D

Spiel Ohne Grenzen 1969

Heat 1

Event Staged: Saturday 3rd May 1969
Venue: Markplatz (Market Place), Lauingen an der Donau, Bayern, West Germany

Transmission:
WDR 1 (D): Saturday 3rd May 1969, 2.55-4.10pm (Live)

Referees on Duty:
Helmut Konrad and assistants Hans Ebersberger and Peter Hochrath

Weather Conditions: Warm and Sunny followed by Strong Winds

Theme: The Circus Comes to Town (Der Zirkus Kommt in der Stadt)

Teams: Lauingen an der Donau v. Wernau am Neckar

Team Members included:
Lauingen an der Donau - Werner Gabsdiel, Albert Groß, Erich Kimmerle, Lothar Kleinle, Adolf Ziegelmüller.

Games: The Juggling Act, The Buddha’s Hair, The Chinese Lantern Race (Split-Spiel), The Weightlifters, The Llama and the Baboon, The Trick Cyclists, The Race of the Hussars, The Circus Clowns, The Ballerinas, The Polar Bears.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard:

1st
2nd

 L • Lauingen an der Donau ● ●
 W • Wernau am Neckar

14
10

Lauingen an der Donau qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Brugge, Belgium:
staged on Wednesday 25th June 1969

The Host Town

Lauingen an der Donau, Bayern

Lauingen an der Donau is a town in the state of Bayern with a population of around 11,000 inhabitants. It is located 37km (23 miles) north-east of Ulm, 77km (48 miles) south-west of Ingolstadt and 98km (61 miles) north-west of München, on the left bank of the 2,860km (1,780 miles) long River Donau (Danube).

It began as an Alemannic settlement in the 6th century and, following a donation from the people in 744 AD, the Kloster (monastery) Fulda was founded in the area. It achieved town status when it was taken over by the ruling monarchs of the House of Hohenstaufen (1138-1250) in 1150. Following the death of Conrad IV (1228-1254), Lauingen an der Donau came under the rule of the House of Wittelsbach (which ruled various parts of Germany between 1180 and 1918). The town was then taken control of by the court of the Duchy of Palatinate-Neuberg with Blindheim (Blenheim) becoming its second residence.

The town is locally referred to as Albertus Magnus Stadt and is named after St. Albert the Great, who was born in the town around the turn of the 13th century. It has one of the most distinctive coats of arms in Germany and shows a man's head of unknown origin. It has been stated that the head is that of Christ, a Hun or a Marshal of Pappenheim. The head first appears on seals dating from the 13th century. It is a head of a (white), bearded king. Which is logical as the city grew around an estate from the Kings of Germany from the Staufen dynasty. In the 15th century, the head appears beardless and instead of a golden crown, a wreath of leaves is used. In the 16th century, a chain of pearls was added. Finally, around 1560, the crown made a re-appearance and the head was made black and has stayed that way ever since. After this, the colours changed regularly, but today's design and colours were determined in 1818.

The Visiting Town

Wernau am Neckar is a town in the state of Baden-Württemburg with a population of around 13,000 inhabitants and is located 75km (47 miles) north-west of Lauingen an der Donau.

The Venue

Markplatz (Market Place)

The games were played in the town’s market place in front of the magnificent Rathaus (Town Hall), which was built in 1782 to a Neo-Classical design by Lorenz J Quaglio (1730-1804) and erected on the orders of the Prince Karl Theodor (1724-1799) despite strong opposition by the town’s people.

The other dominant feature in the square is the former watchtower, which was built between 1457 and 1478 together with the adjacent arcades containing market stalls. Exceptionally tall and narrow, it was extended in 1571, and today is known as the Schimmelturn (Grey Mare Tower) because of the image of the horse engraved on the lower part of the tower, which has been renewed and repainted several times.

The tower also serves as the background for an annual event called the Hexentanz (Witches’ Dance) in which the leading winter witch is fighting against spring fools in a tug-of-war. As expected, she will be defeated and burnt on a stake. The local townsfolk dress up in carnival costumes as witches or jesters and celebrate this traditional occasion by dancing and having a good time.

The Games in Detail

Introduction

This heat opened to glorious sunshine, with the games being played at the market square in front of the Town Hall, the façade of which had been decked out to represent the inside of a circus Big Top. The teams entered the square from inside tents accompanied by strains of Entrance of the Gladiators, composed in 1897 by Czech composer Julius Fučík (1872-1916).

Game 1 - The Juggling Act
(Das Jonglieren)

The first game - ‘The Juggling Act’ (Das Jonglieren) - was played in unison over three minutes duration and featured four male competitors from each team, dressed as clowns, standing inside metronomic wooden contraptions shaped like a slice of cake standing on its edge. In between these contraptions, there were three tables (one between the first and second, one between the second and third and one between the third and fourth) and at the end of the course there was a square Perspex measuring cylinder marked with centimetre graduations. On the whistle, the competitor in the first ‘metronome’ had to use his body weight to set it in motion. Once he had done this and was able to reach forward enough, a team-mate handed him a bucket of water which he then had to place on the first table on his backward swing. This then had to be picked up by the second competitor on his forward swing and placed on the second table on his backward swing. This then had to be repeated by the third and fourth competitors except that the latter emptied any remaining contents into the measuring cylinder. The game then had to be repeated until the end of permitted time. The team collecting the greater volume of water would be declared the winners.

When the results of this very straightforward and entertaining game were announced, Lauingen an der Donau had filled their container with water to a height of 20cm (7¾in) whilst Wernau am Neckar had only collected sufficient water to fill their container to the 19cm (7½in) mark on the graduated scale.

Split-Spiel, Part 1 - The Chinese Lantern Race
(Lampion Fengerennen)

The next game - ‘The Chinese Lantern Race’ (Lampion Fengerennen) - was the Split-Spiel which was played individually over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured three competitors (one male and two females) from each team dressed in traditional Chinese attire and a contraption shaped like a child’s spinning top set at a 45° angle to the ground. Through the centre of its base there was a pole which was supporting a canopy of 30 Chinese lanterns hanging down from above. On the whistle, an opposing male competitor dressed in Mongolian attire had to climb on to the base and, whilst holding onto the pole, manoeuvre the edge of the top nearest to the ground away from the two females standing on the perimeter of the game. Contemporaneously, they had to grab the lanterns and place them in a holding cage. The team collecting all of the lanterns in the faster time or the greater number within time limit would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this straightforward game saw the participation of Werner am Neckar and they collected a total of 24 lanterns.

Game 2 - The Buddha's Hair
(Die Haare des Buddha)

The second game - ‘The Buddha’s Hair’ (Die Haare des Buddha) - was played in unison over three minutes duration and witnessed both Lauingen an der Donau and Wernau am Neckar presenting their Jokers for play. The game featured three male competitors from each team, dressed as Mongolians, and a large statue of Buddha with a long ponytail. Tied around the waist of each of the competitors was a 25m (82ft) rope with the other end attached to the base of the ponytail. The three ropes had been entwined beforehand and on the whistle, the competitors had to untangle them by jumping over and under each other’s ropes in a sequence. The team that untied all the ropes in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was an intriguing game to watch and as was the case with the first game, it was played without commentary until the closing moments. It was closely fought and the final outcome was not apparent until its closing stages. Wernau am Neckar finished first in 2 minutes 24 seconds and Lauingen an der Donau finished just behind in 2 minutes 29 seconds.

Split-Spiel, Part 2 - The Chinese Lantern Race
(Lampion Fengerennen)

The programme returned to the second round of the Split-Spiel which featured Lauingen an der Donau and although it appeared at first glance that they were less adept and slower, the competitors emulated their rival’s total of 24 and went one better, collecting a total of 25 lanterns. The win went some of the way to overcoming the embarrassment of losing their Joker in front of their home crowd on the previous game. Lauingen an der Donau had levelled the scores.

Game 3 - The Weightlifters
(Die Gewichtheber)

The third game - ‘The Weightlifters’ (Die Gewichtheber) - was played in unison over two minutes duration and featured two male competitors from each team standing on a carpet. The carpet was attached at the front to a 2m (6ft 6¾in) long set of bar bells weighing a total of 88kg (194lb). On the whistle, the competitors had to lift the bar and jump in unison in order to move down a 25m (82ft) course comprising buckets set on high podia and a series of low hurdles. On reaching a podium, the bar had to be lifted above their heads to clear the buckets and on reaching the hurdles they had stoop down to pass underneath. Once the competitors had completed the course, they had to turn around and make a return journey. There were a number of penalties associated with this game and for each bucket or hurdle knocked down on the outward journey, a 5-second penalty would be incurred. A similar error on the return journey would incur a 10-second penalty and if any of the competitors stepped off the carpet, they would incur a 15-second penalty on either of the journeys. The team completing the game in the faster overall time would be declared the winners.

This was another closely fought game and saw Lauingen an der Donau finishing in 1 minute 11 seconds without incurring any penalties. Wernau am Neckar completed the game in 1 minute 17 seconds but had incurred a 10-second penalty on the return journey, giving them a total time of 1 minute 27 seconds.

Game 4 - The Llama and the Baboon
(Das Lama und der Pavian)

The fourth game - ‘The Llama and the Baboon’ (Das Lama und der Pavian) - was played in unison over two minutes duration and featured three male competitors from each team in a costume resembling a llama at the front and a baboon at the back. Whilst two of the competitors were facing forward, one on the other’s shoulders and wearing a llama’s costume, the third competitor dressed as a baboon, was facing backwards and standing on his hands with his feet being supported by the higher of the other two competitors. On the course there were 30 coloured sponge balls (ten sets of three) representing coconuts and a box located in a semi-circle. On the whistle, the llama had to walk around the course whilst the baboon collected the coconuts. They then had to move to the perimeter of the semi-circle and the baboon had to throw them into the box and then repeat the game. The coconuts could be held in the hand or rolled towards the scoring area and there was no limit to the number of coconuts that could be collected on each occasion. However, any coconuts that were thrown from within the semi-circle, rolled out of the playing area or failed to go into the box, would not be counted and would play no further part in the game. The team collecting all the coconuts in the faster time or the greater number within the time limit would be declared the winners.

A straightforward and somewhat funny game saw Lauingen an der Donau collecting 27 coconuts whilst Wernau am Neckar collected 21 coconuts. However, one of the Lauingen an der Donau coconuts had been disallowed due to being handled incorrectly by the baboon and their score was reduced and confirmed as 26 coconuts.

Intermission Mini-Contest

As was the norm with each West German domestic programme since 1968, there was an intermission act between two of the games. However, this year these intermissions were actually mini-contests between the towns with the winners being presented with a prize by WDR - the West German television production company. This heat showcased the Bürgermeister and Ratherren Orchester (The Mayor and Councillors Orchestra) from both teams.

The first to participate was Wernau am Neckar with its mayor on the trumpet accompanied by some of his councillors on an array of instruments - a washboard, a starting pistol, a cow-bell and a drum with cymbals. The 35-second long piece was somewhat of a sham with most of the members out of tune or out of sync with each other. However, it transpired that the competitors had only learned to play the instruments earlier in the morning on their arrival in Lauingen an der Donau!

This was followed by a 1 minute 10 seconds display by the contingent from Lauingen an der Donau and, whilst they fared a little better with their efforts and were deemed the winners, the sound they produced was not to easy on the ears!

Game 5 - The Trick Cyclists
(Die Trick Radfahren)

The fifth game - ‘The Trick Cyclists’ (Die Trick Radfahrern) - was played individually over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured two male competitors from each team and a unique contraption on four wheels with a large net attached to either end. Resembling two high unicycles, the two competitors (described as ‘gentlemen’ by presenter Camillo Felgen) had to climb up and face each other and then steer the ‘vehicle’ up a 25m (82ft) course to collect water-filled balloons from four overhead canopies (each with 12 balloons). Once removed from the canopy, the balloons had to be thrown into the nets. Only three balloons could be collected and only three attempts into the nets were permitted at each canopy. The competitors had to ensure that they weaved in and out of each of the canopies and before commencing their return journey they had to cross a line at the far end of the course. They also had to ensure that they returned to the start of the game within the time limit otherwise they would incur a penalty of one balloon being deducted from their score for every 10 seconds over the permitted time. The team collecting the greater overall number of balloons would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this somewhat unusual game saw the participation of Lauingen an der Donau and although they removed ten balloons from the canopies, only 6 of them were successfully thrown into the nets. The competitors had also timed their run perfectly and they crossed the finish line in 2 minutes 3 seconds with 27 seconds to spare.

