additional Information

The neutral juries of bürgermeisters, which were present at the heats of the inaugural series of Spiel Ohne Grenzen in 1967, were no longer utilised from this year.

The winners of each of this year’s heats received a cheque for 1,800 Deutsche Mark (£190 - approx. £2300 today) to help with improving the facilities for children of the town. In the same vein, the losing teams did not go home empty handed, receiving a similar cheque for 1,200 Deutsche Mark (£126 - approx. £1500 today).

The Schongau team travelled 138km to participate in this programme whilst the team of Kaufbeuren im Allgäu had to travel 230km (143 miles) to participate in the following heat at Erbach im Odenwald. This may not appear unusual, except for the fact that these two towns are actually located just 22km apart!

Although the ice stadium venue had been drained and dried out for this event, the two semi-circular bends at either end were still wet. This resulted in a few thrills and spills for the competitors during the games.

Made in B/W • This programme exists in German archives

D

Spiel Ohne Grenzen 1968

Heat 2

Event Staged: Saturday 4th May 1968
Venue: Der Pferderennhahn (The Racecourse),
Erbach im Odenwald, Hessen, West Germany

Transmission:
WDR 1 (D): Saturday 4th May 1968, 3.30-4.45pm (Live)

Referees on Duty:
Kurt Hauser and assistants Helmut Konrad and Werner Treichel

Weather Conditions:
Sunny and Warm with Strong Winds

Theme: Movies, Books and Novels (Filme, Bücher und Romane)

Teams: Erbach im Odenwald v. Kaufbeuren im Allgäu

Team Members included:
Kaufbeuren im Allgäu - Gert Brückner, Karl Buhr, Herbert Fischer, Albert Göttfrieds-Kaufman, Franz Heinlein, Isobel Kenser, Peter Keppel, Helmut Reise, Angelica Schretten-Brüner, Renata Schück, Harald Scheimer, Monika Vögel, Josef Weiß.

Games: The Chariot Race, The Palm Trees, Uschi and Suzie, The Gardeners' Game, The Fire-Fighters' Water Cannon, The Angry Jurors, Catch-as-Catch-Can, A 1900s Tram Ride, The Caterpillar Trail, The Ellipses, The Ellipses / Tug-o-War (Tie-Break).

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd

 K • Kaufbeuren im Allgäu ● ●
 E • Erbach im Odenwald

13
12

Kaufbeuren im Allgäu qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Zofingen, Switzerland:
staged on Wednesday 3rd July 1968

The Host Town

Erbach im Odenwald, Hessen

Erbach im Odenwald is a town with a population of around 14,000 inhabitants in the Mümling valley in the state of Hessen. It is located 55km (34km) south-east of Frankfurt am Main, 71km (44 miles) west of Würzburg, 100km (62 miles) north of Stuttgart and 122km (76 miles) east of Idar-Oberstein.

The town’s centrepiece is the Palace of the Counts of Erbach-Erbach, which is located on the western side of the Marktplatz and houses the extensive antique collection of Franz, Count of Erbach-Erbach (1754-1823). Although originally built in the Middle Ages, the majority of the buildings standing today only date back to the 18th century. The oldest historical record about the building is from the 12th century but the rulers of Erbach, probably Count Gerhard I (1232-1290), built the first castle in the 13th century. Between 1500 and 1530, the castle was rebuilt in the Renaissance style. Since the noble house did not have the materials on hand, only the middle wing of the planned three-winged building was ever built.

Located 3.4km (2 miles) to the north of Erbach im Odenwald, is the neighbouring town of Michelstadt, which was to be involved in a foreseen merger in 2009. Erbach im Odenwald mayor Harald Buschmann and his Michelstadt counterpart, Reinhold Ruhr, had been able to convince both city councils in the summer of 2007 of their merger plan. The plan was approved by both councils but it would still have to go to a public vote. However in 2008, and after a close vote by both towns (Erbach im Odenwald 52.2% against, 47.8% for and Michelstadt 54.9% against, 45.1% in favour), these plans had to be scuppered, but it is hoped that a merger will be considered again in the near future. It should be noted that whilst there was a poor 53% turnout in Michelstadt, only 49.4% of the electorate turned out in Erbach im Odenwald!

The Visiting Town

Kaufbeuren im Allgäu is a town with a population of around 45,000 inhabitants in the state of Bayern and is located 230km (143 miles) south-east of Erbach im Odenwald.

The Venue

Der Pferderennhahn (The Racecourse)

The games were played on the racecourse of the Odenwald Racing Association which is still used for harness racing. The wooden spectator stand has been renovated to its original grandiose style and has a somewhat Ascot-character about it.

Today, the racecourse is quite unique as it totally encompasses Sportspark, the home stadium of local teams FSV and FC Erbach, which was built on the central area of the track and which has a brand new artificial pitch.

In addition to race meetings, the course is utilised for the Erbach Wiesenmarkt (meadow market) at the end of July each year, a festival which originally began as a livestock and farm market in the late 19th century. Today however, although retaining its ‘market’ tradition, the festival is more geared to a family-orientated event offering fairground rides, sideshows and pony rides.

The festival commences at 3pm on Friday with a parade and the traditional ‘tapping of the keg’, but it is not until 2pm on the first Saturday that it is officially opened in front of the castle, with a nine-gun salute. The event attracts over 500,000 people during its 10-day duration, ending with a spectacular firework display on the second Sunday. The 60,000ft² (5,574m²) market area houses over 200 exhibitors with around another 200 dealers in the surrounding streets. The products on sale range from toys, clothing, household goods, culinary delights, spices, garden furniture, garage doors and lawn mowers through to large agricultural equipment and swimming pools.

The Games in Detail

Introduction

As was the case with many of the West German Domestic programmes, this one opened to the pomp and circumstance of a military band with the teams being led into the arena on agricultural vehicles behind dignitaries, presenters and referees on mini-tractors.

Game 1 - The Chariot Race
(Das Chariotrennen)

The first game - ‘The Chariot Race’ (Das Chariotrennen) - was played individually over two minutes duration and featured three male competitors from each team suitably attired in safety helmet and goggles. On the track, there was a BMW - Bayerische Motoren Werke (Bavarian Motor Works) - motorcycle which was attached to a platform mounted on small wheels by two ropes. On the whistle, two of the competitors had to jump on the platform and maintain their balance whilst their team-mate pulled the ‘chariot’ a total distance of “zwei Runde plus 100m” (twice around the track plus 100m). If either of the competitors lost their balance and tumbled from the platform, the motorcyclist had to return to the spot to pick them up before continuing. The team completing the course in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this straightforward game saw the participation of Kaufbeuren im Allgäu and they were deemed to have completed the course in 1 minute 11.5 seconds with keine beanstandung (no objections).

The second heat featured Erbach im Odenwald and, although it appeared that they had travelled at a faster pace, they finished the game in 1 minute 12.6 seconds.

Game 2 - The Palm Trees
(Die Palmen)

The second game - ‘The Palm Trees’ (Die Palmen) - was played in unison over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured four competitors (two males and two females) from each team and four palm trees bearing a total of 20 black and 20 white coconuts. On the whistle, each of the two barefoot male competitors had to climb a tree in order to start collecting ten coconuts (5 of each colour from each tree) which were hanging high in the branches. These had to be thrown down and caught in baskets by the female competitors who were suitably attired in grass skirts and leis. However, each basket could only be used for one particular colour of coconut and this resulted in the female competitors having to run back and forth between the trees in order to achieve this. Once all ten coconuts had been dispensed with, the male competitors had to descend the trees and then each climb their second tree and repeat the process. Any coconuts dropped, not caught in the baskets correctly or left hanging in the tree would each incur a 10-second penalty. The team completing the game in the faster overall time would be declared the winners.

Although this appeared to be a tough game, it was very fast-paced and ended with both teams finishing the course with the exact same time of 2 minutes 11 seconds. However, although Erbach im Odenwald had collected 20 black coconuts, they had only collected 18 white coconuts and had incurred a penalty of 20 seconds, giving them an overall total time of 2 minutes 31 seconds. Kaufbeuren im Allgäu had also collected 20 black coconuts but only 19 white coconuts and they incurred a penalty of 10 seconds, giving them an overall total time of 2 minutes 21 seconds.

Game 3 - Uschi and Suzie
(Uschi und Suzie)

The third game - ‘Uschi and Suzie’ (Uschi und Suzie) - was played individually over two heats of 1 minute 45 seconds duration and witnessed Kaufbeuren im Allgäu presenting their Joker for play. Although it was designed to be straightforward, during the latter stages it would prove to be a very funny and entertaining game for all those watching. It featured a male competitor from each team dressed as a farmer with a live pig and a small maze comprising gates and obstacles. On the whistle, whilst walking along the perimeter of the maze, the competitor had to direct his respective pig through the maze from one end to the other. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Kaufbeuren im Allgäu with Suzie, a five-month old pig weighing 72kg (158lb 11oz / 11st 4lb 11oz) which had been in training for five weeks for the event, and they completed the game in just 22 seconds.

The second heat featured Erbach im Odenwald with Uschi, who had weighed in at around 100kg (220lb 7oz / 15st 10lb 7oz) and had been in training for eight weeks. She was much slower than Suzie and did not have the same inclination of her rival. Despite all his efforts, the Erbach im Odenwald competitor could not prevent Uschi from doing her own thing and after she had completed the first obstacle, she decided that she had done enough, turned around and walked back towards the start. Although the clock was stopped after 1 minute 23 seconds, the referees permitted the game to play out to 1 minute 45 seconds before blowing the whistle.

Game 4 - The Gardeners' Game
(Die Gärtnerin Spiel)

The fourth game - ‘The Gardeners’ Game’ (Die Gärtnerin Spiel) - was played in unison over five minutes duration and featured two female competitors from each team at opposite ends of the 160m (524ft 11¼in) course. Each of the competitors was armed with a large landscape hay rake and on the course there were 100 tennis balls disguised as large pebbles. On the whistle, the competitors had to rake the pebbles backwards to a holding pen 80m (262ft 5½in) up the course. The game was made more difficult by the fact that the tennis balls were small enough to pass through the tines of the rake. Any balls that came off the course had to be picked up and replaced. The team sweeping all 100 pebbles into the holding pen in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a very straightforward and uneventful game which saw Erbach im Odenwald complete the course in 3 minutes 37 seconds.

Game 5 - The Fire-Fighters' Water Cannons
(Der Feuerwehrmann Wasserwerfer)

The fifth game - The Fire-Fighters’ Water Cannons’ (Der Feuerwehrmann Wasserwerfer) - was to see the whole competition turned on its head with a controversial decision and a rescoring of an earlier game. It was played individually over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured two male competitors from each team, a slalom course, a small German car with a cage attached to its roof and a fire tender. On the whistle, one of the competitors had to drive the car around the slalom course whilst his team-mate standing on the roof, and armed with a long pole, attempted to knock tins from high podiums. However, two opposing male competitors, standing on the roof of the fire tender, aimed high-speed jets of water at the car to obscure the driver’s view and cause him to hit the slalom gates and podium supports. This might not have appeared too difficult except for the fact that the wiper arms had been removed from the car’s windscreen. In addition to negotiating the course in forward and reverse gears, the driver also had to park the car into designated sections of the course. The competitor on top of the car could assist his team-mate by using his feet to bang on the side of the car to help him steer the car through the gates. A penalty of 10 seconds would be incurred for each gate or podium knocked down or touched by the car. The team completing the game in the overall faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Kaufbeuren im Allgäu and they completed the course in exactly 2 minutes 30 seconds. However, they had incurred two penalties and their final time was given as 2 minutes 50 seconds.

The second heat featured Erbach im Odenwald and following a false start, whereby the team had started two seconds before the whistle was blown, the game got under way again. However, things did not go smoothly and the driver appeared to be having some difficulties steering the car. After 1 minute 57 seconds of elapsed time, the driver got out of the car and declared that the car was faulty and refused to continue. The referees came forward and gave their verdict and stated that the teams had agreed beforehand that due to the amount of water entering the car (e.g. through the front grille, wheel arches etc.) that any problems encountered would be accepted as part of the game. This announcement somewhat riled the home crowd and was greeted with klaxons and jeers.

Objection!

At this point, assistant referee Helmut Konrad stepped up and stated that the Erbach im Odenwald team captain had lodged a complaint regarding the second game - ‘The Palm Trees’ - claiming that the opposition had failed to abide by the rules regarding the manner in which the team had collected their coconuts. Reading directly from the rules of the game, he stated that the protest had been upheld and the result of the game would be reversed. This resulted in Kaufbeuren im Allgäu being deducted 2pts whilst Erbach im Odenwald were awarded 2pts. The scoreboard operators then frantically removed the scores and replaced them with the new amended scores.