The second heat featured Wernau am Neckar and at first it appeared that this would be any easy target to emulate. However, the two competitors were very weak with their accuracy and continuously missed the nets. Although they removed fifteen balloons from the canopy and crossed the finish line in 2 minutes 23 seconds, the pair were only successful in getting 5 of the balloons in the nets. The win was awarded to Lauingen an der Donau - their fourth consecutive victory now saw them open up a healthy 6pts lead.

Game 6 - The Race of the Hussars
(Das Rennen der Husaren)

The sixth game - ‘The Race of the Hussars’ (Das Rennen der Husaren) - was played individually over three minutes duration and featured two female competitors from each team, dressed as Hussars, on a specially constructed carousel. Encircled by 40 balloons on the ground as well as another 40 balloons from a canopy above, the carousel had two horses connected to each other by a long seesaw. Whilst one of the horses had a pin on a long stick pointing upwards attached to its head, the other had a set of three pins protruding from its rump and facing downwards. Whilst they rotated the seesaw, the competitors had to raise and lower the horses in order to burst the balloons above and below. The team bursting the greater number of balloons would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this straightforward game saw the participation of Wernau am Neckar and they burst 47 balloons in total (33 from above and 14 on the ground).

The second heat featured Lauingen an der Donau and whilst it was a close run race, the end result revealed that they had only burst 43 balloons in total (30 from above and 13 on the ground). The Wernau am Necker had finally registered their first win since the first game and, in doing so, had halted their opponent's winning streak.

Game 7 - The Circus Clowns
(Die Zirkus Clowns)

The seventh game - ‘The Circus Clowns’ (Die Zirkus Clowns) - was played individually over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured a male competitor from each team dressed as a clown wearing boxing gloves and trousers with wide flares at the base which had been filled with sponge. On the whistle, the competitor had to run to the end of the 25m (82ft) course and collect two gigantic balloons from a team-mate and hold them under his arms. He then had to step up onto a set of wooden tracks and walk along them (one foot on each track), and then hand the balloons to another team-mate who had to hang them from a bar. He then had to return to the start and repeat the game until the end of permitted time. Any balloons that touched the floor, were dropped or came into contact with the game’s equipment would not be counted. The team collecting the greater overall number of balloons would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Lauingen an der Donau but their competitor got off to a bad start when, during his first run, two of the balloons burst as he collected them from his team-mate and lost time whilst having to wait for them to be replaced. He was further penalised on his second and third runs after his feet slipped from the tracks and he touched the equipment and dropped the balloons. Assistant referee Peter Hochrath stepped in and discounted all four of the balloons on those two runs. Not to be perturbed, he continued on and finished the game with his head held high, but with only the 2 balloons from his first run counting.

The second heat featured Wernau am Neckar and their competitor collected 2 balloons on his first run in just 42 seconds. Another successful crossing with 2 balloons after 1 minute 20 seconds of elapsed time brought the visiting crowd to their feet with one of the loudest celebrations ever heard on the programme. Nevertheless with victory secured, their competitor continued on and completed a further two runs. Although he had successfully transported 8 balloons, the final two had not been hung from the bar before the final whistle was blown and therefore were not counted. The Wernau am Neckar score was declared as 6 balloons.

Game 8 - The Ballerinas
(Die Ballet Mädchen)

The eighth and penultimate game - ‘The Ballerinas’ (Die Ballet Mädchen) - was played in unison over three minutes duration and featured three female competitors from each team armed with a long pole and dressed as ballerinas, and a obstacle course comprising two high and three low hurdles. On the whistle, the three competitors had to work together as a team in order to lift a large inflated ball off the ground with the ends of the poles and then transport it down a 25m (82ft) course whilst stepping over the low hurdles and passing under the first of the high hurdles. At the second high hurdle, the ball had to be lifted over the bar to complete the game. If the ball was dropped at any time, the team could recompose itself from that point. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Wernau am Neckar got the better start and moved precariously down the course with Lauingen an der Donau just a few metres behind at the halfway point. It was at this time that the weather conditions changed in the market-place with strong gusts of wind being experienced for the remainder of the programme. Despite being hampered by the wind, Wernau am Neckar widened the gap between their rivals on the second half of the course and completed the game in 2 minutes 28 seconds. This victory had drawn the Wernau am Neckar team level on points with their rivals.

Game 9 - The Polar Bears
(Die Eisbären)

The ninth and final game - ‘The Polar Bears’ (Die Eisbären) - featured two male competitors from each team, dressed as polar bears, and a go-kart comprised of two sets of wheels with the axles joined together by two ropes. On the whistle, the competitors had to climb onto their own axle and transport themselves down the 25m (82ft) course using only their hands to rotate the wheels. Any competitor falling from their axle would ultimately halt the other‘s progress and they had to recompose themselves and start again from that point. After reaching the end of the course, the competitors had to turn around and return to the start and then repeat the game. The team completing two complete return trips of the course in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Although Wernau am Neckar got the better start, Lauingen an der Donau had closed the deficit and took the lead on the first return journey and crossed the line for the first time in 49 seconds - 10 seconds ahead of Wernau am Neckar. Despite a further few minor mishaps en route, they were able to stay ahead for the remainder of the game whilst increasing their lead. Lauingen an der Donau completed the game in 1 minute 41 seconds with Wernau am Neckar finishing in 1 minute 59 seconds. Lauingen an der Donau had resisted Wernau am Neckar's spirited fightback to win through at the very end.

Presenters, Officials and Production Team

When presenter Camillo Felgen appeared from backstage during the programme's introduction, he was suitably attired in a ringmaster’s outfit complete with a top hat and riding crop.

Records and Statistics

Lauingen an der Donau became the second of only three teams in Spiel Ohne Grenzen to lose their Joker game but still win through to participate in Jeux Sans Frontières. The other two were Straubing in 1967 and Rodenkirchen in 1972.

Additional Information

Apart from a few intermittent time updates, this whole programme was virtually commentary-free. This was a first for any Jeux Sans Frontières related programme! Despite this, the atmosphere in the market square was electrifying and the ingenious mind of Willi Steinberg had worked overtime to design and create the games that the teams played.

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

D

Spiel Ohne Grenzen 1969

Heat 2

Event Staged: Saturday 10th May 1969
Venue: Spielvereinigung Sport Verein Sportpark (Sports Club Association Sports Ground),
Weiden in der Oberpfalz, Bayern, West Germany

Transmission:
WDR 1 (D): Saturday 10th May 1969, 3.00-4.15pm (Live)

Referees on Duty:
Peter Hochrath and assistants Gerd Siepe and Werner Treichel

Weather Conditions: Sunny and Warm

Theme: Astronauts on the Moon (Astronauten auf dem Mond)

Teams: Osterode am Harz v. Weiden in der Oberpfalz

Team Members included:
Osterode am Harz - Peter Kassel (Team Coach), Karl-Heinz Schwedes (Team Captain), Jürgen Beier, Wolfgang Biskup, Jürgen Brünig, Gerhard von Daake, Hartmut Danne, Wolfgang Fettköter, Werner Freye, Bernd Grieger, Klaus-Dieter Guse, Harald Iser, Klaus Koch, Eckard Krösel, Dieter Mönnich, Gerald Müller, Wolfgang Müller, Hans-Michael Poehling, Reinhard Sippel, Wolfgang Stange, Jochen Steindamm, Karl Süßmilch, Jürgen Tiggeler, Bodo Vornefeld, Frank Wedemeyer, Heinz Wienbreier, Hans-Jürgen Wode;
Weiden in der Oberpfalz - Hans Badhorn (Co-Team Coach), Lothar Höhn (Co-Team Coach), Maritha Alecks, Krista Behr, Werner Bartung, Hans-Werner Friedrichs, Rosie Gewahlt, Norbert Greisbacher, Krista Herrmann, Rosemarie Hinckel, Rita Rauchenecker, Jens Schäffer, Gerd Schmid, Monica Schüler, Eva Schwartz, Hans Sperrer.

Games: Construction of the Rocket, The Rocket on the Launch Pad, Cracking the Craters, The Star Collectors, The Man in the Moon, They Say that Mice Love Bacon and Cheese, The Lunar Vehicle and the Robots, The Happy Extraterrestrials, The Discovery of the Legendary Flying Horse, The Flying Saucer

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard:

1st
2nd

 W • Weiden in der Oberpfalz ● ●
 O • Osterode am Harz

16
10

Weiden in der Oberpfalz qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Edinburgh, Great Britain:
staged on Wednesday 9th July 1969

The Host Town

Weiden in der Oberpfalz, Bayern

Weiden in der Oberpfalz (whose official name is Weiden i.d.OPf.) is a town in the state of Bayern with a population of around 45,000 inhabitants. It is located 19km (12 miles) west of Georgenberg and the Czech Republic border, 51km (32 miles) south-east of Bayreuth, 74km (46 miles) north of Regensburg and 82km (51 miles) north-east of Nürnberg.

The town was first mentioned in a document in 1241 as Weiden, although it is assumed that there had been a settlement there since around 1000. Located at the junction of two pivotal trade routes, namely Goldene Straße (The Golden Street) from east to west and Magdeburger Straße (Magdeburg Street) from north to south, Weiden in der Oberpfalz developed into a commercial centre early and, by 1531, the town boasted as many as 2,200 inhabitants. However, the town suffered severe setbacks caused by two fires, the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648) when only 316 families out of 530 remained, and the Black Death around 1634. These setbacks lasted until the end of the 18th century.

The actual rise of the town began in 1863 when it was connected to the railroad system. The coming of important glass and porcelain businesses was accompanied by an increase of its population. At the turn of the century, Weiden in der Oberpfalz had 10,000 inhabitants, and between 1945 and 1955, the population swelled to 40,000 due to a heavy afflux of refugees and foreigners. The town retained its population, strengthened its economic power and infrastructure and reclaimed its original place in the middle of Europe owing to both Germany’s reunification and the collapse of the borders to Eastern Europe and especially to the Czech Republic. According to the Bavarian programme of regional development, Weiden in der Oberpfalz is the Oberzentrum (Supreme Centre) for both commerce and service industries.

Today, Weiden in der Oberpfalz is home to around 45,000 people, living in an area of around 68.5km² (26½ miles²). Even though the world famous glass and porcelain businesses would make one believe otherwise, it has never been a typical industrial town. In the course of the last two decades, commerce and industry have changed significantly. As a result, the urban monostructure of glass and porcelain was curbed and supplemented by various businesses dealing in the construction of vehicles, plastics processing or micro-electronics. Nevertheless, internationally renowned businesses such as Bauscher and Seltmann (both porcelain) and Nachtmann (glass) are still of great importance for the local industry.

In 1991, the town celebrated its 750th anniversary with celebrations occurring from 29th June 1991 until 26th July 1992!

The Visiting Town

Osterode am Harz is a town in the state of Niedersachsen with a population of around 23,000 inhabitants and is located 264km (164 miles) north-west of Weiden in der Oberpfalz.

The Venue

Spielvereinigung Sport Verein Sportpark

The games were played on a small public sports ground, which is surrounded by Stockerhutweg to the north and east and by Königsbergerstraße to the south and west.

The ground, which is located in the north-west of the town, is one of two which was owned by the local waterworks company. Built in 1950, the grass-covered ground has a capacity of around 3,000 spectators.