Intermission

The intermission featured a display by the Big Band of the 12th Panzer Division of Würzburg, a military division of the Bundeswehr (Federal Defence). The Divisional Headquarters had been located in Veitshöchheim, a municipality of Würzburg since 1965. The division was stationed in parts of Bayern, Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Pfalz but was finally disbanded in 1994.

Game 6 - The Angry Jurors
(Die Zornigen Juroren)

The sixth game - ‘The Angry Jurors’ (Die Zornigen Juroren) - was played in unison over 1 minute 30 seconds duration and featured a male competitor from each team and a semi-circular wall with 11 caricatured jury members’ heads hinged to the top. On the whistle, the competitor (the twelfth juror) standing 3m (9ft 10¼in) in front of the wall and armed with a bratpfanner (frying-pan or skillet) and a ball on an elasticated rope had to knock down (or convince) as many of the jurors to change their vote. The team knocking down the greater number of heads would be declared the winners.

A simple and straightforward game saw Erbach im Odenwald displacing 5 heads whilst Kaufbeuren im Allgäu displaced 9 heads.

Game 7 - Catch-as-Catch-Can

The seventh game - ‘Catch-as-Catch-Can’ - was played in unison over a total of four minutes duration (two minutes for each half) and featured three male competitors from each team on a small football pitch and standing inside large round polystyrene barrels which had been strapped over their shoulders. On the whistle, the competitors had to play a game of football but were permitted to kick the ball or pick it up and throw it in order to score goals in their opponent’s net. The team scoring the greater number of goals would be declared the winners.

The first goal of this simple game was scored by Erbach im Odenwald after just 25 seconds of elapsed time. With no further goals, the score remained 1-0 at half-time when the teams changed ends for parity. The second half was started and after another 1 minute 2 seconds of elapsed time, a second goal by Erbach im Odenwald moved the score to 2-0. Despite a penalty being awarded to Kaufbeuren im Allgäu, 20 seconds before the end of the game (which incidentally was taken after the four minute time limit and in any case was saved by the goalkeeper), nothing could stop Erbach im Odenwald from being victorious and the final score was 2-0.

Game 8 - A 1900s Tram Ride
(Ein 1900er Straßenbahnfahrt)

The eighth game - ‘A 1900s Tram Ride’ (Ein 1900er Straßenbahnfahrt) - was played in unison over three minutes duration and witnessed Erbach im Odenwald presenting their Joker for play. The game featured six male competitors from each team and a Victorian-style horse-drawn tram. On the whistle, the first competitor who was acting as driver had to set off and stop at various points along the 70m (229ft 8in) course to pick up the luggage of each of his five team-mates who were dressed in typical clothing of the time. The first of the competitors had to load his luggage onto the tram by himself and then climb aboard. The second competitor had to do likewise but with the assistance of the competitor already aboard. All subsequent competitors could be assisted by those already on board. Once all five competitors and luggage were on board, there was a short gallop to cross the finish line. In total, the teams had to load up 79 items of luggage comprising 60 suitcases, 9 medium-sized boxes, 5 large chests, 3 round hat boxes and 2 large corn sacks. There would be penalties incurred of 10 seconds for each item not collected and if the competitors were not on the tram when it set off between stops. The team completing the game in the faster overall time would be declared the winners.

From the outset, it was a very closely run race but, as the results were announced, it was not to be the success story that the home crowd had hoped for. Kaufbeuren im Allgäu, being pulled by Oma, had crossed the finish line in 2 minutes 25 seconds but had incurred one penalty bringing their overall time to 2 minutes 35 seconds. Erbach im Odenwald, being pulled by Opa, had crossed the finish line in 2 minutes 34 seconds and also had incurred one penalty, bringing their overall time to 2 minutes 44 seconds. The win was awarded to Kaufbeuren im Allgäu and, having nullified their rival’s Joker, they were now leading Erbach im Odenwald by 6pts.

Game 9 - The Caterpillar Trail
(Die Raupe Wanderweg)

The ninth and penultimate game - ‘The Caterpillar Trail’ (Die Raupe Wanderweg) - was played individually over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured five male competitors from each team wearing pointed wizard hats and dressed in a large segmented caterpillar costume. On the whistle, the competitors had to pass over a box containing 30 water-filled balloons and burst them with their 10 feet. After leaving the box, the team had to follow a designated trail around 13 ski poles and underneath 6 high hurdles. The final obstacle was to ascend a ramp to reach a long trampoline which had 20 water-filled balloons hanging above it. The competitors had to bounce along on the trampoline bursting the balloons with the pins attached to the tips of their hats and then descend a slope and run to the finish line. Any balloons that were not burst would each incur a penalty of 5 seconds. Although the teams were aware of the penalty, they could decide to discard bursting any odd balloons, which would lose them valuable time, and race to the line for a faster time and incur the penalty. The team completing the game in the faster overall time would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Erbach im Odenwald and, with knowledge that they had to win this game to set up an exciting and crucial final game, set off at a cracking pace, especially whilst crossing the trampoline. Although the team completed the course in 1 minute 38 seconds, they had failed to burst two of the balloons above the trampoline and with the 10 seconds penalty (2 x 5) added, their overall score was declared as 1 minute 48 seconds.

The second heat saw the participation of Kaufbeuren im Allgäu and although they reached the trampoline in a faster time than their rivals, the competitors were not so adept in bursting the balloons. This resulted in the team losing vital seconds and they finished the game in 1 minute 50 seconds, already two seconds slower than their rivals’ overall time. With an additional 5 seconds added for failing to burst one of the balloons above the trampoline, their overall time taken was 1 minute 55 seconds.

Game 10 - The Ellipses
(Die Ellipsen)

The tenth and final game - ‘The Ellipses’ (Die Ellipsen) - was a straight race up a 70m (229ft 8in) course and featured two male competitors from each team dressed as waiters and on the starting line there was a giant ellipse-shaped wheel. On the whistle, the first of the competitors had to step inside the wheel and roll it down an obstacle course comprising two seesaws. In order that the wheel stayed on a straight course, the competitor was permitted to step out of the wheel to redirect it without any penalty. At the end of the course, the competitor had to pick up a tray of glasses from a high podium and transport them back to the start in the same manner as the outward journey and then place the tray on another podium. After the first competitor had crossed the finish line, the whole process was repeated by his team-mate. The team completing both return journeys in the faster time would be declared the winners.

From the outset, the Kaufbeuren im Allgäu competitor set off at a cracking pace but suffered a mishap on the second seesaw and failed to traverse it correctly and was sent back to repeat it. This permitted Erbach im Odenwald to sneak ahead (to a rapturous roar of support) and then maintain the lead throughout the game, finishing in a time of 2 minutes 14 seconds. Although Erbach im Odenwald had crossed the finish line, they had done so on their opponent’s side of the course. Referee Kurt Hauser could be seen indicating to the team that they had to get back in the wheel and finish the course on the correct side. During the confusion, the second Kaufbeuren im Allgäu competitor was fast approaching the finish line and urged on by his team-mates, who had now realised that they could still win the game, and completed the course in 2 minutes 33 seconds. The Erbach im Odenwald team started celebrating but in the background there appeared to be some deliberation by the referees. The crowd waited with bated breath for almost 1 minute 30 seconds for Kurt Hauser’s announcement and when it finally came, they were not to be disappointed. He declared that there had been no breach of the rules and the result was upheld.

Tie-Break Game - The Ellipses / Tug-o-War
(Die Ellipsen / Tauziehen)

The competition went into a tie break and it was decided that there would be a re-run of the final game over one return journey but without the competitors having to transport the tray of glasses.

On the whistle, Kaufbeuren im Allgäu got the better start and reached the turnaround point first, overshooting it by a few metres. Erbach im Odenwald on the other hand, began to decrease his speed towards the approach in order to stop just over the line. This permitted the gap between the two teams to be narrowed and they started neck and neck for the return journey. Halfway up the course, Kaufbeuren im Allgäu suffered a setback after the wheel overshot one of the seesaws and rolled into the path of Erbach im Odenwald. Both teams had now come to a complete stop and although both competitors attempted to reposition their wheels and continue on, referee Kurt Hauser stopped the game and announced that the game was null and void. This was met with a barrage of boos and jeers by the assembled audience.

To decide the outcome of the programme, the production team produced a long rope and it was obvious that a tug-o-war was going to be used to settle the contest. There was then a very long delay whilst the stagehands chalked lines on the path on which the contest was to take place and the teams decided which of their two male competitors would participate in this contest. After 5 minutes 15 seconds of waiting, the tug-o-war finally started and, although all the competitors put up a stellar performance, it ended after 56 seconds when the Erbach im Odenwald competitors fell to the floor and permitted the rope to slip through their hands.

Additional Information

The Kaufbeuren im Allgäu team travelled 230km to participate in this heat whilst the team of Schongau had to travel 138km (86 miles) to participate in the previous heat at Inzell. This may not appear unusual, except for the fact that these two towns are actually located just 22km apart.

Made in B/W • This programme exists in German archives

D

Spiel Ohne Grenzen 1968

Heat 3

Event Staged: Saturday 11th May 1968
Venue: Freibad (Open-Air Swimming Pool),
Rüsselsheim am Main, Hessen, West Germany

Transmission:
WDR 1 (D): Saturday 11th May 1968, 4.00-5.15pm (Live)

Referees on Duty:
Kurt Hauser and assistants Peter Hochrath and Werner Treichel

Weather Conditions:
Sunny and Warm with a Light Breeze

Theme: Games in the Water (Spiele im Wasser)

Teams: Homburg im Saarland v. Rüsselsheim am Main

Team Members included:
Homburg im Saarland - Dieter Becker, Hans Grup, Karl-Heinz Jung, Karl-Ludwig Kiensch, Alphonse Schindler;
Rüsselsheim am Main - Karl Michaels.

Games: Podium Basketball, Island Hopping, Angling for Fish, The Swans and the Geese, The Ship’s Figurehead, The Floating Bridge, The Newly-Weds, The Astronauts, The Trapeze Artiste, The Giant Skis.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd

 H • Homburg im Saarland ● ●
 R • Rüsselsheim am Main

16
8

Homburg im Saarland qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Verviers, Belgium:
staged on Wednesday 17th July 1968

The Host Town

Rüsselsheim am Main, Hessen

Rüsselsheim am Main is a city with a population of around 61,000 inhabitants in the state of Hessen. It is located 13km (8 miles) east of Mainz, 22km (14 miles) south-west of Frankfurt am Main, 51km (32 miles) west of Aschaffenburg and 56km (35 miles) north of Mannheim.

Originally emerging from a settlement of the Count of Katzenelnbogen (literally translated as cat’s elbow), it has changed its name several times over the centuries before acquiring its current name in 1840.

The area was known for its white Riesling wine which was first cultivated around 1435 by Count John IV of Katzenelnbogen after buying the vines for 22 schillings. In the following years however, Riesling vineyards began to appear all along the valleys of the Rhine and the Mosel, which badly damaged the profitability of the vineyards. Rüsselsheim am Main's comeback in the history of the wine took place in 18th and 19th century, when famous wine-growing estates in the Rheingauer Weinbauverband EV (Rhinegau Winegrowers’ Association) recultivated their vineyards with vines of the Rüsselsheim am Main and Flörsheim Area. After the First World War (1914-1918) viticulture disappeared in the town.

One of the most impressive buildings in the city is the Rathaus (Town Hall). The distinct white clad building houses the headquarters of the city’s administration, as well as the offices of the mayor and other department heads. The city is also home to the headquarters of car manufacturer, Opel AG, founded in 1862 by Adam Opel (1837-1895), and the European Centre of Korean car manufacturer, Hyundai.

The city’s coat of arms is a silver ‘Doppelhaken’ (double hook) and two silver stars on a blue background. Also known as a ‘wolfsangel’ (wolf hook), it is not known whether it was actually used to kill wolves. There is some controversy over the symbol as it is actually forbidden to use it in Germany on the grounds that it was used in the past to represent certain right-wing extremist groups, which are also now banned. Civic coats of arms, which have traditionally used the symbol, are however exempt from the ban.

The Visiting Town

Homburg im Saarland is a town with a population of around 44,000 inhabitants in the state of Saarland and is located 106km (66 miles) south-west of Rüsselsheim am Main.

The Venue

Freibad (Open-Air Swimming Pool)

The games were played in the open-air swimming pool located in the centre of the city. Unfortunately not much is known about the complex except that it had three pools at the time (one indoor and two outdoor) with the main outdoor pool having a length of 50m (164ft) and an average water temperature of 24°C (75°F) and a non-swimmer pool adjacent to it.

Today, the facility has been upgraded with the outdoor pool offering a waterfall shower, a water mushroom, a wide slide, a whirlpool and a parent and child area with a play field as well as a water slide. The indoor 50m swimming pool has a water temperature of 30°C (86°F) and also a non-swimmer pool with a length of 25m (82ft) with a water temperature of 28°C (82°F). There is also a parent and child area with toys, a flow channel, massage jets, a sauna, a big water slide, massage facilities, a whirlpool and an area offering some classic German gastronomy.

The Games in Detail

Game 1 - Podium Basketball
(Basketball auf dem Podium)

The first game - ‘Podium Basketball’ (Basketball auf dem Podium) - was played individually over two minutes duration and featured three male competitors from each team in the pool aboard a circular hollow wooden podium. The podium had netting fixed around its circumference and an elongated basketball frame attached to it. On the whistle, two of the competitors had to paddle the podium into the middle of the pool in order to collect balls which were being tossed into the water by stagehands, whilst the third competitor was used as a balance. When the team reached a ball, they dipped the front end of the podium (with the frame) into the water and positioned it under the ball and then all three leaned backwards forcing the front end to rise and for the ball to run down into the netted podium. The team collecting the greater number of balls would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Rüsselsheim am Main and they secured a total of 8 balls within the time permitted.

The second heat featured Homburg im Saarland but they could only manage to collect a total of 6 balls.

Game 2 - Island Hopping
(Inselhüpfen)

The second game - ‘Island Hopping’ (Inselhüpfen) - was played in unison and featured two male competitors from each team and would be a very quickly-executed game. In the pool, there were two rows of 10 large discs (islands) joined together by small wooden planks, with the fourth and fifth discs each marked with a large cross. On the whistle, the first competitor had to jump into the pool to reach the first disc and then climb aboard. Once on the disc, he then had to run along the row to reach the end then turn around. Contemporaneously, the second competitor had to enter the water at the other end to repeat the process. The first competitor then had to make his way back over the discs, but would not be permitted to go any further than the discs marked with the cross. At this point, he had to wait for his team-mate to pass before he could continue and the method of passing each other was of their own choosing. Once passed, the second competitor completed his run to the end of the row whilst his team-mate made his way back to the start. Once the second competitor had reached the end, he then had to turn around and it was a straight run back to the start. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

From the outset, Homburg im Saarland made the game look very easy and their competitors opted for having one of them lie face down on the marked discs so that they could pass each other easily. Rüsselsheim am Main, on the other hand, were delayed somewhat when their second competitor fell into the water after reaching the fourth disc and had to remount it before continuing. This delay permitted Homburg im Saarland to complete the game just as the Rüsselsheim am Main competitors passed each other, opting to jump from one of the marked podia to the other in opposite directions at the same time. Homburg im Saarland finished the game in 31 seconds with Rüsselsheim am Main completing the game in 45 seconds.

Game 3 - Angling for Fish
(Angeln für Fische)

The third game - ‘Angling for Fish’ (Angeln für Fische) - was played individually over two minutes duration and featured three male competitors from each team sitting on a large swing above the pool with each armed with a fishing rod with a magnetised hook. In the pool was a floating frame which contained 14 large fish with magnetised patches on their heads. On the whistle, the three competitors had to angle for the fish and any caught had to be lifted from the water and then dropped into another floating frame located in the pool behind them. However, in opposition there were two male team members pulling the frame from side-to-side to hinder them. The team catching the greater number of fish would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this straightforward game saw the participation of Homburg im Saarland and their competitors caught a total of 8 fish.

The second heat featured Rüsselsheim am Main and their competitors were very unfortunate after 1 minute 45 seconds of elapsed time when the eighth fish to be caught dropped from the magnet back into the pool and they finished the game with a score of 7 fish.

Game 4 - The Swans and the Geese
(Die Schwäne und die Gänse)

The fourth game - ‘The Swans and the Geese’ (Die Schwäne und die Gänse) - was played in unison and featured four male competitors from each team wearing large polystyrene bird costumes complete with divers’ flippers on their feet. Homburg im Saarland were attired as white swans and Rüsselsheim am Main as black geese. On the whistle, the team had to waddle down a set of steps and then around a concourse in order to reach the smaller of the two outside pools. After entering the pool, the team then had to zigzag their way through three high hurdles. Each hurdle had 5 water-filled balloons hanging from it and these had to be burst by pins attached to the birds’ beaks. After reaching the end of the pool, the teams had to make their return journey in the same manner, bursting any balloons missed on the outward journey. If any of the hurdles were knocked down, the team had to replace them in their original position before continuing. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was another very straightforward game and although it was a close race on the outward journey, Rüsselsheim am Main suffered a mishap whilst negotiating the third hurdle and it toppled into the pool. At this point, the majority of the team were still negotiating it and very quickly repositioned it. However, with the three lead competitors now on the return journey, it was left to the fourth competitor to burst the final two balloons on the hurdle. In his haste, he inadvertently knocked the hurdle over and it toppled into the pool and sank to the bottom. With none of his team-mates around to assist him, he had to jump out of his costume into the pool to retrieve it. This error lost the team valuable time and the game overall with Homburg im Saarland crossing the finish line in 1 minute 59 seconds.

Game 5 - The Ship's Figurehead
(Schiffsaushänge)

The fifth game - ‘The Ship’s Figurehead’ (Schiffsaushänge) - was played in unison over four minutes duration and witnessed Rüsselsheim am Main presenting their Joker for play. The game was played at opposite ends of the pool and featured three male competitors from each team standing on a ship’s bow which had had its 10-piece figurehead removed. On the whistle, each of the competitors had to walk along the bowsprit and drop a piece of the figurehead into the pool below and then descend by a rope into the water. They then had to retrieve the pieces and climb a rope ladder to reach a small platform under the prow where the figurehead would be constructed. The pieces had to be slotted into place and held there with strips of Velcro which were attached to the inner side of each piece. The competitors then had to climb a smaller ladder to reach the starting point again. This process was then repeated until all 10 pieces (six for the torso and two each for the face and arms) of the figurehead were in position. The team completing the game in the faster time and with all the pieces in their correct positions would be declared the winners.

Although this was a closely fought race, it appeared that Rüsselsheim am Main had the game sewn up until the first of the arms, which had not been secured correctly, dropped into the water. This mishap permitted Homburg im Saarland to take the lead and finish the game in 3 minutes 1 second followed by Rüsselsheim am Main in 3 minutes 21 seconds.

In addition to this being Homburg im Saarland's fourth consecutive victory, the team had also nullified the Rüsselsheim am Main Joker and were now leading by 6pts.

Intermission

The intermission featured Hans Römer und die Wasser Clowns (Hans Römer and the Water Clowns) providing some slapstick fun from the diving boards and poolside. It was accompanied by the Jerry Herman penned theme music to the 20th Century Fox film Hello Dolly, which was released in 1969 and was directed by Gene Kelly and starred Barbra Streisand and Walther Matthau).

The latter part of the display saw members of the troupe re-enacting a supposed scene from the cult British ABC (Associated British Corporation) TV series The Avengers starring Patrick Macnee (1922-2015) and Diana Rigg (1938-2020). Römer, dressed as John Steed, the lead character of the series, is seen shooting members of his team who consequently fell into the pool. Just to create an illusion, the oldest of the troupe at 56 years of age was disguised as a cameraman and after being ‘shot in error’ by Römer, fell into the pool with television camera in tow. This section of the show was accompanied by The Avengers theme music, which was written by Laurie Johnson (1927-2024).

Game 6 - The Floating Bridge
(Die Schwimmbrücke)

The sixth game - ‘The Floating Bridge’ (Die Schwimmbrücke) - was played in unison over three minutes duration and featured two male competitors from each team armed with a large furled rubber carpet attached to one side of the pool and a shoal of 20 fish in a net on the other side. On the whistle, the competitors had to enter the pool and then unfurl the carpet as they made their way to the other side. Once across, they then had to attach the carpet to the large taut net which contained the shoal of fish and then each competitor collected a fish and transported it back to the start by means of the carpet ‘bridge’. The game then had to be repeated throughout with the competitors utilising the carpet in both directions. The team collecting the greater number of fish would be declared the winners.

From the outset of this straightforward game, Rüsselsheim am Main appeared to be the more adept of the two teams and they finished the game with a total of 8 fish whilst Homburg im Saarland had only collected a total of 6 fish.

Game 7 - The Newly-Weds
(Die Neuvermählten)

The seventh game - ‘The Newly-Weds’ (Die Neuvermählten) - was played in unison over five minutes duration and featured two competitors (one male and one female) from each team attired in bride and groom’s full morning wear. On the whistle, the male competitor had to remove his top hat and hand it to a stagehand. He then had to dive into the pool and swim 50m (164ft) to the other end to meet his bride. Once he arrived at the pool’s edge, he then had to exit the pool whilst three male team-mates placed a polystyrene grand piano with a raised lid into the water. The female competitor then had to step onto the piano whilst he loaded up the piano with 20 items of furniture - comprising six paintings, four armchairs, a standard lamp, a grandfather clock, a crib, three large chests, an ottoman, a large straw basket and a garden table and chair - which would be needed for their new home. Once everything was on board, he had to push the piano away from the poolside and jump into the pool. He then had to transport everything to the other end, and once both competitors were out of the pool and on the poolside, he had to place the top hat back on his head to finish the game. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

From the outset, Rüsselsheim am Main took full command of this unusually designed game, even though their female competitor fell into the pool and had to climb back onto the piano before continuing. With the performance of Homburg im Saarland not giving them any cause for concern, they completed the game in 4 minutes 12 seconds.

Game 8 - The Astronauts
(Die Astronauten)

The eighth game - ‘The Astronauts’ (Die Astronauten) - was played in unison over two minutes duration and witnessed Homburg im Saarland presenting their Joker for play. The game featured a male competitor from each team, supposedly dressed as an astronaut, armed with a paddle and a unique piece of equipment. At the start of the game, the competitor was standing on the poolside and in the water in front of him was a classic saucer-shaped alien spacecraft. On top of the craft, there was a small circular podium on castors which turned independently. On the whistle, the competitor had to step onto the podium and then paddle his way down the length of the pool and, after circumnavigating a pole, return to the start in the same manner. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The competitors were given the signal to start with Homburg im Saarland taking immediate control of the game and reaching the turnaround point, a few metres ahead of Rüsselsheim am Main. However, the momentum used to reach this point had caused their competitor to overshoot the course and this permitted Rüsselsheim am Main to make up the lost ground and start the return journey ahead of Homburg im Saarland. The first 30m (98ft 6in) of this return leg saw a neck and neck race and it appeared that Rüsselsheim am Main would nullify their rivals’ Joker. However, a final burst of speed by Homburg im Saarland saw them finish the game in 1 minute 11 seconds followed by Rüsselsheim am Main in 1 minute 12 seconds. Despite the result appearing quite clear cut on-screen, there was a long four minutes wait for the official announcement whilst the three referees deliberated amongst themselves. Referee Kurt Hauser then confirmed that Homburg im Saarland had won the game.

Game 9 - The Trapeze Artiste
(Das Trapezkünstler)

The ninth and penultimate game - ‘The Trapeze Artiste’ (Das Trapezkünstler) - was played individually over two minutes duration and featured a male competitor from each team on a trapeze hanging upside-down by his knees. In front of him in the pool was a male team-mate with a number of footballs, whilst behind him was a large board with a circular goal cut out in the centre. After being pulled up by a rope to a 90° angle position by a stagehand, he then had to release himself and the whistle was blown. On his forward swing, the competitor had to catch a football thrown by his team-mate and on the backward swing he had to attempt to score a goal. If the momentum of the swing decreased, the competitor could return to the classic swing position to achieve more speed, before returning to his playing position and continuing. The team scoring the greater number of goals would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Homburg im Saarland and they scored a respectable total of 13 goals.

The second heat featured Rüsselsheim am Main and they were determined to close the deficit on the scoreboard and emulated their target and scored a total of 18 goals.

Game 10 - The Giant Skis
(Die Riesigen Ski)

The tenth and final game - ‘The Giant Skis’ (Die Riesigen Ski) - featured five male competitors from each team standing in two giant floating paddle skis which were designed in such a manner to allow water to penetrate inside and make the team’s task more demanding. On the whistle, the team was permitted to push itself free from the poolside and then it was a simple case of ‘walking on water’ up the 20m (65ft 7½in) course to the finish line. The team completing the course in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Although it was a closely-fought race, the Homburg im Saarland quintet were ahead throughout the game and finished in 2 minutes 2 seconds followed by Rüsselsheim am Main in 2 minutes 40 seconds.