Team Selection and Training

The Weiden in der Oberpfalz team selectors chose only top athletes as they were determined to create a winning team. Training had commenced several weeks ahead of the Domestic Heat in a building yard and at a gymnasium and these sessions were held a minimum of four times a week. Squad members practiced walking on stilts, rolling medicine balls and balancing and also tackled obstacle courses: everything was trained as the actual content of the games was not communicated to the teams. Team member Hans Sperrer also undertook traction training by dragging an Opel car across the building yard with a rope, something that ultimately proved invaluable in 'The Star Collectors' game.

The Games in Detail

Introduction

After the opening film postcards of the competing towns, and by way of introducing the theme of the programme, an electronic countdown from 10 to 1 was followed by an archival film of a rocket launch being shown accompanied by the strains of the 1962 instrumental hit Telstar, performed by The Tornados. This was then segued into a very large caricatured façade of the moon, where presenter Camillo Felgen introduced the teams. He stated that at the time of this live transmission, that an important qualifying match for the 1970 FIFA World Cup between West Germany and Austria was taking place in Nürnberg. He stated that there would be on-screen updates throughout the programme for those wishing to know the score. The first such update followed the announcement of the result of the mini-contest (prior to Game 6), when the football match remained at 0-0. A second update with the half-time score was announced by Camillo Felgen before the result of the first heat of Game 7 was declared, with the score still standing at 0-0. Although not announced or shown on-screen, the game eventually ended 1-0 in West Germany’s favour.

Game 1 - Construction of the Rocket
(Bau der Rakete)

The first game - ‘Construction of the Rocket’ (Bau der Rakete) - was played in unison over two minutes duration and witnessed Weiden in der Oberpfalz presenting their Joker for play. The game featured three male competitors from each team dressed as astronauts and nine parts of a rocket’s fuselage, made from foam rubber, laid out on a straight 25m (82ft) course in front of them. On the whistle, the competitors had to move down the course and pick up the first part of the fuselage - the rocket’s tip - and hold it above their heads. They then had to move down the course to a large ring which they had to stand inside and lift up around their bodies. They then had to proceed to the next ring and repeat the process until all eight rings were around their bodies and resembling an upright space rocket. The final task was for them to walk forward and cross a line to finish the game. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a fairly straightforward game and saw Weiden in der Oberpfalz cross the line in 1 minute 2 seconds. Although Osterode am Harz had crossed the line in 1 minute 14 seconds, the time was discounted as the top four sections of their rocket had toppled to the ground before they had done so.

Game 2 - The Rocket on the Launch Pad
(Die Rakete auf die Abschussrampe)

The second game - ‘The Rocket on the Launch Pad’ (Die Rakete auf die Abschussrampe) - was played individually over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured three male competitors from each team and a rocket on a movable platform which stood astride two meandering pathways. Two of the competitors were sitting at each end of the platform holding a steering wheel whilst the third competitor was in the area between the two pathways sitting on a small tractor which was attached by wire to the middle of the platform. On the whistle, the driver of the tractor had to pull the platform forward whilst his two team-mates guided it along the pathways. As both of the onboard competitors each had steering wheels, they could direct each end of the platform independently of the other which assisted them when the paths met halfway up the course and then split again for the second half of the journey. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Weiden in der Oberpfalz and they made the game look very easy with both sides of the platform crossing the finish line in 1 minute 29 seconds. However, just as the trailing side of the platform crossed the line, the rocket fell from its mounting and tumbled to the ground. Referee Peter Hochrath explained that as the rocket was still aloft as the whistle was blown, their time would be accepted.

The second heat featured Osterode am Harz and it could be seen that their jerky movements were beginning to sway the rocket on its mounting. However, they kept their cool and moved slightly faster that their rivals and completed the course in 1 minute 7 seconds.

Game 3 - Cracking the Craters
(Cracken des Kraters)

The third game - ‘Cracking the Craters’ (Cracken des Kraters) - was played in unison over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured four male competitors from each team equipped with three small wheelbarrows which were disguised as moon vehicles. The outside two wheelbarrows were facing forward and were empty whilst the middle wheelbarrow was full of water and facing backwards. The four competitors had to stand in a row in a manner that each of them was separated by a wheelbarrow in order that the middle two competitors would hold two handles each whilst the outside competitors would only hold one handle each, leaving their outer hands free. In front of them was a course with 19 craters on either side, each with a small meteorite placed inside. On the whistle, the competitors had to move down the course and being careful not to spill any water from the trailing wheelbarrow, whilst the outside competitors had to remove the meteorites and place them in the outside wheelbarrows. After reaching the end of the course, the competitors had to turn around and return to the start. However, the return journey would see the middle wheelbarrow being pushed and the outside ones being pulled. After returning to the start, the competitors then had to lift the wheelbarrows and empty their contents into a large cylinder sitting on a set of weighing scales. The total volume of water collected would then be converted to seconds and deducted from the time taken to complete the course. As the meteorites were actually small inflated balls filled with water that would be weighed along with the liquid remaining in the wheelbarrow at the end of the game, the competitors had to be careful when lifting them from the craters so as not to squeeze them and lose water. The team with the shorter overall time would be declared the winners.

This was another straightforward game which saw reach the turnaround point first in 1 minute 22 seconds and, after taking 10 seconds to recompose themselves for their return journey, they set off again. Osterode am Harz reached the turnaround point in 1 minute 45 seconds and like their rivals, also set off again 10 seconds later. However, by this time Weiden in der Oberpfalz were already halfway down the course and eventually finished the course in 2 minutes 22 seconds followed by Osterode am Harz in 2 minutes 42 seconds.

Referee Peter Hochrath then stepped in and explained that Osterode am Harz had actually finished the game outside the time limit and would therefore receive no score. This news sent the home crowd into a frenzy of cheering and, although now academic, the water collected by Weiden in der Oberpfalz was weighed and they had collected 111kg (244lb 11½oz) of water giving them a total of 31 seconds (142 minus 111).

Game 4 - The Star Collectors
(Die Sternenpflücker)

The fourth game - ‘The Star Collectors’ (Die Sternenpflücker) - was played in unison and featured three male competitors from each team, dressed as astronauts, and a space rocket which was attached by a rope to the other end of the 50m (182ft) crescent-shaped course. Attached to the rope were 15 foam rubber stars which had to be collected by one of the competitors.

On the whistle, the two astronauts standing inside the rocket had to pull on the rope to set it in motion and manoeuvre it along the course whilst the third astronaut, who was standing outside on the rocket’s wing, had to collect the stars as they approached. The stars were set in two groups (six followed by nine) along the rope with a suitable gap between them to enable the astronaut to take those already collected to the rear of the rocket whilst it continued to move up the course. After returning from securing those from the first set, the astronaut had to cross over to the opposite wing of the rocket to collect the second set and then place them on that side at the rear of the vehicle. Once all 15 stars had been collected, it was a race to the finish line with the third astronaut ensuring that all the stars remained intact at the rear of the rocket. For each star intact at the end of the game, a 5-second bonus would be deducted from the time taken. The team completing the course in the faster overall time would be declared the winners.

From the outset, Weiden in der Oberpfalz led the race and eventually crossed the line in 1 minute 49 seconds and, with all 15 stars intact, they received a 1 minute 15 seconds deduction bonus to give them an overall time of 34 seconds. Osterode am Harz who had finished the course in 1 minute 52 seconds also had all their 15 stars intact and, after receiving the same bonus as their rivals, were given an overall time of 37 seconds.

Game 5 - The Man in the Moon
(Mann im Mond)

The fifth game - ‘The Man in the Moon’ (Mann im Mond) - was played in unison over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and witnessed Osterode im Harz presenting their Joker for play. The game featured a male competitor from each team, dressed as an astronaut, standing on wooden stilts surrounded by an orchard of moon trees, each having six branches. On the whistle, the competitor had to make his way down the course collecting the ‘fruits’ of the trees from each of the branches and storing them in a pouch in his spacesuit. The team collecting the greater number of fruits within permitted time would be declared the winners.

This very straightforward game saw Osterode im Harz collecting 17 fruits whilst Weiden in der Oberpfalz had collected just 10 fruits.

Intermission Mini-Contest

The intermission mini-contest saw a small tractor being driven into the stadium laden with deep metal dishes full of 1 pfennig (penny) coins. Camillo Felgen explained that in the weeks leading up to the contest, the residents of the competing towns had been asked to donate as many pfennig coins to charity via children’s savings boxes in each of the two towns. However, although the coins would be donated to charity, there was an additional underlying reason for the collections that was not revealed until the live contest. The number of coins collected was also used by way of a mini-contest between the two towns with the one having collected the greater amount being declared the winners.

When the results were revealed, they were quite astounding with the residents of Osterode am Harz having donated 332.6kg (733lb 4oz) of coins, whilst the Weiden in der Oberpfalz residents had donated 477.8kg (1,053lb 6oz) of coins. To put this into some perspective, the home town’s collection weighed around 75 stones (roughly the weight of five well-built men)! He also went on to explain that the Deutsches Bundesbank had estimated that 1kg (2lb 4oz) of Pfennigs was worth roughly 5 Deutsche Mark (or 500 Pfennigs) and with over 800kg (1,763lb 12oz) of coins (roughly 405,000 Pfennigs) in the stadium, they had been able to raise over 4,000 DM (roughly equal to £427, a tidy sum back in 1969, and equivalent to around £4914 today)!

Game 6 - They Say That Mice Love Bacon and Cheese
(Man Sagt Mäuse Lieben den Speck und die Käse)

The sixth game - ‘They Say That Mice Love Bacon and Cheese’ (Man Sagt Mäuse Lieben den Speck und die Käse) - was played in unison over three minutes duration and featured three male competitors from each team, dressed in mice costumes, and twelve large cheese wedges. On the whistle, each of the three mice crawled on their hands and knees up the 10m (32ft 9¾in) course in order to collect a wedge of cheese by biting through the middle of it. In reality, the wedges had holes cut into their middles which were then papered over so that the competitors could simply push the head of the costume through the paper. Each mouse then had to turn round and come back to the start line carrying the wedge around its neck. This was repeated until each mouse had collected four wedges of cheese. The team completing the game in the faster time would automatically stop the clock and bring the contest to an end, irrespective of the positions of the other team’s competitors on the course. However, the team with the higher number of wedges transported correctly would be declared the winners.

This straightforward game saw the darker-coloured mice of Weiden in der Oberpfalz complete and end the game after 2 minutes 10 seconds, whilst the lighter-coloured mice of Osterode am Harz still had two competitors who had not completed their fourth runs. Before the results were announced, it appeared that Weiden in der Oberpfalz had been victorious. However, the referees had deemed that three of their wedges had not been worn around their necks for the return journey and had disallowed them. Osterode am Harz, although they had not completed the game, had transported all 10 of their wedges correctly and were deemed winners.

Game 7 - The Lunar Vehicle and the Robots
(Das Mondfahrzeug und die Roboten)

The seventh game - ‘The Lunar Vehicle and the Robots’ (Das Mondfahrzeug und die Roboten) - was played individually over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured two male competitors from each team, a lunar vehicle and eight electrically-charged robots. The lunar vehicle comprised two gigantic balls as front wheels and a normal small singular rear wheel (similar to a Victorian penny-farthing bicycle) and the two competitors were hanging from a bar above the front wheels by harnesses. On the whistle, the competitors had to rotate the wheels by hand to move the vehicle down the course and between four pairs of small robots. If they touched the outstretched arms of any robot, it would cause a firecracker to ignite and would incur a 5-second penalty on each occasion. After passing the third set of robots, the competitors could change their positions and stand up and move the wheels with their feet to get back to the start line. The team completing the game in the faster overall time would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Osterode am Harz and they completed the course in 1 minute 46 seconds, but had incurred five penalties totalling 25 seconds and their overall time was given as 2 minutes 11 seconds.

The second heat featured Weiden in der Oberpfalz and they completed the course in a slower time of 1 minute 57 seconds but had only incurred three penalties totalling 15 seconds, giving them an overall total of 2 minutes 12 seconds. Incredibly, Osterode am Harz had secured victory by just 1 second! They were now ahead in the competition for the first time.

Game 8 - The Happy Extraterrestrials
(Die Glückliche Außerirdischen)

The eighth game - ‘The Happy Extraterrestrials’ (Die Glückliche Außerirdischen) - was played individually over two minutes duration and featured two male competitors from each team, dressed as alien creatures. Each of the competitors was attired in a one piece bodysuit and wore a long wig - black for Weiden in der Oberpfalz and white for Osterode am Harz. Around each competitor's waist was a large polystyrene caricatured head with large ears and a large tongue protruding from the mouth (operated by their hands). At the start of the game, one of the competitors stood at the base of an inclined trampoline and on the whistle, a team-mate placed a ball between his knees. The competitor then had to jump up the incline with the ball and drop it into a hole at the top. Once completed, he then had to descend the incline so that the second competitor could repeat the process. This was then repeated throughout by the two competitors. The team collecting the greater number of balls would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this poor quality game saw the participation of Weiden in der Oberpfalz and they collected 13 balls. The second heat featured Osterode am Harz and they only scored 11 balls.

Game 9 - The Discovery of the Legendary Flying Horse
(Die Entdeckung der Legendäre Fliegenden Pferd)

The ninth and penultimate game - ‘The Discovery of the Legendary Flying Horse’ (Die Entdeckung der Legendäre Fliegenden Pferd) - was played in unison over three minutes duration and featured two male competitors from each team, dressed in Pegasus costumes, and a course comprising ten craters. On the whistle, they had to run down the course and at the end turn around. As they stepped over a small hurdle and passed over a crater, an egg had to be placed over the mouth of each of the craters by the rear competitor via an opening in the costume’s base. A penalty of 5 seconds would be incurred for each egg that was placed incorrectly or missed. The team completing the game with the faster overall time would be declared the winners.

This was another straightforward game which saw Osterode am Harz complete the game in 55 seconds but they had incurred two penalties giving them an overall time of 1 minute 5 seconds. Although Weiden in der Oberpfalz had completed the course in a slower time of 1 minute 2 seconds, they had done so without incurring any penalties.

Game 10 - The Flying Saucer
(Die Fliegende Untertasse)

The tenth and final game - ‘The Flying Saucer’ (Die Fliegende Untertasse) - was played in unison and featured a male competitor from each team standing on a roller inside a flying saucer-shaped cage. On the whistle, the competitor had to use his feet and roll the flying saucer down a 25m (82ft) course, turn around and return to the start. The team completing the course in the faster time would be declared the winners of the game and - with the teams separated by just 2pts - the competition overall.

This was a straight race which saw Weiden in der Oberpfalz complete the first half in 42 seconds whilst his rival crossed the halfway mark in 44 seconds. Although the first leg of the race was close, the Weiden in der Oberpfalz competitor was also more articulate on the return journey, opened up a clear gap and crossed the line in 1 minute 22 seconds with Osterode am Harz completing the course in 1 minute 40 seconds.

Presenters, Officials and Production Team

Presenter Camillo Felgen entered into the spirit of this space exploration-themed event, donning an astronaut's suit and helmet and wearing them throughout the broadcast.

Memories of Spiel Ohne Grenzen

Two members of the Weiden in der Oberpfalz team, 78-year-old former competitive athlete Norbert Griesbacher and judo champion and long-time Weiden city councillor Hans Sperrer, met in July 2019 to celebrate the 50th anniversary of their participation in Spiel Ohne Grenzen. They had been due to be joined by one of the team's female competitors, but she unfortunately had to cancel at short notice due to illness. As the duo rummaged through old photos and newspaper reports, the memories came flooding back. Griesbacher recalled how Sperrer's traction training had stood the team in good stead at the Domestic Heat on 'The Star Collectors' game: "I didn't have to do anything. He had a power that was crazy. We won by a margin."

Records and Statistics

This programme marked the 50th Spiel Ohne Grenzen transmission (9 JSF 1965 + 13 JSF 1966 + 6 SOG 1967 + 7 JSF 1967 + 6 SOG 1968 + 7 JSF 1968 + 2 SOG 1969) to be broadcast on West German television.

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

D

Spiel Ohne Grenzen 1969

Heat 3

Event Staged: Saturday 17th May 1969
Venue: Spielplatz (Playing Fields),
Städtische Oberschule für Mädchen (Urban High School for Girls),
Kempen, Nordrhein-Westfalen, West Germany

Transmission:
WDR 1 (D): Saturday 17th May 1969, 3.00-4.15pm (Live)

Referees on Duty:
Helmut Konrad and assistants Gerd Siepe and Werner Treichel

Weather Conditions: Overcast

Theme: In the Wild West (Im Wilden Westen)

Teams: Bad Camberg v. Kempen

Team Members included:
Kempen - Udo Luchtger, Ralf Schumacher, Heinz von Überbrücken.

Games: The Tree Stump Lasso, The Totem Poles, Black Eagle v. White Bear, The Shooting Gallery, The Stagecoach, Panning for Gold, The Saloon Bar Stage Show, The Mustangs, Rounding-Up the Calves, Let the Waggons Roll.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard:

1st
2nd

 K • Kempen ● ●
 C • Bad Camberg

18
8

Kempen qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Caserta, Italy:
staged on Wednesday 23rd July 1969

The Host Town

Kempen, Nordrhein-Westfalen

Kempen is a town in the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen with a population of around 35,000 inhabitants. It is located 21km (13 miles) north of Mönchengladbach, 29km (18 miles) northwest of Düsseldorf, 32km (20 miles) south-west of Dinslaken and 16km (10 miles) east of the Dutch border town of Venlo.

At the turn of the first millennium, a rural settlement grew up around a manor of the Archbishop of Cologne, with the village of Kempen first being mentioned in documents in 1186. Around 1290, Kempen was rebuilt as a fortified town and in 1294, Kempen was first referred to as town in official documentation. By 1372, it had been awarded the economically important market law. A period of prosperity was enjoyed by the town in the late Middle Ages, during which time there was about 2,000 people living there. Today, the town is known locally as Thomasstadt and is named thus after the mystic Thomas a Kempis (1380-1471), who resided in the town during the Middle Ages.

The start of the 16th century saw a gradual decline of the town but worst was to follow in 1579, when the plague reached Kempen and killed almost half of the population. During the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648), after the Battle on Kempen Heath, the town was besieged and occupied by Hessian troops in 1642. In 1794, the left bank of the Rhine was annexed by French revolutionary troops, and by 1798, it had become the capital (chef-lieu) of the eponymous canton of the Département de la Roer.

After the Congress of Vienna in 1815, Kempen became a Prussian territory and, following local reforms in 1929, it became the administrative seat of Kempen-Krefeld. Further reforms followed in 1970, which saw the communities of Hüls, St. Hubert, Tönisberg and Schmalbroich joining Kempen and the localities of St. Peter and Unterwieden to form a new larger town of Kempen am Niederrhein. At the time of transmission, the town was celebrating its 675th anniversary year and likewise on 3rd November 1994, the town celebrated its 700th anniversary.

The Visiting Town

Bad Camberg is a town in the state of Hessen with a population of around 15,000 inhabitants and is located 175km (109 miles) south-east of Kempen.

The Venue

Städtische Oberschule für Mädchen
(Urban High School for Girls)

The games were played on the playing fields in the grounds of the Städtische Oberschule für Mädchen (latterly the Luise von Duesberg Gymnasium), the town’s all-girl grammar school which today houses around 850 pupils. The arena had been decked out to resemble a Wild West town, complete with a saloon bar façade.

The school’s roots date back to 1867 as the Höhere Töchterschule (Higher School for Daughters) in Kempen, with the lessons taking place in a house at 53 Engerstraße in the old town. In 1869, the present school was founded by the Ursulinenkongregation von Calvarienberg (Ursuline Congregation of Calvary) in Ahrweiler in the monastery on the Mülhausen road.

In 1875, the school was then dissolved and in 1892, a second foundation was laid down by the Genossenschaft der Schwestern Unserer Lieben Frau zu Mülhausen (Association of the Sisters of Our Lady of Mülhausen), with State recognition following in 1909. In 1938, the private school was closed and converted into a public school and in addition, the name was changed from Höhere Töchterschule into Städtische Oberschule für Mädchen (Urban High School for Girls), with the first exams being taken on 12th March 1938. In November 1944, the school system for a year was set, and the school moved to a new building, with instruction resuming on 15th October 1945. In 1966, the school moved to new premises at its present location, 42 Berliner Allee - and it was these that were visited by Spiel Ohne Grenzen for this 1969 Domestic Heat. The existing building was enlarged in 1977 by adding an extension before the school got its present name - Luise von Duesberg Gymnasium - in 1980.

The patron of the school is Luise Caroline Sophie Johanna von Duesberg who was born on 10th September 1833 in Berlin. She was the seventh child of Gerhard Franz Xaver Duesberg (1793-1872) of Borken. Louise entered the Ursuline Congregation on 28th August 1856 as Sister Hilaria. She was a teacher of elementary and higher education from 1860 until the beginning of 1867. Under Louise's leadership, not only were the nuns taught in the high school for girls, but she also set up a night school for them in the public elementary school and thus fulfilled the mission of the foundress Angela of Merici (1474-1540) in respect of girls' education and to help vulnerable children and young people. After many years living as Mother Superior at another monastery in Belgium, she returned to Germany to the Ursuline convent at Boppard, where she remained until her death on 19th December 1904.

The Games in Detail

Introduction

This heat opened to the strains of western-style music and an equestrian display by eight members from the Cowboy Club of Krefeld. This was followed by the entrance of the teams on horse-drawn carts and presenter Camillo Felgen attired in a cowboy outfit including Stetson, chaps and a sheriff’s badge.

Game 1 - The Tree Stump Lasso
(Der Baumstumpf Lasso)

The first game - ‘The Tree Stump Lasso’ (Der Baumstumpf Lasso) - was played individually over three minutes duration and witnessed Kempen presenting their Joker for play. The game featured three male competitors from each team on horseback, dressed as cowboys with lassos, and twelve tree stumps located at the bottom end of the 75m (246ft) course. On the whistle, the competitors had to race down the course to a given line and then attempt to lasso one of the tree stumps. If successful, they tightened the rope and then raced back to the start line with the stump in tow and then had to repeat the game. There was no limit to the number of attempts that could be made with the lasso. The team lassoing the greater number of stumps would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this straightforward game saw the participation of Bad Camberg and they successfully lassoed 7 tree stumps in total within the permitted time. The second heat featured Kempen and they were more adept in their lassoing skills and collected a total of 8 stumps.

Game 2 - The Totem Poles
(Die Totempfähle)

The second game - ‘The Totem Poles’ (Die Totempfähle) - was played in unison and witnessed Bad Camberg presenting their Joker for play. The game featured three male competitors from each team tied to a totem pole with a rope which was secured in the ground. On the whistle, the three competitors with their backs to the totem pole had to lift it off the ground utilising handles on the side and then rotate it in order to unwind the rope and make progress up the 25m (82ft) course. Once they had fully unwound the rope and crossed a given line, they had to place the pole down on a wooden tile which would set off a firecracker on the top of the totem pole. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Although this was a straightforward game, it was a very closely run race and saw Bad Camberg complete the course in just 37 seconds. Contemporaneously, Kempen crossed the given line but suffered a tumble and failed to place the totem pole on the tile. After receiving assistance from stagehands to stand the totem pole up, they eventually set off their firecracker after 56 seconds and completed the game. Bad Camberg had successfully won their Joker game - as Kempen had done before them - and in doing so they levelled the scores.