Final Scores and Positions: 1st Homburg im Saarland (4pts awarded / Double Points Game / 16pts total) 2nd Rüsselsheim am Main (0pts / 8pts)

Comments: Whilst the competitors battled it out in the water, presenter Camillo Felgen explained to the audiences on-site and at home that should the contest end in a draw at 12-12, the deciding game would be a tug-o-war in water! Unfortunately, the assembled audience was denied this spectacle when Homburg im Saarland were declared the winners of the game.

Made in B/W • This programme exists in German archives

D

Spiel Ohne Grenzen 1968

Heat 4

Event Staged: Saturday 18th May 1968
Venue: Sportanlage (Sports Ground), Carl-Diem-Straße (Carl Diem Street),
Troisdorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen, West Germany

Transmission:
WDR 1 (D): Saturday 18th May 1968, 3.45-5.00pm (Live)

Referees on Duty:
Guido Pancaldi and assistants Hans Ebersberger and Helmut Konrad

Weather Conditions:
Sunny with a Strong Breeze

Theme: Human Strength (Menschliche Stärke)

Teams: Landau in der Pfalz v. Troisdorf

Team Members included:
Landau in der Pfalz - Heinz Wensal (Team Coach), Karl Bocker (Team Captain / Physician), Wolfgang Burgmeier, Federic Destier, Margarita Kleiner, Günther Rümmel, Paul Westermann, Wolfgang Zunick;
Troisdorf - Karl Heimers (Team Coach / Team Captain), Dieter Ksyk (Co-Assistant Team Coach), Werner Ming (Co-Assistant Team Coach), Carola Antweiler (Reserve), Walter Gerecke, Leo Pöppel, Hanno Rheineck, Karl-Josef Schlimgen, Hansi Tafel, Kurt Unglaube, Christian Uzunoff, Franz Günter Weiß, Friedhelm Zimmermann, Fritz Zimmermann.

Games: The Ramming Carts, Around the Clock, The Giant Snails’ Race, The Foot Tablet, A String of Pearls, Head Work, The Giant Jellyfish, The Stilt Walkers, The Australian Kangaroos, The Wheeled Centipedes.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd

 L • Landau in der Pfalz ● ●
 T • Troisdorf

15
11

Landau in der Pfalz qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Vigevano, Italy:
staged on Wednesday 31st July 1968

The Host Town

Troisdorf, Nordrhein-Westfalen

Troisdorf is a town of around 77,000 inhabitants in the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen. It is located 10km (6 miles) north-east of the former capital city (West Germany) of Bonn, 19km (12 miles) south-east of Köln, 47km (29 miles) east of Düren and 61km (38 miles) west of Siegen.

Industrialisation began in the early 19th century with the construction of an alum works in Spich in 1815, the Claren bell foundry in Sieglar in 1816 and the iron works on the banks of the River Sieg in 1825. This was followed in 1887 by the construction of a detonator and explosives factory in Troisdorf, which subsequently became Dynamit-Nobel AG.

At the end of World War II (1939-1945), the residents of Altenrath were able to move back to the town, having been forced to make way for an expansion of the German army's drill ground in 1938. The town, which at the time comprised just seven districts, was elevated to city status in 1952 and, following the reorganisation of local government boundaries on 1st August 1969, it was merged with the township of Sieglar and the villages of Altenrath and Friedrich-Wilhelms-Hütte. Although present-day Troisdorf comprises 12 distinct districts - Altenrath, Bergheim, Eschmar, Friedrich-Wilhelms-Hütte, Kriegsdorf, Müllekoven, Oberlar, Rotter See, Sieglar, Spich, West and Troisdorf itself, it was not until 1999, that the city council passed a resolution to add the districts of Rotter See and West.

The town has a population of predominantly Christian belief, consisting of Roman Catholics, Protestants and Baptists, along with an influx of migrants of Islamic, Orthodox Christian and Jewish faiths. Troisdorf is one of the few cities in Germany with a mosque complete with an actual minaret built for the local Islamic community. It is home to about 9,600 foreign nationals, the two most numerous foreign national groups being Turks and Greeks. On 4th June 1972, the first advisory council for foreign citizens in Germany was founded in the town. In the years following the Peaceful Revolution and German reunification of 1989/1990, many migrants from Russia and other East European countries have settled here.

For over 30 years, a parliament for foreign nationals has given foreigners living in Troisdorf an opportunity to exert an influence in local politics. People from over 100 nations live here.

The town’s landmark is Burg Wissem which is set amidst beautiful scenery. The historic castle is a popular destination for the whole family and dates from 1474 when it was originally part of a nobleman’s estate. It was a castle complex and fortification enclosed by a moat and the ancestral seat of the masters of Troisdorf (Truhtesdorf). Today it is home to three museums, one which is dedicated entirely to picture-books.

The Visiting Town

Landau in der Pfalz is a town with a population of around 47,000 inhabitants in the state of Rheinland-Pfalz and is located 193km (120 miles) south-east of Troisdorf.

The Venue

Sportanlage (Sports Ground), Carl-Diem-Straße (Carl Diem Street)

The games were played on the sports ground used for training by local football club SSV (Spiel und Sportverien) 1905 Troisdorf.

Unfortunately very little information about this venue is available for research.

The Games in Detail

Introduction

At the start of the programme, presenter Camillo Felgen spoke with the teams and enquired of the Landau in der Pfalz team captain as to his prediction of the result. He calmly stated 14-10 in his team’s favour which was met with some mild jeering from the home side crowd. Moving over to the Troisdorf team captain and posing the same question, he replied by stating that his team would also be winning the contest 14-10. This was met with laughter and loud applause. Only history would show which predicted the correct outcome.

Game 1 - The Ramming Carts
(Die Stampfwagen)

The first game - ‘The Ramming Carts’ (Die Stampfwagen) - was played in unison over three minutes duration and featured three male competitors from each team standing on a large eight-wheeled vehicle which was not only unusual in design, but also had a unique method of propulsion. Sitting on the four axles of the vehicle was a large board and three-quarters of the along its length, above the third axle, was a 2m (6ft 6½in) wooden wall with some large prongs on top. On the whistle, the team had to ‘walk’ the vehicle down the 80m (262ft 5½in) course by utilising potential energy. In order to achieve this, the three competitors had to walk along the board towards the wall at a slow pace and then run back to the rear of the vehicle. The energy produced by their backward travel would then be transferred into the vehicle below and result in the vehicle moving forward. This had to be repeated throughout the game. As the team moved down the course they had to pass under two ‘tunnels’ of 10 water-filled balloons which had to be burst by the prongs on top of the wall. Any balloons not burst would each incur a penalty of 5 seconds. The team completing the course in the faster overall time would be declared the winners.

Although this was a fairly straightforward game, there was a certain magic to its design and was a joy to watch. Troisdorf finished the course in 2 minutes 37 seconds but had failed to burst 14 of their balloons and would in theory have given them a total time of 3 minutes 37 seconds (2 minutes 37 seconds + 60 seconds [14 x 5]). However, Landau in der Pfalz failed to cross the line within the time permitted and therefore the number of balloons not burst was not taken into consideration.

Game 2 - Around the Clock
(Um die Uhr)

The second game - ‘Around the Clock’ (Um die Uhr) - was played in unison and scheduled for three minutes duration but ended almost as soon as it had begun, after equipment failure deemed the game to be declared null and void. It featured two male competitors from each team on a training bike with the pedals connected by a chain to a giant clock showing the time of 1200hrs. On the whistle, the two competitors had to pedal the bicycle in order to turn the minute hand of the clock. Each team had to make twelve revolutions of the dial, in theory moving the clock forward by 12 hours. The team completing the game in the faster time or the one turning the hands the greater distance (i.e. showing the latter time) within the permitted time, would be declared the winners.

Although it was simple in design, the game did not go as planned and after just 24 seconds of elapsed time, the equipment used by Troisdorf suffered a malfunction with the pedal mechanism. The game was stopped by the referees so that they could assess the situation. After a short deliberation, they declared that one of the pedals of the bicycle had snapped and, as it could not be repaired within a reasonable time, the game would be declared null and void. With Troisdorf leading at the point of stoppage, their clock showing 1410hrs as opposed to 1355hrs for Landau in der Pfalz, this decision clearly riled the assembled home crowd and they reacted by directing derision at the referees.

Game 3 - The Giant Snails' Race
(Die Riesenschnecken Rennen)

The third game - ‘The Giant Snails’ Race’ (Die Riesenschnecken Rennen) - was played in unison and witnessed Landau in der Pfalz presenting their Joker for play. The game featured a male competitor from each team lying face down in a giant snail costume which was mounted on wheels. On the whistle, the competitor had to move down a 75m (246ft) zigzagging course by digging small ski poles into the ground, pulling the vehicle forward and then repeating the process. During the execution of the game, the competitor had to also burst 24 balloons laid out on either side of the course. After crossing a specified line, the competitor then had to travel a further 3m (9ft 10½in) in order to burst a final balloon. Any balloons that were not burst would each incur a penalty of 5 seconds. The team completing the course in the faster overall time would be declared the winners.

A straightforward game saw Landau in der Pfalz completing the course in 58 seconds and Troisdorf finishing in 1 minute 4 seconds. With both teams deemed to have burst all their balloons, there were no penalties to be added.

Game 4 - The Foot Tablet
(Der Fuß Tablette)

The fourth game - ‘The Foot Tablet’ (Der Fuß Tablette) - was played in unison and featured a male competitor from each team standing in the middle of a large circular wooden tablet which had twelve plant pots filled with water weighing 1kg (2lb 3¼oz) each arranged around its circumference. The tablet with the pots had a total weight of 20kg (44lb 1½oz) and was designed in a way that one foot was in a boot attached to the tablet whilst the other could walk freely. On the whistle, the competitor had to move the tablet forward and up the 80m (262ft 5½in) course by sliding it with the booted foot and then moving the unfettered foot one pace forward and then repeating the process. Any plant displaced during the game would incur a penalty of 10 seconds each. The team completing the game in the faster overall time would be declared the winners.

The game started with Troisdorf picking up a steady rhythm and with it edged further ahead throughout and crossed the finish line in 1 minute 39 seconds. Landau in der Pfalz moved at a slower pace and crossed the line in exactly two minutes. However in his haste, the Troisdorf competitor had lost 6 pots along the way and incurred 60 seconds (6 x 10) in penalties, giving them an overall time of 2 minutes 39 seconds. Landau in the Pfalz on the other hand, had played the game more tactfully and, although having a slower time, had not incurred any penalties.

Game 5 - A String of Pearls
(Eine Kette von Perlen)

The fifth game - ‘A String of Pearls’ (Eine Kette von Perlen) - was played individually over three minutes duration and witnessed Troisdorf presenting their Joker for play. The game featured three male competitors from each team and a course with a scaled down ski slope at one end and a much sharper 60° degree ramp at the other. At the top of the ski slope, there were 15 large polystyrene pearls of alternating colours threaded through a rope which had been knotted at the bottom and which was hanging down from a wooden beam. Before the whistle was blown, the rope had to be untied at the bottom and held secure by one of the competitors in order that the pearls did not fall off. On the whistle, the first two competitors removed pearls and then handed the rope to the third competitor to hold and then ran down the ski slope and up the ramp to a similar rope and threaded the pearls on to it. The second competitor had to hold the rope whilst his team-mate ran back to the start to release the third competitor. He then ran with a pearl to the ramp to release the second competitor who then repeated the process. The team completing the string of pearls in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this entertaining game saw the participation of Landau in der Pfalz and they completed the game without mishap in 2 minutes 12 seconds.

The second heat featured Troisdorf and by the halfway mark they were 2 seconds faster than their rivals. The tension mounted as the clock ticked by and reached the two-minute mark, but the team held their nerve and completed the game in 2 minutes 9 seconds.

Game 6 - Head Work
(Kopfarbeiten)

The sixth game - ‘Head Work’ (Kopfarbeiten) - was played individually over three minutes duration and featured four male competitors from each team playing basketball. However, there was a difference from the normal rules of the sport in that the competitors had to keep the ball aloft by only using their head. On the whistle, one of the competitors threw a ball into the air and attempted to head it into a basketball net. If successful, the second competitor located underneath the basket would then head it back into the air towards one of the other two competitors who, keeping it aloft at all times, had to transport it a short distance to another basketball net to score a goal. This process then had to be repeated throughout the game. Once a goal had been scored, the ball descended a large net onto an incline leading to a holding pen which then displayed all the successful goals. The team scoring the greater number of goals would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Landau in der Pfalz and they were officially recorded as having scored 10 goals by referee Guido Pancaldi.

The second heat featured Troisdorf but they were less adept in their heading skills and could only manage to score 3 goals.

Intermission

The intermission featured four of the competing teams’ coaches, bürgermeisters and dignitaries competing in a ‘just-for-fun’ game, driving children’s mini electric cars. The idea was for them to drive up a small course, around a pole and collect a flag from a tin and return to the start line. For no clear reason, the game was accompanied by the music of I Could Have Danced All Night written by Frederick Loewe (1901-1988) and Alan Jay Lerner (1918-1986) for the stage musical My Fair Lady in 1956. Although played for fun, referee Guido Pancaldi stated that the Landau in der Pfalz ‘team’ had finished in 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 7th places (a total of 13pts) and the Troisdorf ‘team’ had finished in 4th, 5th, 6th and 8th places (a total of 23pts) and therefore Landau in der Pfalz were declared winners as they had accumulated the lowest number of points based on their finishing positional order.

Game 7 - The Giant Jellyfish
(Die Riesige Quallen)

The seventh game - ‘The Giant Jellyfish’ (Die Riesige Quallen) - was played in unison over four minutes duration and featured four male competitors from each team and two very large jellyfish costumes. On the whistle, the competitors had to pick up a maximum of six buckets of water and place them on top of the flattened head of the jellyfish. The jellyfish then had to be lifted up by two of the competitors in order for the other two to crawl under and inside. Once inside, they had to maintain the height of the jellyfish whilst their team-mates joined them. The jellyfish then had to be transported down a 75m (246ft) straight course by following a white line marked out on the ground to reach a circle at the end. On completion of this section, the competitors had to get out from under the jellyfish in the same manner, but in reverse, and empty the contents from the buckets (if any) into a rectangular Perspex container marked with centimetre graduations. The jellyfish then had to be returned to the start in the same manner as the outward journey and the process repeated. The team collecting the greater amount of water would be declared the winners.

This well-costumed game, from the ingenious mind of designer Willi Steinberg, saw both teams suffer a mishap when raising and lowering their jellyfish with several buckets of water falling to the ground. However at the end of the game, the total volumes of water collected were revealed and the teams were separated by just 1cm (½in) of water. Troisdorf had filled their container with water to a height of 55cm (21¾in) whilst Landau in der Pfalz had only collected sufficient water to fill their container to the 54cm (21¼in) mark on the graduated scale.

Game 8 - The Stilt Walkers
(Die Steltzengänger)

The eighth game - ‘The Stilt Walkers’ (Die Steltzengänger) - was played in unison over two return journeys of the course and was a test of balance and pure stamina. It featured two male competitors from each team on wooden stilts from each team and a 100m (328ft) meandering course comprising eight ski gates, two seesaws and two low hurdles. On the whistle, the competitors had to walk along the course passing the different obstacles whilst on the stilts. On their approach to each of the two low hurdles, the competitors had to cross a white line and then dismount and crouch down to pass underneath. Once completed, they then had to mount the stilts again before crossing a second white line, and then continue. At the end of the course, the competitors had to turn around and traverse the course in the opposite direction. Once they had returned to the start line, the second competitor had to repeat the process. The team completing the two return journeys in the faster time would be declared the winners.

From the outset, Landau in der Pfalz got the better start and led the game throughout, completing the first return journey in 2 minutes 19 seconds, nine seconds ahead of Troisdorf in 2 minutes 28 seconds. However, the second Troisdorf competitor was faster and more agile on the stilts than his rival and, after closing the deficit to just five seconds at the turnaround point, it appeared that he would overhaul the opposition on the final return journey. But fate was to deal the team a cruel blow when he knocked the top of the final hurdle from its holdings and was delayed whilst resetting it. Landau in der Pfalz completed the game in 4 minutes 30 seconds and Troisdorf in 4 minutes 43 seconds.

Game 9 - The Australian Kangaroos
(Die Australischen Känguruhs)

The ninth and penultimate game - ‘The Australian Kangaroos’ (Die Australischen Känguruhs) - was played in unison and featured two male competitors from each team dressed in kangaroo costumes and, whilst it was simplistic in design, stood out as having one of the most exciting finishes of the competition. On the whistle, the competitors had to move along the course and, at given points, pick up a total of 15 small balls (3 sets of 4 balls and a final set of 3 balls) from the ground and put them into the pouch of the marsupial. However, this could only be achieved by positioning the balls between the two giant feet of one of the kangaroos and then being flipped upwards to be caught in the pouch by his team-mate. After collecting all 15 balls, the competitors had to cross a line and then race back to the start. Any balls they remained uncollected would each incur a 5-second penalty. The team completing the course in the faster overall time would be declared the winners.

Although the teams chose totally different methods of picking up the balls - Landau in der Pfalz opting to stand upright and flipping the balls high whilst Troisdorf opted to kneel down on the ground and use smaller flips - it was a very closely-fought race. Incredibly, both teams reached the turnaround point at the exact same time and it was just a matter to see which team could return to the start line first. The Troisdorf competitors had a little ‘trick up their sleeve’, and returned to the start walking backwards, thus avoiding any chance of the long feet of the costume tripping them up. This gave them the edge and they took the lead, but on seeing this tactic, their rivals then did the same. However, by this point the Troisdorf team had opened enough of a gap and completed the game in 2 minutes 4 seconds followed by Landau in der Pfalz in 2 minutes 6 seconds. With both teams collecting the required number of balls neither incurred a penalty.

Game 10 - The Wheeled Centipedes
(Die Radfahr Tausendfüßlern)

The tenth and final game - ‘The Wheeled Centipedes’ (Die Radfahr Tausendfüßlern) - would ultimately decide the competition with 4pts being awarded to the winners. The game featured five male competitors from each team sitting on a twelve-wheeled go-kart which had to be pushed and steered manually around the same course as used in the eighth game, although on this occasion it was only through the ski gates and under the low hurdles. The first of the competitors was sitting in a go-kart whilst the second competitor sat behind him on a wheeled-axle with his feet strapped to the back of the kart to connect the two together. The third competitor was connected to the second competitor’s axle in the same way and this was also the case with the fourth to the third and the fifth to the fourth. In order to move along the meandering course, the competitors had to use their hands to turn the wheels and their feet to guide the axles. The team completing the game in the faster time would not only be declared the winners of the game, but of the competition outright.

From the outset, the teams were virtually neck and neck, but gradually the Landau in der Pfalz team opened up a slight advantage, which they were able to maintain throughout the remainder of the game and crossed the finish line in 1 minute 16 seconds. Troisdorf, despite all their efforts and encouragement from the home crowd, crossed the line in 1 minute 23 seconds.

Final Scores and Positions: 1st Landau in der Pfalz (4pts awarded / Double Points Game / 15pts total) 2nd Troisdorf (0pts / 11pts) ▼

Presenters, Officials and Production Team

Series referee Kurt Hauser was unable to attend this heat and Jeux Sans Frontières and occasional Spiel Ohne Grenzen referee Guido Pancaldi stepped in to officiate on his behalf.

For the first time, the credits at the end of this programme officially acknowledged Willi Steinberg as the games designer of the West German Domestic and International programmes.

Returning Teams and Competitors

In attendance at this heat were all the members of the Bardenberg team, the current holders (at the time) of the Jeux Sans Frontières Golden Trophy. The team had been specially invited to watch this heat.

Reunions

Troisdorf

Fifty years on, and despite their defeat, many of the surviving members of the Troisdorf team met up for a celebratory reunion at the Rathaus (Town Hall) on 21st May 2018. Even after all that time, it seemed as if they hadn't quite got over their loss to Landau in der Pfalz. Troisdorf team member Fritz Zimmerman (76) allowed himself a little smile as he told a General-Anzeiger reporter that, "We would have won if we'd had artificial turf back then."

The opinion appeared to have been commonly held that fate had been against the Troisdorf team when the day came. The competition was close-run and team member Hanno Rheineck (75) pointed to two crucial events which contributed to the team's defeat. First, an equipment failure occurred on Game 2 - 'Around the Clock' - when a pedal on a fixed bicycle broke off while the Troisdorf team was leading on the game. The game was abandoned and the 2pts, which seemed destined have gone to Troisdorf, were shared. Then, on the next game - 'The Giant Snails' Race' - the Landau in der Pfalz competitor lost his snail's head, giving him the advantage of a better view than Troisdorf's Franz Günter Weiß, who consequently crossed the finish line six seconds adrift.

The reunion was made possible by Hanno Rheineck, who organised the meeting at the invitation of the City Sports Association. Along with Rheineck himself, the get-together was attended by others who had been part of the team, including Walter Gerecke, Karl-Josef 'Charly' Schlimgen, Hansi Tafel, Kurt Unglaube, Christian Uzunoff, Franz Günter Weiß and Fritz Zimmermann. Also present was Carola Antweiler, who had been part of the squad of 30 but was not chosen to be among the 25 who competed on the day. "I was ultimately replaced by a Bundeswehr soldier," said Antweiler. Of course, many others were not present, and among those absentees, the coaching team of Karl Heimers, Dieter Ksyk and Werner Meng - all of whom had passed away - were remembered.

The former team mates revealed that they had applied to be a part of the Troisdorf squad after letters had been sent out to various sports clubs in the city and announcements had been made in the regional press. From a total of 70 applications, 30 were chosen for the squad, with an age range of 17 to 35 (the eldest was Walter Gerecke). They trained intensively for three weeks prior to their Spiel Ohne Grenzen Domestic heat and got to practice on mock-up replicas of the real games, as Karl-Josef Schlimgen recalled: "We had received photos of the devices and had a building yard make them for us so that we could practice."

Additional Information

At the end of the programme whilst presenter Camillo Felgen was conversing with the losing dignitary of Troisdorf, a helicopter flew past and dropped hundreds of flags, similar to those used in the intermission game, onto the floor of the arena. The reason for this was unclear and unexplained.

Made in B/W • This programme exists in German archives

D

Spiel Ohne Grenzen 1968

Heat 5

Event Staged: Saturday 25th May 1968
Venue: Freibades (Open-Air Swimming Pools),
Hiesfeld, Dinslaken, Nordrhein-Westfalen, West Germany

Transmission:
WDR 1 (D): Saturday 25th May 1968, 4.00-5.15pm (Live)

Referees on Duty:
Kurt Hauser and assistants Peter Hochrath and Helmut Konrad

Weather Conditions:
Sunny and Warm

Theme: All at Sea (Alles auf See)

Teams: Dinslaken v. Osterholz-Scharmbeck

Team Members included:
Osterholz-Scharmbeck - Heinrich Hallfeldt (Co-Team Coach), Karl-Wilhelm Herlinghaus (Co-Team Coach), Hans Lucht (Co-Team Coach), Heikel Cordet, Erhard Cronjäger, Thomas Dürler, Jorgen von Dursten, Frank Farbien, Hilga Gatsker, Karl Geldinger, Daniel Hofkletter, Walter Maran, Harold Rauchen, Claus von Rönn, Marie Stellien, Anna Schwau, Anna Verschach, Ingrid Wolfe.

Games: Poseidon and the Mermaid, The Aquatic Labyrinth, Log Rolling, The Water Balls, The Seahorse Jousters, The Floating Carpet, Flotsam and Jetsam, The Crocodiles, Swing for the Ring, The Paddle Cycles.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd

 O-S • Osterholz-Scharmbeck ● ●
 D • Dinslaken

20
2

Osterholz-Scharmbeck qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Harrogate, Great Britain:
staged on Wednesday 14th August 1968

The Host Town

Dinslaken, Nordrhein-Westfalen

Dinslaken is a town with a population of around 68,000 inhabitants in the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen. It is located 22km (14 miles) north-west of Essen, 27km (17 miles) north-east of Krefeld, 32km (20 miles) west of Recklinghausen and 42km (26 miles) south-east of Goch.

The beginning of Dinslaken was simply a ‘motte’, a timber castle with ramparts on a hill surrounded by a moat, which stood on the site of the present town. The name Dinslaken was taken from the number of standing or still ponds called Laken, which were around the town until the 1950s. In the 12th century, the town was mentioned in a book of the monastery built next to the lake in the town of Hiesfeld. At the same time, a fort was constructed and enlarged to a castle in 1420, which would later be used as a ‘witches’ prison. In 1273, the town received town rights from Dietrich VII, Count of Cleves (1256-1305), which was extended to market (trading) rights in 1478. In 1540, Dinslaken joined the Hanseatic League, a commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and their market towns that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe.

On the 1st July 1917, the northern part of the former town of Hiesfeld was incorporated into Dinslaken. The town was further enlarged on 1st January 1975 under the Gebietsreform, the Local Government Reform Act 1974, when the villages of Eppinghoven and Walsum were incorporated.

The town is today best known for its harness horse racetrack, its wealthy neighbourhoods of Hiesfeld and Eppinghoven and its now closed coal mine in Lohberg.

The Visiting Town

Osterholz-Scharmbeck is a town with a population of around 31,000 inhabitants in the state of Niedersachsen and is located 232km (144 miles) north-east of Dinslaken.