Game 3 - Black Eagle v. White Bear
(Schwarzen Adler gegen Weißen Bären)

The third game - ‘Black Eagle v. White Bear’ (Schwarzen Adler gegen Weißen Bären) - was played in unison over three minutes duration and featured two competitors (one male and one female) from each team dressed as an Indian chief and his squaw. At one end of the game there was a washing line with three items of clothing belonging to the squaw - trousers, shawl and headdress - whilst at the other end of the course, there was a wigwam in which she was housed. Located between the two, there was an iron bar with a movable saddle balanced over it and on which the male competitor was sitting. On the whistle, he had to grab a piece of clothing and place it around his neck and then push himself backwards along the bar until he could hand the item to his team-mate in the wigwam. He then had to pull himself back to the start in order to repeat the game. Once all three items had been handed over, the female joined him on the saddle and then working together, they had to move back up to the start of the game. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was another straightforward game which saw Kempen completing the game in 2 minutes 19 seconds whilst Bad Camberg completed the game in 2 minutes 53 seconds. The win was awarded to Kempen and they had regained the lead of the contest.

Game 4 - The Shooting Gallery
(Der Schießbude)

The fourth game - ‘The Shooting Gallery’ (Der Schießbude) - was played in unison over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured two male competitors from each team dressed as Red Indians. Armed with a bow and 20 arrows each, the competitors had to hit 10 moving targets at the end of the 15m (49ft 2½in) course. The team scoring the greater number of hits to the targets would be declared the winners.

This simple game was played out with relative ease and without incident until 1 minute 56 seconds of elapsed time, after which the moving targets suddenly stopped. Ensuring that both competitors were unarmed, a stagehand and the referees rushed in to release an errant arrow that had caused the problem. After restarting the game following the 17 seconds delay, it played out to a total time of 2 minutes 47 seconds. With all the targets checked, the referees announced that Bad Camberg had hit a total of 4 targets whilst Kempen had failed to hit any.

Game 5 - The Stagecoach
(Die Postkutsche)

The fifth game - ‘The Stagecoach’ (Die Postkutsche) - was played in unison by four male competitors from each team and had a surprise element to it. At the start of the game, there was a stagecoach complete with horse and driver and laden with 10 suitcases in the luggage rack on top, whilst at the rear of the stagecoach, the three remaining competitors were seen to be in a pushing stance. At this point, presenter Camillo Felgen explained that eagle-eyed viewers would notice that there was an extra wheel underneath the stagecoach and also that the door had a distinct zigzag marking from top to bottom. He then revealed the ingenuity of the designer by stating that the coach was, in fact, built in two halves. On the whistle, the teams had to make their way up the 75m (246ft) course, ensuring that the two halves of the coach stayed together - hence the pushing stance by the rear competitors - and maintaining the 10 suitcases on top of the stagecoach. Any suitcase that was not on the stagecoach at the end of the game would incur a 30-second penalty. The team completing the game in the faster overall time would be declared the winners.

It was apparent from the outset that the teams would encounter problems with the design of the game. Whilst Kempen set off at a steady pace holding their coach together, Bad Camberg suffered a mishap after the horse decided that it actually wanted to turn right instead of heading forward. Whilst the referees assisted the team to recompose the horse and the stagecoach, Kempen had already reached the turnaround point at the end of the course and it appeared that it would be an outright victory by the home team. However, just as their stagecoach was manoeuvred around, they also suffered a mishap after the horse refused to move and the two halves of the coach separated, causing the suitcases to tumble to the ground. Contemporaneously, Bad Camberg were up and running again and raced up the course, turning the stagecoach around and racing back to the start, and crossing the line in 1 minute 42 seconds. The referees stated that the game would continue, as the time taken would be dependant on the number of suitcases brought back in the correct manner. However by this time, Kempen had conceded defeat and abandoned the stagecoach at the far end of the course, with only the front half returning to the start - which incidentally was very hilarious to watch! The result was decisive and Bad Camberg had won the game by default.

Intermission Mini-Contest

Details of the intermission mini-contest at this heat had been forwarded to both of the competing towns some weeks in advance, with the teams picking six members of their local council (which included the mayor, councillors and administrative heads of departments) to grow beards in the period leading up to the contest. Photographs were taken by the production company beforehand of their clean-shaven faces so that no cheating would be claimed by the other team. On the day of the contest, the six chosen councillors stood behind wooden boards whilst photographs of their clean-shaven faces were displayed below. The referees then asked each contestant which part of their beard they would like measured and then used a micrometer to ascertain the lengths of each. The lengths were then added together and the team with the greater total would be declared the winners.

After all the measurements had been taken and totalled, referee Helmut Konrad declared that an overall total of 408mm (15¾in) had been grown by both teams, with Bad Camberg having a total of 196mm (7½in) whilst Kempen had a total of 212mm (8¼in). When presenter Camillo Felgen questioned one of the Kempen team as to the secret of his long beard, he explained that he had had the assistance of one of their local pharmacists, Heinrich Brünsing, who had secretly produced a growth tincture (Wachstums-Tinktur) in his laboratory, which he massaged into his face!

This was followed by the losing 6 councillors taking seats on the veranda of the saloon bar and having their beards shaved off by barbers using cutthroat razors. The cameras returned to this event on several occasions throughout the remainder of the programme.

Game 6 - Panning for Gold
(Goldwaschens)

The sixth game - ‘Panning for Gold’ (Goldwaschens) - was played individually over two minutes duration and featured a male competitor and two male team-mates from each team, a large wooden beam balance and a ‘river’ littered with ‘gold’ objects. Whilst two of the competitors were standing adjacent to a large basket, the third was sitting on a swing hanging from one end of the beam in the river. On the whistle, the competitor in the water searched beneath the surface for an item of ‘gold’ (in reality this comprised teapots, plates, dishes and pots, etc.) and then had to place it into a groove on the top of the beam above his head. The two team-mates on the bank then had to pull down on their side of the balance in order to raise the other end which would ultimately cause the ‘gold’ to roll down and into the basket. They then had to release the beam to ‘dip’ the competitor back into the river and repeat the game. Only one item could be placed on the beam per dip and the team-mates had to ensure that the angle of descent was correct otherwise the ‘gold’ would miss the basket as it dropped and not be counted. The team collecting the greater number of items would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this straightforward game saw the participation of Kempen and although they collected 9 items from the river, only 8 of them were successfully guided into the basket. The second heat featured Bad Camberg and whilst they also collected 9 items, only 7 of them were guided into the basket successfully. The win was awarded to Kempen and the scores were once again level.

Game 7 - The Saloon Bar Stage Show
(Der Saloon-Bar Bühnenshow)

The seventh game - ‘The Saloon Bar Stage Show’ (Der Saloon-Bar Bühnenshow) - was played individually over two minutes duration and featured a male competitor from each team armed with Velcro balls and a circular board covered in Velcro pads. In opposition, there were two male team members - one secured to a circular board with one arm in a wooden tube and the other standing adjacent to him. On the whistle, the competitor had to throw the balls at the target to make them stick onto the pads whilst the standing opposition member turned the board by means of a handle and the other used the wooden tube to deflect the balls. The team with the greater number of balls attached to the board would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this simple game saw the participation of Kempen and they attached 20 balls to the board. The second heat featured Bad Camberg but they were not so successful and could only attach 16 balls to the target. Kempen were out in the lead again.

Game 8 - The Mustangs
(Die Mustangs)

The eighth game - ‘The Mustangs’ (Die Mustangs) - was played in unison over two runs and featured two male competitors from each team dressed in mustang costumes. On the whistle, one of the competitors from each team had to run up a course comprising eight small hurdles and a balance beam on the outward journey and nine small hurdles on the return journey. He then had to tag his team-mate to complete the second run in the same manner. A penalty of 10 seconds would be incurred for each hurdle knocked over. The team completing the game in the faster overall time would be declared the winners.

A very straightforward and simple game saw Bad Camberg finish in 1 minute 12 seconds but they had incurred 30 (3 x 10) seconds in penalties, giving them an overall time of 1 minute 42 seconds. Kempen had finished the course in a much slower time of 1 minute 41 seconds but incurred no penalties and secured victory by just 1 second!

Game 9 - Rounding-Up the Calves
(Aufrundung die Kälber)

The ninth and penultimate game - ‘Rounding-Up the Calves’ (Aufrundung die Kälber) - was played in unison over four minutes duration and featured two male competitors from each team, dressed in giant cow costumes, and 30 black and white Friesian calves. At the start of the game, the calves were corralled at one end of the course whilst the competitors were at the far end of the course, standing in front of their individual holding pens. On the whistle, the competitors had to walk up the course and attempt to herd the calves and steer them down the course towards and into their pens. The team with the greater number of calves penned would be declared the winners.

This straightforward and somewhat hilarious game ended with Kempen corralling 2 calves into their pen whilst Bad Camberg had failed to score. Even with double points available on the final game, Kempen had already done enough to guarantee victory.

Game 10 - Let the Waggons Roll
(Ließ die Waggons Rollen)

The tenth and final game - ‘Let the Waggons Roll’ (Ließ die Waggons Rollen) - featured five male competitors from each team and a large waggon. Hanging from the ends of the waggon’s framework and standing on each of the wheels were four of the competitors, whilst the fifth competitor was sitting at the front of the waggon. On the whistle, the team had to manoeuvre the waggon through ski-gates from one end of a 100m (328ft) meandering course to the other in a unique style. Whilst the four ‘hanging’ competitors had to rotate the wheels by stepping on the spokes as they revolved, the fifth competitor had to steer the tongue of the waggon with his feet. A 10-second penalty would be incurred for any ski-gates that were touched or knocked down whilst traversing the course. The team completing the course in the faster overall time would be declared the winners.

From the outset of this straightforward game, Kempen took the lead and maintained it throughout. With neither team suffering any mishap or penalties, this was purely a straight race to the finish. Kempen crossed the finish line in 1 minute 23 seconds whilst Bad Camberg finished in 1 minute 31 seconds.

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

D

Spiel Ohne Grenzen 1969

Heat 4

Event Staged: Saturday 24th May 1969
Venue: Freibades (Open-Air Swimming Pools), Minden an der Weser,
Nordrhein-Westfalen, West Germany

Transmission:
WDR 1 (D): Saturday 24th May 1969, 3.00-4.15pm (Live)

Referees on Duty:
Hans Ebersberger and assistants Peter Hochrath and Helmut Konrad

Weather Conditions: Warm and Sunny with Strong Winds

Theme: Eskimos in the Arctic (Eskimos im Arktischen)

Teams: Kandel in der Pfalz v. Minden an der Weser

Team Members included:
Minden an der Weser - Peter Dracher, Veronica Kind, Klaus Mähler, Ludwig Treisch, Hans Zeller.

Games: Construction of the Igloo, The Fishing Nets, The Polar Bears and the Pack Ice, Harpooning Fish, An Iceberg Sleigh Ride, The Ice Floe Train, Catching the Seals, Catching Fish (Split-Spiel), Jumping the Rings, Moby Dick

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard:

1st
2nd

 M • Minden an der Weser ● ●
 K • Kandel in der Pfalz

14
12

Minden an der Weser qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Martigny, Switzerland:
staged on Wednesday 6th August 1969

The Host Town

Minden an der Weser, Nordrhein-Westfalen

Minden an der Weser is a town in the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen with a population of around 83,000 inhabitants. It is located 40km (25 miles) north-east of Bielefeld, 60km (37 miles) west of Hannover, 60km east of Osnabrück and 80km (50 miles) south of Bremen.

The first recorded mention of Minden is in the Franconian Imperial Annals (Reichsannalen), of Charlemagne (742-814 AD) holding an imperial assembly there in 798 AD. Charlemagne founded a bishopric in Minden around the year 800 AD, and the rights to hold a market, to mint coins and to collect customs duties were granted to the town in 977 AD. Until the beginning of the 13th century, the bishop appointed the leader and administrator of the town, with the title of Wichgraf. The citizens of Minden and their council obtained independence from the rule of the bishop around the year 1230 and received a town charter, at which time it added the suffix ‘an der Weser’. They utilised these new rights to begin trading independently from the church. The profits from this led to the further growth of the town.

The Battle of Minden took place in front of the gates of Minden an der Weser on 1st August 1759, during the Seven Years' War (1756-1763). The allies of Great Britain, led by Duke Ferdinand of Brunswick (1721-1792), defeated the French and their allies in a decisive battle. The region remained Prussian and the adjacent Kingdom of Hannover remained in the possession of the English king.

Minden an der Weser sustained severe damage from bombardment during World War II (1939-1945). These attacks were minor during the early phase of the war. The raid on 26th October 1944 on the canal aqueduct resulted in the breaching of the Mittelland Canal and the drowning of numerous workers in a nearby air raid shelter. The last and most devastating air raid was conducted by US Army Air Force B17s on 28th March 1945. This almost completely destroyed the town centre, including the town hall and the 1,000-year old cathedral, and resulted in the deaths of more than 180 people.

The town is widely known as the intersection of the Mittelland Canal and the River Weser. The Mittelland Canal traverses the town from east to west, whilst the Weser flows from south to north. These waterways cross in the northern area of the town at the 370m (1,214ft) long Minden Aqueduct (Wasserstraßenkreuz Minden), the second-longest in Europe. It was constructed on the site of the old canal bridge which had become too small for the much larger vessels that were using the canal and was completed in 1998.

Today, Minden an der Weser contains many middle-sized companies, the best known of which is Melitta for its coffee products which include filter paper and coffee-makers. It is named after Melitta Bentz (1873-1950), who founded the company after she invented the drip brew paper coffee filter (German patent granted on 8th July 1908). The company has been located in the town since 1929 and controls the Melitta-Group from here.

The Visiting Town

Kandel in der Pfalz is a town in the state of Rheinland-Pfalz with a population of around 9,000 inhabitants and is located 350km (217 miles) south of Minden an der Weser.

The Venue

Freibades (Open-Air Swimming Pools)

The games were played at the local open-swimming pool complex which had been transformed into the Arctic Circle, complete with a giant iceberg in the main pool. The complex was built in 1930 but, due to a lack of council funds, it fell into disrepair and was closed to the public in 1999. Fortunately, although the pools were closed and emptied, they were not demolished but they gradually began to fall into a further state of dilapidation. However, throughout this period of closure, its reopening was always in the minds of the council and residents alike.

On 17th May 2001, there was a breakthrough when the town council decided that a financial grant should be allocated for that year to start work on the complex’s reopening. Three weeks later however, the council realised that it did not have all this money, and the reopening was once again in doubt. Later that year, in November 2001, the mayor announced a U-turn and stated that they would invest €1,023,000 (£634,873) for the conversion into a nature park. This proposal would see a natural swimming lake built in the park with it opening in 2003. However, by February 2002 this proposal was also abandoned, after councillors voted that the money should be invested in schools rather than on leisure facilities. The future of the complex was once again put on hold.

Finally in mid-2002, after three years of political banter and with the cost of repair and upgrade rising to around nearly two million euros (£1,237,600), a private consortium stepped in and agreed to reopen the complex without any financial support from the council. To assist with the upkeep of the complex during the autumn and winter closure, the pool areas were to be used as skating rinks, an outdoor cinema and for canoe polo tournaments.

Following the private takeover, the pools were in a very dilapidated condition. The three-year period of neglect, in addition to the lack of care in its last operational year, was really evident at the complex. In order to bring the pools back to current standards, a huge investment was required to repair the damage to underground pipes, technical installations (solar system, chlorination, sanitation) as well as the impacts of vandalism and aging. Because of the low funding at the beginning, and with the work requiring expert knowledge, the consortium made a contract with various professionals in that they would become shareholders rather than receiving payment.

The complex was officially reopened in the summer of 2003 and to this day remains financially sound. The activities during the autumnal and hibernal months have created a growth in enthusiasm in recent years and have permitted Minden's residents and visitors to enjoy the pools during the summer months without fear of any future closure.

The Games in Detail

Game 1 - Construction of the Igloo
(Bau des Iglus)

The first game - ‘Construction of the Igloo’ (Bau des Iglus) - was played in unison over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured four male competitors from each team dressed as Eskimos. Whilst three of them were standing on floating platforms in the pool, the fourth stood on a specially constructed iceberg on the poolside. On the whistle, the competitor on the iceberg had to throw a total of 17 pieces of a polystyrene igloo to the first of the water-based Eskimos, who in turn passed it to the second and then onto the third. The third competitor then had to lay the pieces down and gradually construct a complete igloo. The team completing the igloo in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This rather straightforward game was very closely contested, with both teams handing their final pieces of the igloos to their first water-based competitors at the exact same time. However, Minden an der Weser had the slight edge and threw it to their final competitor first, but unfortunately he failed to keep hold of it and it fell into the pool. This permitted Kandel in der Pfalz to complete their igloo first in 1 minute 15 seconds.

Game 2 - The Fishing Nets
(Die Fischernetze)

The second game - ‘The Fishing Nets’ (Die Fischernetze) - was played individually over two minutes duration and featured two female competitors from each team dressed as Eskimos. On the whistle, the two competitors had to cross the pool utilising four large nets which spanned its width. The nets were hanging from elasticated ropes and would sink into the water when any weight was placed on them. In the fourth net, there were 20 polystyrene fish which had to be collected and brought back and thrown onto the poolside. There was no limit as to the number of fish carried by each competitor on each run, but any dropped along the way would be discounted from the game. The team collecting the greater number of fish would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Minden an der Weser and on their first run they collected 4 fish in 1 minute 5 seconds. Although it appeared that the team had actually collected 5 fish, the referees had disallowed the fifth one, as it had been deemed to have fallen into the water before being thrown onto the poolside. The two competitors completed both their second runs in 1 minute 49 seconds and had collected a further 4 fish, bringing their total to 8 fish. With just 11 seconds remaining on the game, and despite the efforts of their leading competitor, the team were unable to increase the score within the time permitted.

The second heat featured Kandel in der Pfalz and their competitors had collected 3 fish after 51 seconds of elapsed time. Their second run was completed in 1 minute 49 seconds and saw them collecting a further 3 fish, bringing their total to 6 fish. As was the case with their rivals, there was not enough time remaining for their leading competitor to bring any further fish to the poolside and the game ended 8-6.

Game 3 - The Polar Bears and the Pack Ice
(Die Eisbären und das Packeis)

The third game - ‘The Polar Bears and the Pack Ice’ (Die Eisbären und das Packeis) - was played in unison and featured two male competitors from each team, one was dressed in a polar bear costume standing at the poolside, whilst the other, dressed as an Eskimo, was standing on a floating podium in the pool. At the edge of the pool, there was a piece of pack ice which was attached to a circular rope, which in turn was connected by a pulley to the other end of the pool. On the whistle, the polar bear had to step onto the ice and remain upright whilst a team-mate turned a handle in order to pull the rope and move the ice up the 50m (164ft) pool. As the competitor approached the halfway point, the opposition Eskimo had to try and dislodge him by bombarding him with up to 64 large polystyrene ice balls. The game was played over four lengths of the pool and the team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a straightforward game which required good balancing skills and saw disaster befall both teams on their first length when their competitors tumbled into the pool. With the fur costumes soaking wet and much heavier than at the start of the game, the art of balancing became more difficult than previously. However, both competitors recomposed themselves and climbed back onto their respective ice pieces. Minden an der Weser were the first to complete the first return journey after 1 minute 16 seconds of elapsed time and they were followed shortly afterwards by Kandel in der Pfalz in 1 minute 21 seconds. With neither of the teams suffering any further mishap, Minden an der Weser retained their lead and finished the second return journey, completing the game in 2 minutes 25 seconds.

Game 4 - Harpooning Fish
(Fisch Stechen)

The fourth game - ‘Harpooning Fish’ (Fisch Stechen) - was played individually over two minutes duration and witnessed Kandel in der Pfalz presenting their Joker for play. The game featured a male competitor from each team, dressed as an Eskimo, standing on the 3m (9ft 10¼in) high static diving board, armed with a harpoon, and in the pool below were several segregated areas containing polystyrene fish. On the whistle, the competitor had to aim the weapon at the fish and try to harpoon them one at a time and bring them back to the diving board and then repeat the process within the time permitted. The team harpooning the greater number of fish would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Kandel in der Pfalz and their competitor harpooned a total of 8 fish from sixteen attempts, which at first glance appeared to be an easy target to emulate.

The second heat featured Minden an der Weser but their competitor was not as accurate with his target skills as his rival and could only harpoon a total of 5 fish from sixteen attempts. However, when the result was declared, the referees had only permitted 4 of the fish to count. The discrepancy arose from the fact that when the fourth fish was landed, the competitor had failed to lay it flat on the diving board and it was blown away by the strong winds circulating around the arena. Although this decision appeared harsh on the team, it did not affect the overall score of the game. Kandel in der Pfalz had won their Joker game.

Game 5 - An Iceberg Sleigh Ride
(Ein Eisberg Schlittenfahrt)

The fifth game - ‘An Iceberg Sleigh Ride’ (Ein Eisberg Schlittenfahrt) - was played in unison over four minutes duration and featured four male competitors from each team armed with small sleighs at the top of the iceberg. At the base, there was a small inclined ramp leading into the pool, above which a number of fish were hanging from a wire. On the whistle, the first competitor would be released down the iceberg but, before tumbling into the pool, he had to grab the fish from the wire above. For safety reasons, hence the extended time limit, there was a slight delay between ensuing competitors' descents to enable their team-mates to get clear of the game. Once out of the pool, the competitor had to climb back to the top of the iceberg via a series of steps at the side of the incline and then hang any fish caught onto hooks above the start. There was no limit to the number of fish that could be grabbed on each descent and only fish that had been cleanly caught would be counted by the referees. The team collecting the greater number of fish would be declared the winners.

A straightforward game saw Kandel in der Pfalz catching a total of 3 fish whilst Minden an der Weser had caught a total of 5 fish. The scores had been levelled.

Intermission Mini-Contest

The intermission mini-contest was designed for people who were the opposite of the normal archetypal Spiel Ohne Grenzen competitor. The game was played by three members from each team, who were all on the portly side. It saw them doing battle on the poolside in a giant seesaw supported by wooden struts under each end. The teams were also joined by a member of the public who was plucked from the crowd during the first half of the programme. The choice of person would be of great importance as would be seen at the end of the game. The visiting team of Kandel in der Pfalz had chosen a rather rotund female who claimed to weigh around 245lb (17st 7lb or 111.13kg), whilst the home team of Minden an der Weser had chosen a portly gentlemen weighing 300lb (21st 6lb / 136kg). The idea of the game was for all four members from each team to climb into a special box built at each end of the seesaw and on the whistle, the three competing members had 1 minute 30 seconds to collect as much water in small buckets from the pool and then empty them into their side of the seesaw. After the game had finished, the struts were knocked away by stagehands. The heavier side would naturally lower to the ground and would be declared the winners.

The game ended with the Kandel in der Pfalz end lowering to the ground and it appeared that it was a clear cut victory. However, the Minden an der Weser competitors then repositioned themselves and their end began to lower to the ground. Presenter Camillo Felgen stood somewhat agog with this and asked the referees for their judgement. They requested that all the team members from each team stand upright at the same time and then asked them to take their original pose. The seesaw began to balance out but then the Minden an der Weser end returned to the lower position and the referees declared it to be a 2-1 win for the home team and the town was awarded the prize to be spent on toys for handicapped children.

Game 6 - The Ice Floe Train
(Der Eisschollen Zug)

The sixth game - ‘The Ice Floe Train’ (Der Eisschollen Zug) - was played in unison and featured five male competitors from each team, dressed as Eskimos, armed with five pieces of an ice floe and a rope spanning the 25m (82ft) pool. On the whistle, the first competitor had to place one of the ice floe pieces into the pool and lie face up on it. The second competitor then handed him another piece of ice and he placed it behind his head and then the second competitor straddled across him to reach the empty piece. He then had to take the same pose as his team-mate but with his feet tucked under the armpits of the first competitor. This was repeated by the third, fourth and fifth competitors until all five were lying on the ice floe and had created a connected ‘train’. The team then utilised the rope to pull themselves backwards across to the other side of the pool where each competitor had to touch the side of the pool. Once completed, the team then had to play the game in reverse and pull themselves back to the other side in the forward position and then touch the other side of the pool. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Although this was a straightforward game, it was quiet balletic to watch, especially when the teams began to make their away across the pool on the first leg of the game. Minden in der Weser were first to start traversing the pool after 1 minute 33 seconds of elapsed time with Kandel in der Pfalz starting 10 seconds after them. There was to be no change in these positions and the game ended with Minden in der Weser completing the game in 2 minutes 21 seconds and Kandel in der Pfalz finishing in 2 minutes 28 seconds. The team of Minden an der Weser had regained the lead.