The Venue

Freibades (Open-Air Swimming Pools)

The games were played in the open-air swimming pools located in the east of Dinslaken in the district of Hiesfeld.

It was constructed in the 1930s and was originally 75m (246ft) in length and comprised a 50m (164ft) pool accommodating those with the more competitive spirit and a smaller 25m (82ft) shallow pool for non-swimmers and families. The southern end of the pool was surrounded by a wall of locker rooms whilst the lawns on the eastern side were used by lounging bathers to soak up the sun and to enjoy home-made food alfresco. Due to ever-rising costs, and the tendency in the mid-1970s for sun-seekers to venture to pastures new on package tours, the pool’s popularity in the summer declined and it was deemed too expensive to maintain in its present form. To that end, the diving boards and all the locker rooms were removed and the southern end of the pool was filled-in, concreted over and utilised as a storage area and overspill car park.

With the pool having been reduced to a length of just 25m (82ft) - less than half its impressive original size - it was relaunched as a family-friendly location. However, despite these changes, the pool's fortunes did not sufficiently improve. It failed to attract visitors in large numbers and it never again enjoyed the popularity of its glory days.

In the 2010s, it was decided that, due to a further decline in attendance levels, the pool would be closed. Since then it has been left abandoned for nature to reclaim the site. A sad end to a once magnificent place of leisure!

The Games in Detail

Introduction

During his opening introductions, presenter Camillo Felgen stated to the crowd that this was the fourth year of the series and that this edition was celebrating the 40th transmission on West German television under the Spiel Ohne Grenzen banner. This figure included this edition and all International and Domestic programmes since 1965 and comprised 9 JSF 1965 + 13 JSF 1966 + 13 (6 SOG + 7 JSF) 1967 + 5 SOG 1968.

Game 1 - Poseidon and the Mermaid
(Poseidon und die Nixe)

The first game - ‘Poseidon and the Mermaid’ (Poseidon und die Nixe) - was the first of three consecutive games to be played in the main pool. It was played in unison and featured a male competitor from each team dressed as Poseidon (God of the Sea in Greek mythology) armed with a four-pronged trident (!) standing on a diving board at one end of the pool and a female competitor dressed as a mermaid at the other. On the whistle, the male competitor had to hurl his trident into the pool and then dive in to collect the weapon and then swim the remainder of the 50m (164ft) to reach his mermaid. Both competitors then had to swim back to the start of the game and the team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Although the game was straightforward and very closely-fought, Dinslaken led from the start but were cruelly denied victory in the final seconds of the game when they were overtaken a few metres from the finish line by Osterholz-Scharmbeck. The official times were declared with Osterholz-Scharmbeck finishing in 2 minutes 15 seconds and Dinslaken, just three seconds behind, in 2 minutes 18 seconds.

Game 2 - The Aquatic Labyrinth
(Der Wasserlabyrinth)

The second game - ‘The Aquatic Labyrinth’ (Der Wasserlabyrinth) - was played individually and was a simple but ingenious game from the mind of designer Willi Steinberg. It featured two male competitors from each team and a floating labyrinth of pontoon-style bridges laid from one side of the pool to the other. On the whistle, the competitors had to cross from one side to the other. However, the competitors had to wear blindfolds and shuffle their way around the labyrinth by virtue of remembering the course beforehand and using their feet as guides along the edges. Competitors that fell into the water were able to climb back on board the bridges and continue. Once both of the team had reached the end of the course, the second competitor had to reach above his head to ring a bell to complete the game. The team finishing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Osterholz-Scharmbeck and they completed the course without any major mishap in 2 minutes 21 seconds.

The second heat featured Dinslaken who had had a slight advantage of having more time to memorise the layout. Although they ended up in the water on more occasions than their rivals, it was apparent that the additional time to memorise the layout had assisted them and both competitors completed the course in 2 minutes 8 seconds.

Game 3 - Log Rolling
(Rollen die Log)

The third game - ‘Log Rolling’ (Rollen die Log) - was played in unison over a 48m (157ft 6¾in) course by two male competitors from each team and featured two giant floating rollers and two 55m (180ft 5½in) lengths of rope. On the whistle, the two competitors had to each pick up one end of a rope, which was attached to the far end of the pool, and then stand on the individual rollers. It was then a straightforward race to pull themselves to the other end of the pool.

The Dinslaken team got off to the better start and held the lead throughout the game. Osterholz-Scharmbeck suffered a mishap 5m (16ft 4¾in) from the finish line when their lead competitor lost his footing and slipped from his roller. It now appeared that Dinslaken had the game sewn up. However in his haste, the lead competitor dismounted his roller 10cm (4in) too early, something which triggered his team-mate to do the same. The referees ruled that they both had to get back on the rollers and complete the game. Osterholz-Scharmbeck witnessing their error, hastily headed towards the finish line, but a second mishap befell the team with both competitors tumbling into the pool. It was then a mad scramble as to which of the two teams could recompose themselves the fastest and complete the game. Unfortunately for the home crowd, victory was snatched from their grasp after their competitors failed to acquire their balance ahead of their rivals and this permitted Osterholz-Scharmbeck to cross the finish line in 1 minute 37 seconds and then diving into the pool. The Dinslaken duo finally crossed the line in 1 minute 49 seconds and raised their arms indicating that they believed they had still won the game. However, referee Kurt Hauser announced that Osterholz-Scharmbeck had adhered to all the rules and the times were upheld.

Game 4 - The Water Balls
(Die Wasserbälle)

The fourth game - ‘The Water Balls’ (Die Wasserbälle) - was played individually over three minutes duration in the smaller 25m (82ft) shallow pool and featured four male competitors standing in the pool wearing large polystyrene hemispherical costumes. On the whistle, a number of stagehands in the pool released 12 inflated beach balls and the competitors then had to work as a team to entrap them and transport them to the other side of the pool. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this very simple game saw the participation of Osterholz-Scharmbeck and they completed the game without mishap in just 50 seconds.

The second heat featured Dinslaken and it appeared at one point that they would in fact emulate the Osterholz-Scharmbeck time. However, their technique was not up to the standard of their rivals and, instead of encircling the balls as they had done, they held an almost perfect straight line and, as they picked up speed, this permitted a rogue ball to escape from their grasp. With 43 seconds already elapsed on the clock, there was very little time remaining for the team to recompose itself and, with further balls escaping, the team cut their losses and transported the remaining 8 balls to the pool’s edge in a time of 1 minute 26 seconds.

Game 5 - The Seahorse Jousters
(Die Seepferdchen Kämpfer)

The programme returned to the main pool for the fifth game - ‘The Seahorse Jousters’ (Die Seepferdchen Kämpfer) - which was played in unison over three scheduled rounds and had a total duration of five minutes. It was played above the pool and featured up to three male competitors from each team armed with a very long lance and sitting on the back of a large seahorse which was connected to a trapeze. On the whistle, the opposing competitors had to do battle in a jousting competition in which they had to hit a small target at the front of the creature. This then released a lever which unseated their opponent, dropping him into the pool below and scoring 1pt on the game. When this occurred, a second competitor climbed a rope and onto the trapeze whilst a stagehand fixed the lever back into place. The team with the greater points score would be declared the winners.

The game was started and after just 14 seconds of elapsed time, the Dinslaken competitor dropped into the water and Osterholz-Scharmbeck were leading 1-0 on the game. A stagehand moved in to reset the game but there appeared to be a malfunction with the lever on the Dinslaken seahorse. There was then a delay of 1 minute 49 seconds (the total permissible time continuing to elapse) whilst the malfunction was fixed. The second round went ahead and Osterholz-Scharmbeck increased their lead to 2-0 after displacing the Dinslaken competitor after 2 minutes 51 seconds. Although the final outcome of the game had now been established, the stagehand tried to reset the equipment once more. The clock ticked by for another 2 minutes 9 seconds whilst the stagehand continued in vain to rectify the problem. With elapsed time now having reached five minutes, the final whistle was blown. Osterholz-Scharmbeck were declared the winners by 2-0.

Intermission

With a swimming pool setting, it was only natural that there would be an aquatic display in the intermission. This was given by the Osnabrück Neptune Nixe (Osnabrück Neptune Mermaids) in a 4 minutes 35 seconds routine, choreographed by Asse Brincksmann. The sixteen swimmers had been booked to travel behind the Iron Curtain to appear in Moscow in the U.S.S.R. (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) later in the summer of 1968.

Game 6 - The Floating Carpet
(Die Schwebenden Teppich)

The sixth game - ‘The Floating Carpet’ (Die Schwebenden Teppich) - was played in unison and was the second to be played in the smaller pool and it was very straightforward in design. It featured three male competitors from each team with an inflated paddling pool filled with 40 balls and a 15m (49ft 2½in) netted carpet which had been stretched and anchored to both ends of the 25m (82ft) pool by wires. On the whistle, the team had to jump into the pool and get onto the carpet, which inevitably would sink under the weight of the competitors, and then walk along its length ensuring all the balls remained inside the inflated pool. At the other end of the carpet, the competitors had to get into the pool and walk the remaining 10m (32ft 9¾in) to the other side. A penalty of 5 seconds would be incurred for each ball not transported to the other side and the competitors had to remain on the carpet when moving forward. The team with the overall faster time would be declared the winners.

Although Dinslaken got the better start, Osterholz-Scharmbeck overcome the deficit and overtook them halfway across the carpet, finishing in a time of 1 minute 12 seconds. However, the assistant referees announced that whilst both teams had brought all the balls back intact, they had both breached the rules and had traversed part of the course off the carpet. Referee Kurt Hauser declared that both teams were disqualified and the game would not be counted.

Game 7 - Flotsam and Jetsam
(Treibgut und Strandgut)

The seventh game - ‘Flotsam and Jetsam’ (Treibgut und Strandgut) - was played in unison over four rounds and witnessed Dinslaken presenting their Joker for play. The game featured five male competitors from each team, with each round taking place over a distance of 50m (164ft). On the whistle, the first competitor had to dive from the springboard and swim the length of the pool. When he reached his goal, assistant referee Helmut Konrad would then signal to the next competitor to begin by lowering a flag. The second competitor, on the poolside, with a football attached to each of his arms and feet then had to dive in and swim the same length. The signal was then given for the start of the third and penultimate round, which featured two competitors, already located in the pool, attached to large floating platforms by their hands and feet. In order to move up the pool they had to adopt serpentine propulsion, pulling the front platform back whilst pulling the rear platform forward with their feet and then kicking back with their feet to gain forward motion and repeating the process. The fourth and final round saw the fifth competitor in a wooden barrel paddling the length of the pool with his arms, avoiding splashing water into the open top and sinking his vessel. Any competitor beginning their round before being signalled by the referee would incur a 5-second penalty. The team that completed the entire game in the faster overall time would be declared the winners.

The game began with a closely-fought race with Dinslaken touching the pool’s edge after 28 seconds of elapsed time, one second ahead of Osterholz-Scharmbeck. The second round saw Osterholz-Scharmbeck not only close this deficit, but they reached the end of the pool after 1 minute 20 seconds, two seconds ahead of Dinslaken. The third round would prove to be the longest and toughest of all the four and would ultimately decide the outcome of the game. Whilst Dinslaken struggled to make progress up the pool, Osterholz-Scharmbeck powered ahead and touched the pool’s edge after 3 minutes 29 seconds. From this point, they never looked back and whilst they took a further 1 minute 42 seconds to complete this round and the game overall, Dinslaken were just completing their third round in 5 minutes 21 seconds. The result was officially confirmed with Osterholz-Scharmbeck completing the game in 5 minutes 11 seconds and, in the process, nullified the Dinslaken Joker.

Game 8 - The Crocodiles
(Die Krokodile)

The eighth game - ‘The Crocodiles’ (Die Krokodile) - was the third and final game to be played in the smaller of the two pools. It was played in unison over three minutes duration and featured two male competitors from each team inside crocodile costumes which had open mouths and sharp teeth. In the pool, stagehands released 40 water-filled balloons (20 light-coloured and 20 dark-coloured) and on the whistle, the team had to move from the pool’s edge and burst their designated coloured balloons. Dinslaken were allotted the darker colour whilst Osterholz-Scharmbeck were given the lighter colour of the two. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This very straightforward game was closely-fought but saw Osterholz-Scharmbeck burst all their 20 balloons in 2 minutes 12 seconds at the exact time as the Dinslaken burst their penultimate balloon.

Game 9 - Swing for the Ring
(Schaukel für den Ring)

The ninth and penultimate game - ‘Swing for the Ring’ (Schaukel für den Ring) - was played individually over a duration of four minutes and witnessed Osterholz-Scharmbeck presenting their Joker for play. The game featured two male competitors from each team standing on a large swing above the pool. On one side of the game there were six inflated rings hanging from hooks and on the other side there were an equal number of empty hooks. On the whistle, the competitor had to get the swing in motion in order to transport the rings, one at a time, from one side to the other. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Dinslaken and, although they grabbed their first ring after 39 seconds, they failed to keep the swing moving horizontally and were observed swinging in all directions and unable to hang the ring on the other side until 1 minute 58 seconds had elapsed. A second ring was grabbed immediately but they suffered the same fate with their control of the swing, taking another 60 seconds to hook it on the other side. After knocking the third ring into the pool, the team successfully grabbed their next ring after 3 minutes 32 seconds and deposited it on the other side immediately. However, this was to be their last score as one of the competitors lost his footing on the swing, falling into the pool with just 15 seconds of play remaining. The official score for Dinslaken was confirmed as 3 rings.

The second heat featured Osterholz-Scharmbeck and they grabbed their first ring after 34 seconds and, unlike their rivals, kept the swing under control and deposited the ring on the other side after just 40 seconds. This was quickly followed by a second ring after 52 seconds of elapsed time and, with their third and fourth rings being deposited on hooks after 1 minute 4 seconds and 1 minute 17 seconds, respectively, the game in theory was over. However, the team continued playing and collected all the 6 rings in 2 minutes 15 seconds.

Game 10 - The Paddle Cycles
(Die Paddelzyklen)

The tenth and final game - ‘The Paddle Cycles’ (Die Paddelzyklen) - was played over five minutes duration and was, due to its length, clearly designed to be used as a deciding game should the scores have been level or closer than they actually were before the game began. It featured a male competitor from each team sitting on a quad-bike which had two large paddle wheels at the rear and two thinner wheels at the front. On the whistle, the competitor had to pedal his quad-bike up a 50m (164ft) course in order to park the vehicle in a ‘garage’ whilst at the same time breaking through a ribbon which was spread across its entrance. Once completed, the competitor had to repeat the course in the opposite direction, but on this occasion pedalling in reverse and then parking the quad-bike in a second garage to finish. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

On the whistle, Dinslaken took the lead, but it could be seen that their competitor was struggling somewhat as the game progressed. Nevertheless, he reached the first garage 10 seconds ahead of his rival in 1 minutes 37 seconds. The return leg however was a different story and, whilst Osterholz-Scharmbeck kept a straight course, Dinslaken’s reversing skills were shown to be lacking as they headed towards the side of the pool. The game eventually ended with Osterholz-Scharmbeck completing the game in 3 minutes 56 seconds.

Final Scores and Positions: 1st Osterholz-Scharmbeck (4pts awarded / Double Points Game / 20pts total) 2nd Dinslaken (0pts / 2pts)

Comments: Despite the disqualifications on Game 6, this heat was still able to produce the fourth-greatest winning margin in a Spiel Ohne Grenzen Domestic Heat with the visiting team defeating their rivals by 18pts. The record of a 24pts clear victory was set earlier in this series by Inzell against Schongau, with the home team winning every game in the process.

Presenters, Officials and Production Team

At the end of the programme, presenter Camillo Felgen, who had been equipped with a body microphone throughout, could be seen with a hand-held microphone attached to a long length of cable which he used for his final conversations with the teams’ dignitaries. The reason for this was soon to become clear when members of the competing teams grabbed hold of him and, whilst the end credits began to roll, threw him into the pool, complete with his trademark beige suit. Camillo could then be seen being mobbed by members of the Osnabrück Neptune Mermaids whilst the on-site brass band played Happy Days are Here Again, written in 1929 by Milton Ager (1893-1979) and Jack Yellen (1892-1991), and which featured as the concluding song in the 1930 Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer film Chasing Rainbows, starring Bessie Love (1898-1986) and Charles King (1895-1957).

Made in B/W • This programme exists in German archives

D

Spiel Ohne Grenzen 1968

Heat 6

Event Staged: Saturday 8th June 1968
Venue: Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Stadion (Friedrich Ludwig Jahn Stadium),
Herford, Nordrhein-Westfalen, West Germany

Transmission:
WDR 1 (D): Saturday 8th June 1968, 4.05-5.20pm (Live)

Referees on Duty:
Kurt Hauser and assistants Hans Ebersberger and Peter Hochrath

Weather Conditions:
Overcast with a Moderate Breeze

Theme: Leisure Activities (Freizeitaktivitäten)

Teams: Herford v. Siegen

Team Members included:
Herford - Karl-Heinz Reese (Team Manager), Ernst Witte (Co-Team Coach), Heinz Wolf (Co-Team Coach), Manfred Becella, Hans-Jürgen Berg, Hans-Dieter Bessel, Dietrich Bräucker, Jurgen Dammann, Wolf-Dieter Deter, Bernd Fischer, Eduard Fonfahra, Wolfgang Franke, Torsten Führer, Bernd-Roland Gottschling, Hans Heit, Winfried Held, Rolf Hoock, Paul Kaiser, Friedhelm Kirchhoff, Horst Klann, Detlef Klemme, Florian Konenko, Jürgen Kott, Bernd Kupczyk, Birger Kremeyer, Wilfried Lehrich, Jens Lichtwark, Manfred Lübbing, Karl-Heinz Menzel, Bernd Michalski, Hans Müller, Hans-Jürgen Müller, Hans-Dieter Neumann, Jürgen Neumann, Peter Plau, Günter Rabe, Manfred Rieso, Klaus Rogalski, Dieter Röhe, Horst Sass, Hans-Joachim Schröder, Manfred Schröder, Dieter Schuck, Dietmar Spilker, Hartmut Strauch, Rainer Sundermann, Werner Tuloweit, Horst Urbanczyk, Reinhard Werner, Manfred Wundrack;
Siegen - Kurt Engelhardt (Co-Team Coach), Rolfgünter Jabs (Co-Team Coach), Walter Link (Co-Team Coach), Günter Erichs, Rolf Issler, Werner Narres, Gert Stein, Jürgen Uhr.

Games (Official Titles): The Locomotives, Somersaults and Skittles, The Rolling Labyrinth, With Bag and Luggage, The Dachshund Rodeo, The Curved Carts, The Stepped Pyramid, Four with a Ring, The Duel of the Musk Oxen, A Spring in Their Step.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd

 S • Siegen ● ●
 H • Herford

16
10

Siegen qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Siegen, West Germany:
staged on Wednesday 28th August 1968

The Host Town

Herford, Nordrhein-Westfalen

Herford is a town with a population of around 66,000 inhabitants in the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen. It is located in the valley of the Wiehen Hills and the Teutoberg Forest, 14km (9 miles) north-east of Bielefeld, 47km (29 miles) south-east of Osnabrück, 77km (48 miles) south-west of Hannover and 106km (66 miles) north-east of Dortmund. It is built on the banks of the Rivers Werre and Aa which converge in the town and the highest point is the Dornberg at 240m (787ft) in the Schwarzenmoor district.

The town was founded in 789 AD by Charlemagne in order to guard a ford crossing the narrow Werre river. In late medieval times, it was a member of the Hanseatic league, a commercial and defensive confederation of merchant guilds and their market towns that dominated trade along the coast of Northern Europe. This status was lost after the Peace of Westphalia (1648), a series of treaties which ended the Thirty Years’ War (1618-48) in the Holy Roman Empire and the Eighty Years’ War (1568-1648) between Spain and the Dutch Republic, when the town was annexed by Brandenburg-Prussia.

Herford is renowned for its fountains with many sited around the town. The Hanse fountain in the pedestrianised area of Lübberstraße and Berlinstaße recalls the town’s membership of the Hanseatic league, with the bronze statue designed in the form of a Hanseatic cog (a boat built of oak). On the Neuer Markt is a Renaissance fountain constructed in 1599 from sandstone and representing the city’s wells. In Gehrenberg at the confluence of the Brüderstraße, is a fountain with moving figures representing Herford’s Mutter Grün selling haberdashery from her cart, Oscar the trumpeter, who played for the locals in return for the price of a beer, and the town’s children are enjoying themselves inside a carousel space rocket. On Bäckerstraße (Baker Street) there is a fountain in the shape of a bronze figure representing a bold, sassy and yet innocent-looking rascal created by sculptor Marianne Bleeke-Ehret. The most extravagant of them all however, is the Goose fountain created by Bruno Buschmann in the Gänsemarkt (goose market) constructed in 1978. Consisting of a limestone plinth weighing around 1000kg (2200lb), it stands at 3.2m (10½ft) high and is graced by eight cast bronze geese. In 1990, twelve years after its inauguration, two of the geese’s heads had to be replaced after they mysteriously vanished!

The Visiting Town

Siegen is a town with a population of around 103,000 inhabitants in the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen and is located 145km (90 miles) south of Herford.

The Venue

Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Stadion (Friedrich Ludwig Jahn Stadium)

The games were played at the local football stadium named after German gymnast educator and nationalist Friedrich Ludwig Jahn (1778-1852) and which currently has a capacity of 18,400 spectators.

Friedrich Ludwig Jahn is commonly referred to as Turnvater Jahn (roughly translated as ‘father of gymnastics’), because after seeing the humiliation of this native land by Napoléon Bonaparte (1769-1821), he conceived the idea of restoring the spirits of his countrymen by the development of their physical and moral powers through the practice of gymnastics. The stadium is home to SC Herford (Sportclub Herford) which currently plays in the Fußball-Landesliga (The Football State League) and women’s team Herforder Sportverein (HSV) Borussia Friedenstal which currently plays in the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga (Frauen) (2nd Women's Football Bundesliga).

The Games in Detail

Introduction

This programme opened with the pomp and circumstance of a local brass band signifying the arrival of presenter Camillo Felgen and the teams to the 15,000-strong crowd. Whilst the Siegen team, along with pet dog mascot Ricco, joined Camillo on a small train running along a track specially laid out in the stadium for the contest, the home team of Herford arrived in the stadium on foot. One of the pieces of music accompanying them was the polyphonic motet prelude to Te Deum in D Major composed by Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1603-1704). It would have been easily recognised by European viewers, as it was adopted by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) / Union Européenne de Radio-Télévision (UER) in 1950 as the Eurovision theme.

Game 1 - The Locomotives
(Die Lokomotive)

The first game - ‘The Locomotives’ (Die Lokomotive) - was played in unison over three minutes duration and featured three male competitors from each team and a large train locomotive which had a large roller at its rear and three axles at the front (the second and third being for cosmetic purposes only), with the front pair of wheels being used to steer. On the whistle, a stagehand dropped a smoke canister into the funnel of the locomotive and then the competitors had to climb on to the rear roller and move the locomotive to one end of the course by walking backwards. After reaching the end, they had to turn the locomotive around and then follow a zigzagging course whilst negotiating a course comprising two poles and six ski gates. Halfway along the course, the paths of the two teams crossed and one of their competitors had to jump off the roller and run to a set of points in order to set the signal in their favour. The team achieving this first were permitted to go ahead whilst the other team had to wait until the track was clear before continuing. This was repeated at the turnaround point at the top end of the course and again at the crossover point on the return journey. It was then a straight race through the slalom to the finish line. Any ski poles touched or knocked down incurred penalties and the team completing the course in the faster overall time would be declared the winners.

The game began with the Siegen team taking the lead which would continue throughout except for the final few metres, when Herford overtook their rivals to finish the game in first place. When the result was announced, referee Kurt Hauser stated that Herford had completed the game in 3 minutes 42 seconds and Siegen in 3 minutes 50 seconds. However, he then continued by stating that neither team had completed the course in the allotted time and declared the game a draw and this was met with a hail of jeering from the home crowd.

Game 2 - Somersaults and Skittles
(Purzelbaum und Kegeln)

The second game - ‘Somersaults and Skittles’ (Purzelbaum und Kegeln) - was played in unison and witnessed Siegen presenting their Joker for play. The game featured two male competitors from each team at one end of the course and nine caricatured skittles at the other end. On the whistle, the competitors had to position themselves over each other in a way that they could grab hold of each others ankles and then somersault forward up the course. As they reached the end of the course they had to knock down one of the nine skittles. They then had to run back to the start and repeat the game. With there being an odd number of pins, the first team to knock down five pins would be declared the winners.

This was a very straightforward game and it was apparent from the outset as to the outcome of the game. Siegen stormed ahead immediately and knocked down their first pin after 12 seconds of elapsed time followed by Herford doing likewise after 15 seconds. After racing back to the start, Siegen completed their second run in 32 seconds followed by Herford after 36 seconds. Siegen increased their lead to six seconds after completing the third run after 53 seconds followed by Herford after 59 seconds. Although all the competitors at this point were beginning to find their energy waning, it did not prevent Siegen from increasing their lead further after completing the fourth run in 1 minute 17 seconds followed by Herford after 1 minute 24 seconds. With a seven-second lead, Siegen maintained their advantage and completed the game in 1 minute 43 seconds.