Split-Spiel, Part 1 - Catching Fish
(Fischen Fangen)

The next game - ‘Catching Fish’ (Fischen Fangen) - was the Split-Spiel which was played individually in the smaller of the two pools. It was played in two parts over two minutes duration and featured two male competitors from each team and a pyramid-shaped iceberg with a large netted basket at the top and a shoal of fish around its base. The competitors were attached to each other by a rope and, at the start of the game, one of them was in the water on one side of the iceberg, whilst the other was at the top of the iceberg on the other side. On the whistle, the competitor at the top of the iceberg had to lower himself down to the water and this ultimately resulted in the second competitor, who was already in the water, ascending to the top with a fish. He then had to place the fish into the basket and the game was repeated throughout. However, due to the fish floating in the pool, the competitors had to move themselves into position around the iceberg in order to collect the fish. The team collecting the greater number of fish would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this simple game saw the participation of Minden an der Weser and they collected a total of 26 fish.

Game 7 - Catching the Seals
(Abfangen die Robben)

The seventh game - ‘Catching the Seals’ (Abfangen die Robben) - was played in unison over three minutes duration and witnessed Minden an der Weser presenting their Joker for play. The game featured three female competitors from each team in circular kayaks joined by ropes and five inflated seals located on ice floes in the pool. On the whistle, the competitors had to paddle up the pool and ’catch’ the seals and put them in the kayaks. The ice floes had to be traversed using a zigzagging course and once all five seals had been collected, the competitors had to paddle back to the poolside. A heavy penalty of 20 seconds would be incurred for each seal that was not brought back to the finish of the game. The team completing the game in the faster overall time would be declared the winners.

This straightforward game was a neck and neck contest up to the turnaround point, but then Kandel in der Pfalz failed to keep a grip on one of the seals and it fell into the pool. Contemporaneously, it appeared that Minden an der Weser had forgotten to collect the final seal. On observing this ‘error’, Kandel in der Pfalz headed for home, but Minden an der Weser were not to be outdone and backed up and collected the final seal. Although Kandel in der Pfalz completed the course in 1 minute 55 seconds, they had incurred a penalty of 20 seconds for the missing seal and were declared as having an overall time of 2 minutes 15 seconds. Although Minden an der Weser took longer to complete the course in 2 minutes 3 seconds, they did so without incurring any penalty, their quick thinking giving them the win on their Joker game.

Split-Spiel, Part 2 - Catching Fish
(Fischen Fangen)

The second round of the Split-Spiel featured Kandel in der Pfalz and by the halfway mark of one minute they had collected 16 fish. Working at a constant rate, the competitors had emulated the target total of 26 fish after 1 minute 42 seconds of elapsed time and their final total was declared as 30 fish.

Game 8 - Jumping the Rings
(Ring Springen)

The eighth and penultimate game - ‘Jumping the Rings’ (Ring Springen) - was played individually over two minutes duration and featured three male competitors from each team standing on the diving board. In the pool below were two sets of five rings, each with a different points value. The set of three nearest to the diving board were valued at 15pts each and the furthest from the board were valued at 20pts each. On the whistle, the competitors had to take it in turn to run up and dive through a ring, then repeat the game as many times as time permitted. The team accumulating the greater total of points would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this straightforward game saw the participation of Kandel in der Pfalz and they made a total of 20 dives with each one scoring 20pts, giving them a total score of 400pts.

The second heat featured Minden an der Weser and they made a total of 22 dives with each one scoring 20pts also. However, only 21 of them were executed cleanly and therefore their score was declared as 420pts. The win was awarded to Minden an der Weser and they had already secured victory in the competition.

Game 9 - Moby Dick
(Moby Dick)

The ninth and final game - ‘Moby Dick’ (Moby Dick) - was very straightforward and featured three male competitors from each team, dressed as Eskimos, and a large polystyrene whale. In the water, at one end of the pool, was a giant inflated whale with a competitor underneath and inside its body, whilst a second competitor was standing aloft the whale’s back. On the whistle, the competitor inside the whale had to swim the length of the pool, whilst his team-mate remained standing. On reaching the iceberg at the other end, the third competitor had to climb onto the whale’s back and then get onto his team-mate’s shoulders and remain in that position for the return journey. A penalty of 30 seconds would be incurred if the competitors failed to remain standing on the outward journey or if they failed to stay on the shoulders of their team-mate on the return journey. The team completing the game in the faster overall time would be declared the winners.

With the outcome of the contest already known, Minden an der Weser relaxed somewhat and this permitted Kandel in der Pfalz to take control from the start. It ended without incident with Kandel in der Pfalz completing the game in 1 minute 58 seconds and Minden an der Weser finishing in 2 minutes 23 seconds.

Records and Statistics

At the start of this programme, presenter Camillo Felgen welcomed the visiting team from Kandel in der Pfalz by thanking their one thousand supporters who had made the 600km (373 miles) journey by road to Minden an der Weser. This would be recorded as the furthest distance between competing teams in the history of Spiel Ohne Grenzen. Today however, with the building of autobahns and more accessible roads, the driving distance between the two towns has been reduced to only 493km (306 miles).

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

D

Spiel Ohne Grenzen 1969

Heat 5

Event Staged: Saturday 31st May 1969
Venue: Alte Liebe (Old Love), Cuxhaven,
Niedersachsen, West Germany

Transmission:
WDR 1 (D): Saturday 31st May 1969, 2.45-4.00pm (Live)

Referees on Duty:
Werner Treichel and assistants Peter Hochrath and Helmut Konrad

Weather Conditions: Overcast and Warm with a Sea Breeze

Theme: Pirates on the High Seas (Piraten über die Hohe See)

Teams: Cuxhaven v. Wolfsburg

Team Members included:
Cuxhaven - Ulva Kalvite, Reinhard Oßenmeier;
Wolfsburg - Bärbel Auweiler, Bernd Auweiler, Volker Auweiler, Wolfgang Auweiler, Bertram Beorg, Josef Korn, Ulrika Müchtiger, Sigried Müller, Monika Plaat, Werner Prante, Maria Skritek, Leo Sprey, Ulrich Steecher, Leo Zimmermann.

Games: Setting Sail, The Sea Battle, Hijacking the Ship, The Ship’s Crates, The Admirals of the Spanish Armada, Roll Out the Barrels, The Big Cannon, The Pirates’ Boots, The Marksmen, The Ship’s Mast

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard:

1st
2nd

 W • Wolfsburg ● ●
 C • Cuxhaven

14
12

Wolfsburg qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Wolfsburg, West Germany:
staged on Wednesday 20th August 1969

The Host Town

Cuxhaven, Niedersachsen

Cuxhaven is an independent town and port in the state of Niedersachsen with a population of around 52,000 inhabitants. It is located on the shore of the North Sea at the mouth of the Elbe River, 87km (54 miles) north of Bremen, 92km (57 miles) north-west of Hamburg, 103km (64 miles) south of Leck and 113km (70 miles) north-east of Emden.

The name Cuxhaven derives from the words koog, a Low German and Scandinavian name for reclaimed land and hafen (port or dock). The land was formed between 1530 and 1570 after two polders were dammed and which were further extended in the 17th century. Historical forms of the name were Kuckshafen (from 1570), Kukeshaven (1577), Kuxhaven (1594) and Koogshaven (1700).

The town, and its precursor Ritzebüttel, belonged to Hamburg from the 13th century until 1937. Ritzebüttel, today a part of Cuxhaven, was originally a part of the Land of Hadeln, but in 1394 the city of Hamburg conquered the fortress of Ritzebüttel and made it its stronghold to protect the estuary of the River Elbe, which connects that city with the open sea. On 15th March 1907, Cuxhaven gained city status within the state of Hamburg.

Between 1933 and 1964, the area around Cuxhaven was a haven for rocket experiments. The two most famous being the first successful flights of rockets developed by Ernst Mohr (1910-1989), a German professor of mechanical engineering. The rockets had a length of 1.7m (5ft 6in) and a total mass of 150kg (330lb 11oz), with 75kg (165lb 5½oz) of this being propellant. At its first launch on 14th September 1958, the rocket reached a height of 50km (31 miles) and travelled at a speed of 1.2 km (3,960ft) per second. The second of the two was on 16th May 1959, when the first mail-rockets were launched. These rockets carried 5000 postcards over a distance of 3km (1¾ miles). The letters transported with these rockets received special stamps which are nowadays greatly coveted by philatelists.

The town is today home to an important fisherman's wharf and ship registration point for the City of Hamburg as well as the Kiel Canal. In civilian shipping, a dockyard of the Hamburg-America Line was significant here from May 1889. The Augusta Victoria, the first European liner with twin propellers, broke the then record to sail to New York. On her maiden voyage, she made the crossing in just seven days!

Tourism is also of great importance with its origins going back to 1816 when a seaside resort was founded in Cuxhaven. Since 1964, Cuxhaven has been a state-recognized climate seaside resort (Seeheilbad) and centre of the so-called holiday region of Cuxland. The town’s quarters of Duhnen, Döse and Sahlenburg are especially popular vacation spots during the summer months. A highlight for many visitors is a trip to the island of Neuwerk which is located a few kilometres northwest of Cuxhaven in the North Sea. At low tide, the water recedes far enough from the coast that the island, a Hamburg dependency and home to around 40 residents, can be reached either by mudflat hiking or by horse and carriage.

The city's symbol, known as the Kugelbake, is a beacon once used as a lighthouse. The wooden landmark on the mouth of the Elbe marks the boundary between the river and the North Sea and also adorns the city's coat of arms.

The Visiting Town

Wolfsburg is a city in the state of Niedersachsen with a population of around 125,000 inhabitants and is located 212km (132 miles) south-east of Cuxhaven.

The Venue

Alte Liebe (Old Love)

The games were played on a grassed area located on the quayside adjacent to the Alte Liebe (or Old Love), a well-known pier with a two-storey observation deck in the town’s harbour which serves as a boarding point for ships to the islands of Neuwerk and Helgoland.

Many people come here to relax and to utilise the small artificial lake to sail their miniature radio-controlled craft in addition to watching and marvelling at the ships that pass by the harbour on their way to the open sea. To assist these ‘ship-watchers’, a loudspeaker system informs them of the size and origin of the ships as they pass through.

The name of the pier is open to interpretation as there are many theories as to its origin. The most popular of these was proposed by German sailor and author Johann Wilhelm Kinau (1880-1916). Kinau, who wrote under the pseudonym of Gorch Fock, died at the Battle of Jutland (31st May-1st June 1916), when the ship on which he was serving as a lookout, the light cruiser SMS Wiesbaden, was sunk. He had stated that the name was inspired by an old sailboat named Olivia, which served as an investor pontoon and was referred to by the sailors as ‘Oliv’, and from this Low German word derived the name ‘old love’. Another explanation, and the most plausible, is that it was named after one of three old ships, Alte Liebe, owned by hydraulic engineer Captain Spanninger that were filled with ballast and scuttled outside Cuxhaven harbour in 1833.

Construction work of the bulwark or bastion, which demarcated the harbour entrance from the Elbe’s current, began in 1733. In the harbour is a now out-of-service lightship, suitably named Elbe 1, which served as a guide for passing ships between 1948 and 1988. Although still seaworthy, she no longer acts as a navigational aid, but as an excursion boat during maritime festivals.

The Games in Detail

Game 1 - Setting Sail
(Einstellungssegel)

The first game - ‘Setting Sail’ (Einstellungssegel) - was played in unison over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and without commentary. It featured two male competitors from each team in a rowing boat mounted on a six-wheeled platform and a 50m (164ft) course with 50 wooden stakes embedded into the ground on either side. On the whistle, the two competitors, each armed with giant wooden paddles, had to utilise the stakes to pull against in order to row their boats down the course. The team completing the course in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This opening game was simple in execution and designed to test the strength of competitors with strong upper body muscles and, although Cuxhaven led the race for the majority of the game, Wolfsburg overtook them in the closing stages and completed the course in 1 minute 34 seconds followed by Cuxhaven in 1 minute 57 seconds.

Game 2 - The Sea Battle
(Die Seekampf)

The second game - ‘The Sea Battle’ (Die Seekampf) - was played in unison over three minutes duration on the small artificial lake located on the grassed area. It featured three male competitors from each team armed with remote control units. On the whistle, each of the trio had to steer a small galleon towards and around a floating buoy. Once completed, they could then attack their opponents’ galleons in order to upturn them. If successful, the upturning would set off a small firecracker which would cause an explosion and smoke to bellow from the wounded vessel. The team sinking all three of their opponents’ galleons in the faster time would be declared the winners.

From the outset, Cuxhaven were handed a bonus when one of the Wolfsburg team steered his galleon too fast when negotiating the buoy and the boat upturned itself after 22 seconds of elapsed time. The second of the Wolfsburg vessels was upturned after 1 minute 6 seconds and, with their third already entangled on the front of another of the Cuxhaven galleons, it was just a matter of waiting for the clock to tick by to secure victory. The referees declared that Cuxhaven had won the game by having all 3 of their galleons still afloat whilst Wolfsburg only had 1 remaining.

Game 3 - Hijacking the Ship
(Entführung der Schiffs)

The third game - ‘Hijacking the Ship’ (Entführung der Schiffs) - was played individually over four minutes duration and featured five male competitors from each team. On the arena, the West German television production company had built two half-size replicas of pirate galleons some 10m (32ft 9¾in) apart. On the whistle, the competitors had to throw two ropes with weights attached across the void in order to hook them over bars on the other ship. If successful, a stagehand would secure them in place and then the competitors had to swing across to the other ship and the time taken. The teams could make as many attempts within the time permitted, but the ropes had to land cleanly over the bar before being given confirmation by the referee for the rope to be secured by the stagehand. A 20-second penalty would be incurred on each occasion a competitor touched the ground with their feet whilst transferring from one galleon to the other. The team completing the game in the faster overall time would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Wolfsburg and, after being hampered by inaccurate throwing and strong winds blowing off the North Sea, they secured the ropes in place on their third attempt and made their way across the void, completing the game in 3 minutes 5 seconds.

The second heat featured Cuxhaven and they were not as accurate with their throwing skills as their rivals, taking five attempts before securing the ropes. The elapsed time at this point was 2 minutes 19 seconds and they had just 46 seconds to get all five competitors across the ropes. Although the team made it across in 3 minutes 1 second, the referees declared that in their haste, the third of the three competitors had touched the ground and had incurred a penalty of 20 seconds as a consequence. With this added, the overall time for Cuxhaven was 3 minutes 21 seconds. The win, therefore, went Wolfsburg's way.

Game 4 - The Ship’s Crates
(Die Schiffskisten)

The fourth game - ‘The Ship’s Crates’ (Die Schiffskisten) - was played individually over three minutes duration and featured two male competitors from each team. On one side of the small lake, there were a number of large crates that had been plundered from the ship, and these had to be carried by the competitors across to the island (the other side) by walking along two 20m (65ft 7½in) parallel poles spanning the water. They then had to work together, back-to-back, leaning on each other for support. The competitors were required to make two crossings of the lake within the time and had to carry two crates on each occasion. If any of the crates were dropped, the competitors had to recover them from the lake before repeating the crossing again. The team completing the two crossings with four crates in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Cuxhaven and they completed their first crossing in 24 seconds. On their second crossing, they encountered a few problems after they dropped one of the crates in the lake. After recomposing themselves, they had almost made it across when they suffered the same fate again. After recovering the crates and returning to the start of the game for the second time, elapsed time was at 2 minutes 43 seconds and with just 17 seconds remaining it was a lost cause. The Cuxhaven team were declared to have collected just 2 crates.

The second heat featured Wolfsburg and it appeared that the target set by their opponents would be easy to emulate. However, within seven seconds of the whistle, the team tumbled into the water and having to recompose itself. They finally completed their first crossing in 1 minute 21 seconds and they raced back to the start for their second. Having now mastered the position to hold on the poles, the two competitors made a second successful crossing in 2 minutes 35 seconds. Wolfsburg had secured the win by the skin of their teeth!

Game 5 - The Admirals of the Spanish Armada
(Die Admirale der Spanischen Armada)

The fifth game - ‘The Admirals of the Spanish Armada’ (Die Admirale der Spanischen Armada) - was played in unison over 3 minutes 30 seconds duration and witnessed Cuxhaven presenting their Joker for play. The game featured a male competitor from each team wearing frogmen’s flippers and dressed in a caricatured Spanish admiral’s costume with a very large hat which covered most of his body. The costume was designed in such a way as to obscure the competitor's vision and protruding from the top of the hat was a spear. Above the 25m (82ft) course there was a wire from which 40 water-filled balloons were hanging. On the whistle, the competitor had to move along a white line on the ground and burst the balloons by continually pushing the spear upwards. The team bursting the greater number of balloons would be declared the winners.

Although this appeared somewhat of a simple game to master, it soon became apparent that the view the competitors had of the balloons was very restricted - it was also not made so easy for them by the gusts of wind blowing in from the North Sea. Cuxhaven made slow progress from the start but their competitor soon got into his stride and after one minute of elapsed time he had a good rhythm in progress. He was also advantaged by the presence of the home crowd cheering him every time he burst a balloon whilst the silence from the visiting Wolfsburg supporters was deafening. This was another game that was played without commentary but, as it was accompanied by suitable library music which actually complemented the game itself, was still a joy to watch. At the end of permitted time, Cuxhaven had burst a total of 26 balloons whilst Wolfsburg had burst 15 balloons.

Intermission Mini-Contest

The intermission mini-contest was contested by the mayors of the two towns and was played in the artificial lake. Before the game began, stagehands had placed 30 toy frogs into the lake and on the whistle, the two mayors, dressed in suitable wetsuits and armed with large holding nets, had to enter the lake and fish the frogs out. The team collecting the greater number of frogs would be declared the winners.

Although the contest was designed to be played over three minutes duration, the mayors declared that all the frogs had been collected just before two minutes had elapsed. The referees accepted the early finish and before the result was announced, the two mayors, the referees and presenter Camillo Felgen joined each other in downing a glass of rum. Always the professional, whilst all the others supped their drinks in full camera view, Camillo turned his back to the camera and downed a mouthful.

The number of frogs was then counted and the Wolfsburg mayor had collected 14 frogs whilst the Cuxhaven mayor had collected 16 frogs. The referees declared it to be a home win and the town was awarded the prize to be spent on toys for mentally-handicapped children.

Game 6 - Roll Out the Barrels
(Ausrollen die Fässer)

The sixth game - ‘Roll Out the Barrels’ (Ausrollen die Fässer) - was played in unison over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured two male competitors from each team standing adjacent to two very large empty rum barrels and a 50m (164ft) course laden with another five empty barrels. On the whistle, one of the competitors had to climb inside a barrel and roll himself forward until he was level with the first of the barrels on the course. He then had to vacate the barrel and climb into the empty barrel. Once completed, the referees signalled for the second competitor to start the game. Contemporaneously, the first competitor then had to roll further up the course to the second barrel whilst the second competitor climbed out of his barrel and into the one vacated by his team-mate. This then had to be repeated by both competitors for the third, fourth and fifth barrels and then finally roll forward to cross the finish line. The team completing the course with both barrels in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a straightforward game, played with background library music and limited commentary, and ended with Cuxhaven completing the course in 1 minute 56 seconds with Wolfsburg just five seconds behind in 2 minutes 1 second. Cuxhaven had taken the outright lead of the competition for the first time.

Game 7 - The Big Cannon
(Die Große Kanone)

The seventh game - ‘The Big Cannon’ (Die Große Kanone) - was played individually over two minutes duration and featured two male competitors from each team and the barrel of a large cannon. On the whistle, the two competitors had to roll the cannon’s barrel across the artificial lake by means of two wires that spanned its width. Once across, the competitors had to repeat the process for the return journey. The competitors had to walk on the wire behind the cannon at all times and if they fell off, they had to recompose themselves before continuing. The team completing the two crossings in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this very straightforward game saw the participation of Cuxhaven and, following a couple of small mishaps, they completed the course in 1 minute 17 seconds.

The second heat featured Wolfsburg and, although they appeared to take a slower pace, they completed the game without mishap in 1 minute 15 seconds, bringing them back on terms with Cuxhaven at 8-8.

Game 8 - The Pirates’ Boots
(Die Stiefel der Piraten)

The eighth game - ‘The Pirates’ Boots’ (Die Stiefel der Piraten) - was played in unison over three minutes duration and witnessed Wolfsburg presenting their Joker for play. The game featured two male competitors from each team attired in over-emphasized full-length pirates’ boots. On the whistle, the competitors had to jump into the artificial lake in order to fill their boots with water and then transport the contents to a large plastic container marked with centimetre graduations located 10m (32ft 9¾in) away. The team collecting the greater amount of water would be declared the winners.

Again played without commentary but with musical accompaniment, this was a very simple and straightforward game. The results revealed that Wolfsburg had filled their container with water to a height of 60cm (23½in) whilst Cuxhaven had only collected sufficient water to fill their container to the 57.7cm (22¾in) mark on the graduated scale.

Game 9 - The Marksmen
(Die Schützenfest)

The ninth and penultimate game - ‘The Marksmen’ (Die Schützenfest) - was played individually over three minutes duration and featured four male competitors from each team. On the course, there was an oversized cannon and a pile of 20 ‘cannonballs’ located some metres away from the pirates’ ship. On the upper decks of the ship there were twelve wooden caricatured pirates. On the whistle, whilst his three team-mates loaded the cannon, the marksmen had to angle and aim it at the pirates in order to displace them. The team displacing the greater number of pirates would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Cuxhaven and after 1 minute 13 seconds of elapsed time, the team displaced their first figure. This was quickly followed by their second after 1 minute 29 seconds and a third after 1 minute 59 seconds. Unfortunately, the team were then unable to build on this total in the final minute of the game and finished with a total of 3 direct hits.

The second heat featured Wolfsburg and they displaced their first figure after just 30 seconds and a second after 1 minute 36 seconds. Their third figure was displaced after 2 minutes 24 seconds and the team now had 36 seconds to improve on their rival’s score to win the game and the competition overall. The clock ticked by and it appeared that the game would end in a draw, but with just a few seconds of the game remaining, Wolfsburg displaced their fourth figure after 2 minutes 57 seconds.

Game 10 - The Ship’s Mast
(Der Schiffsmast)

The tenth and final game - ‘The Ship’s Mast’ (Der Schiffsmast) - featured three male competitors from each team, with their hands tied behind their back, and a large wooden mast which had to be transported up the 50m (164ft) course in an unusual manner. On the whistle, the competitors had to carry the mast between their knees and walk the course. If the mast was dropped, only the middle competitor could reposition it by lifting it up using his feet. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was the most straightforward of all the ten games played and ended with Cuxhaven crossing the finish line in just 39 seconds.

Presenters, Officials and Production Teams

This heat opened on the quayside with the teams standing on the decks of two specially-built pirate ships and when presenter Camillo Felgen appeared, he was fully attired in pirate’s clothing, including knee-length boots and a scarf over his head.

Since his first appearance in the International series of Jeux Sans Frontières in 1965, Camillo Felgen had acquired a reputation of being soberly, but smartly-dressed during his presentations. However, during this year’s programmes, viewers had borne witness to a change in this routine and saw him dressed according to the theme of the heats, variously attired as a circus ringmaster, an astronaut, a Wild West sheriff and a pirate!

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