Game 3 - The Rolling Labyrinth
(Das Rollenspiel)

The third game - ‘The Rolling Labyrinth’ (Das Rollenspiel) - was played individually over three minutes duration and featured a bare-footed male competitor from each team and a set of five 2m (6ft 6½in) long tubes with a diameter of 80cm (2ft 7½in) separated by wooden boards. The tubes were not fixed and could be moved back and forth along the length of their sections on small rails. Each of the boards had a large hole located at one end but at the opposite end to that of its predecessor. On the whistle, a competitor climbed into the first tube and then rolled it along the rail to the opposite end so as to line up with the hole enabling him to climb into the tube in the next section. He then had to roll the second tube to the opposite end to line up with the next hole and then repeat the process. Once the competitor had completed the fifth tube roll, he would be able to exit the equipment and collect a maximum of four water-filled balloons. He then had to transport all the balloons to the start of the game, utilising the rollers in the same manner as his outward journey, and place them in a wooden cage after exiting the equipment. He then had to repeat the entire game for a second run. A bonus of 10 seconds would be awarded for each balloon collected intact. The team completing both runs in the faster overall time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this interesting and unique game saw the participation of Siegen and on the first run their competitor accidentally burst one of the balloons after he attempted to place it inside his vest. Realising that this was not a good idea, he quickly grabbed the remaining three balloons and transported them loose inside the tubes, completing the first run in 1 minute 10 seconds. The second run was almost a repeat of the first with the only difference being that one of the balloons was burst whilst inside the third tube and he eventually completed the course in 2 minutes 45 seconds. With a total of 6 balloons transported intact, a bonus of 1 minute (6 x 10 seconds) was awarded and the overall time for Siegen was reduced to 1 minute 45 seconds.

The second heat featured Herford and their competitor completed the first run in 1 minute 6 seconds but with all four balloons intact. On the second run, one of the balloons was burst in the third tube and he completed the game in a much faster time of 2 minutes 8 seconds. With 7 balloons collected, a bonus of 1 minute 10 seconds (7 x 10) was awarded and the overall time for the Herford team was reduced to just 58 seconds.

Game 4 - With Bag and Luggage
(Mit Sack und Pack)

The fourth game - ‘With Bag and Luggage’ (Mit Sack und Pack) - was played in unison over 5 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured two male competitors from each team transporting luggage through an obstacle course. On the whistle, the competitors had to collect 22 pieces of luggage - comprising 6 suitcases, 6 corn sacks, 5 cushions, 4 boxes of varying size and a rolled mattress - and then open a large cage via an inwardly-opening door. Whilst one of the competitors went inside to stack the luggage, the other stayed outside and passed the items to him. Once the luggage was inside, the second competitor then had to get in the cage and close the door behind him. The first competitor then had to open another inwardly-opening door at the other end and climb into an adjoining cage, whilst his team-mate passed the luggage to him and repeated the game. Once both competitors and luggage were inside the second cage and the door had been closed behind them, a third door had to be opened in the same manner as the second and the competitors exited the cage with the luggage. They then had to carry the luggage up a flight of 11 steps and toss the items over a wire fence and then jump to the ground. The final task was to put all the 22 items into a third cage and get inside and close the door behind them. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Although it appeared at first to be somewhat complicated, this was a very straightforward game. Siegen took an early lead after closing the first cage door after 1 minute 12 seconds of elapsed time followed by Herford in 1 minute 14 seconds. However by the time the teams had entered the second cage, Siegen had increased this advantage to 11 seconds, having closed their door after 2 minutes 11 seconds and Herford doing likewise after 2 minutes 22 seconds. There was now a scramble to get everything out of the cage and up the stairs and over the fence. Although Siegen completed this section ahead of Herford after 3 minutes 34 seconds, their lead had been reduced to just five seconds. It was now a simple case of which team would hold their nerve and get everything into the final cage and close the door behind them. Despite only having a slight advantage, it did not appear to faze Siegen and they increased this to 14 seconds and completed the game in 4 minutes 30 seconds with Herford finishing in 4 minutes 44 seconds.

Game 5 - The Dachshund Rodeo
(Dackel-Rodeo)

The fifth game - ‘The Dachshund Rodeo’ (Dackel-Rodeo) - was played individually over 1 minute 30 seconds duration and featured a male competitor from each team sitting atop a large dachshund costume which measured 2.5m (8ft 2½in) in length, 1m (3ft 3¼in) in height and 70cm (2ft 3½in) in width. Before the start of the game, the dachshund was positioned on a pair of wooden stands and the competitor was assisted on to its back by two opposing team members. Once aboard, the opposition climbed underneath and inside the dachshund and took the weight of the dachshund whilst the wooden stands were removed by stagehands. On the whistle, the opposition had to follow a white line on the ground to a marked area and then had to try to unseat the participating competitor by using the classic bucking bronco method. The team that remained on the dachshund for the greater length of time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this straightforward game saw the participation of Siegen and although their competitor was not unseated, the dachshund was brought to the ground by being unbalanced by his weight after 1 minute 2 seconds.

The second heat featured Herford and, although the opposition were more aggressive in their style, they were also unable to unseat the competitor and after 55 seconds of elapsed time, they were also brought to the ground. With neither team completing the game to its correct conclusion, the game was declared a draw.

Game 6 - The Curved Carts
(Das Kurvenfahrzeug)

The sixth game - ‘The Curved Carts’ (Das Kurvenfahrzeug) - was played in unison over three minutes duration and featured two male competitors from each team and a six-wheeled cart measuring 3m (9ft 10½in) long and 1m (3ft 3¼in) wide. The front set of wheels was positioned so that the cart steered to the left whilst the rear set was positioned to steer it to the right. The middle set of wheels was larger than the front and back pair and this resulted in it acting like a fulcrum with one end of the cart always being off the ground. Above the middle axle there was a set of pedals and a bicycle seat on which one of the competitors was sitting. On the whistle, he had to pedal the cart around an obstacle course comprised of ski poles, assisted by his team-mate who had to run between the two ends and weigh down the appropriate end of the cart as they moved along. A penalty of 10 seconds would be incurred for each pole knocked down. The team completing the course in the faster overall time would be declared the winners.

Although this was a straightforward race, Herford had opened up a significant lead by the turnaround point. Despite this, their steering skills were brought into question after this which permitted Siegen to overtake and cross the line ahead of them. However, although Siegen completed the game in 1 minute 54 seconds they had incurred three penalties (3 x 10 seconds) along the way and this gave them an overall total time of 2 minutes 24 seconds. Herford on the other hand, although finishing just one second behind in 1 minute 55 seconds, had incurred no penalties.

Intermission

The intermission featured a 5 minutes 9 seconds display by the marching band of The Royal Scots Greys, a cavalry regiment of the British Army since 1707. Based in Germany on several occasions throughout their history, they returned for a final time in 1964 after spending time in Aden protecting the Yemen border. This return was to last until 1969 after which time they returned to Scotland. However in 1971, three years after this programme was originally transmitted, the regiment was amalgamated with the 3rd Carabiniers (Prince of Wales' Dragoon Guards) to form The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards (Carabiniers and Greys).

Game 7 - The Stepped Pyramid
(Die Stufenpyramide)

The seventh game - ‘The Stepped Pyramid’ (Die Stufenpyramide) - was played in unison over four minutes duration and witnessed Herford presenting the Joker for play. It featured four male competitors from each team and a large stepped pyramid comprising three 2m (6ft 6½in) high steps. On either side of the pyramid there was a chute leading into a pool and on the top step there were measuring cylinders on weighing scales. On the whistle, the competitors had to collect water from the pool in buckets and climb to the top of the pyramid and empty any contents into the Perspex cylinder. They then descended the pyramid via the chute and ultimately into the pool. After climbing out of the pool, they then repeated the game. The team collecting the greater amount of water would be declared the winners.

This was another straightforward game which at first was somewhat difficult to judge from a viewing perspective, but after 1 minute 30 seconds of elapsed time, a long camera shot showed that the Herford team were clearly in the lead. However, the Siegen team began to close the gap and after four minutes of play, Herford were declared as having collected 89.5kg (197lb 5oz) of water, whilst their rivals had collected 86kg (189lb 9½oz) of water.

Game 8 - Four with a Ring
(Vier an einem Ring)

The eighth game - ‘Four with a Ring’ (Vier an einem Ring) - was played individually over two minutes duration and featured four male competitors from each team and a large 2m (6ft 6½in) diameter netted ring which was mounted onto a four-wheeled frame. Around the circumference of the ring were four large handles into which the competitors had to place their two feet after getting into the press-up position. On the whistle, the competitors had to work as a team and pull the ring around the course with their hands in order to collect 20 balls located on the ground. The team collecting all the balls in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this very straightforward game saw the participation of Siegen and they collected all the balls in 1 minute 25 seconds.

The second heat featured Herford and, after a few mishaps, they completed the game in 1 minute 39 seconds.

Game 9 - The Duel of the Musk Oxen
(Der Zweikampf des Moschusochsen)

The ninth and penultimate game - ‘The Duel of the Musk Oxen’ (Der Zweikampf des Moschusochsen) - was played in unison and featured four male competitors from each team underneath and inside a large musk ox costume which had been mounted on a set of wheels at the front. On the whistle, the competitors, who could only see through a gap in the front of the horns of the costume, had to raise the back end of the costume and run up the course to a given point and meet another musk ox mounted on wheels. They then had to turn the second ox around using their body weight and direction so that the two oxen were face-to-face. They then had to ‘do battle’ and push the wheeled ox up the course and through a gate into a corral. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a very straightforward and uneventful game which Siegen completed first in 1 minute 28 seconds.

Game 10 - A Spring in Their Step
(Federkernhüpfen)

The tenth and final game - ‘A Spring in Their Step’ (Federkernhüpfen) - featured four male competitors from each team standing on a contraption built around large springs. These springs were attached to each of the corners of a 2m x 3m (6ft 6½ins x) tarpaulin sheet in the middle of which were 10 loose balls. On the whistle, the competitors had to bounce up the 25m (82ft) course in a pogo-stick fashion and cross a finish line. A penalty of 20 seconds would be incurred for each ball that was lost from the sheet. The team completing the game in the faster overall time would be declared the winners.

From the outset, it appeared that it would be a very closely fought straight race without incident. However, just after one minute of elapsed time, the teams approached the halfway mark and things were about to change. With Herford ahead by less than a metre (3ft 3¼in), Siegen lost four of their balls. The home crowd began to go wild as the chance of victory was now in their grasp. Unperturbed by their loss, Siegen continued on and overtook Herford and crossed the finish line in 1 minute 46 seconds. Herford, with all their balls intact, were just 3m (9ft 10½in) behind and 15 seconds from the finish line, and it appeared victory would be theirs. However, the front competitors jumped too far forward, causing the tarpaulin to become taut and resulted in all the balls being tossed in the air with five of them being lost over the side. The Siegen team, who had been watching with bated breath, jumped in the air knowing that the penalties incurred by them had now been nullified by the actions of Herford. At the official announcement, referee Kurt Hauser declared that Siegen had incurred 1 minute 20 seconds (4 x 20 seconds) in penalties, giving them a total time of 3 minutes 6 seconds whilst Herford had finished the game in 2 minutes 1 second and had incurred 1 minute 40 seconds (5 x 20 seconds) in penalties, giving them a total of 3 minutes 41 seconds.

Final Scores and Positions: 1st Siegen (4pts awarded / Double Points Game / 16pts total) 2nd Herford (0pts / 10pts)

Presenters, Officials and Production Team

At the end of this heat, presenter Camillo Felgen sped away in a police car whilst the marching band of The Royal Scots Greys played their instrumental version of Cliff Richard’s Congratulations. The song, which had been the United Kingdom’s entry at the Eurovision Song Contest on 6th April 1968, had been penned by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter and had finished in 2nd place just 1pt behind the Spanish entry La, La, La, La…

Additional Information

At the time of this transmission, it appeared that the venue for the West German heat of Jeux Sans Frontières had not been finalised. At the end of each of the other five Domestic heats, presenter Camillo Felgen clearly stated the respective International venue at which the winning team would be competing. However, in this heat all he would state was that the winners would be competing in West Germany. It was also apparent that the French International heat had been cancelled at this point when Camillo stated that this programme marked the end of the national heats and the next competition would be on the 3rd July in Zofingen, Switzerland.

This heat celebrated the 25th Spiel Ohne Grenzen programme (Domestic and International) staged in West Germany since 1965.

Made in B/W • This programme exists in German archives