D

Spiel Ohne Grenzen 1971

Heat 1

Event Staged: Saturday 24th April 1971
Venue: Sportplatz Tiefensteiner (Tiefenstein Sports Ground), Tiefenstein,
Idar-Oberstein, Rheinland-Pfalz, West Germany

Transmission:
WDR 1 (D): Saturday 24th April 1971, 2.30-3.45pm (Live)

Referees on Duty:
Hans Ebersberger and assistants Peter Hochrath and Gerd Siepe

Weather Conditions:
Overcast with Light Rain and a Strong Breeze

Theme: Legenden, Märchen und Volkshelden (Legends, Fairytales and Folk Heroes)

Teams: Idar-Oberstein v. Rockenhausen

Team Members included:
Idar-Oberstein - Bernd Cullmann (Co-Team Coach), Horst Eckel (Co-Team Coach), Heinz Hoffmann (Co-Team Coach), Issolde Franks, Brunhilde Germar, Lutz Henze, Gisela Kramer, Manuela Müller, Gerdi Schäfer, Jurgen Walsch, Friedrich Wiederkopf, Joachim Woszinski;
Rockenhausen - Walter Paul.

Games: The Seven Swabians, The Seven Ravens, The Brave Little Tailor, The Frog Prince, Mother Hulda, The Seven-League Boots, Lucky Hans, Baron Münchhausen and the Cannonball, The Princess and the Pea, Gulliver and the Lilliputians, The Star Money.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd

 I-O • Idar-Oberstein ● ●
 R • Rockenhausen

15
9

Idar-Oberstein qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Riccione, Italy:
staged on Wednesday 9th June 1971

The Host Town

Idar-Obertstein, Rheinland-Pfalz

Idar-Oberstein is a town with a population of around 33,000 inhabitants in the state of Rheinland-Pfalz and is known as a gemstone and garrison town. It is located in the Hunsrück mountain range, 29km (18 miles) north of Sankt Wendel, 48km (30 miles) east of Trier, 58km (36 miles) west of Alzey and 79km (49 miles) south of Andernach.

Originally, the two were separate entities belonging to the Barons of Daun-Oberstein (who later became the Counts of Falkenstein) until 1670. In 1865, both Idar and Oberstein were granted town rights but in 1933, they were forcibly united (along with the municipalities of Algenrodt and Tiefenstein) by the Nazis to form the modern town of Idar-Oberstein.

The Idar-Oberstein has its connections with the notorious outlaw Johannes Bückler (1777-1803), commonly known as Schinderhannes, who orchestrated one of the most famous crime sprees in German history. He was born at Miehlen, the son of Johann and Anna Maria Bückler. His parents lived in Idar around 1790, where he began an apprenticeship to a tanner. It was not long before he turned to petty theft, stealing some of the skins, but fortunately escaped detention. However, the legend of Schinderhannes truly emerged from his escape from a prison tower in Simmern. At the time, the west bank of the Rhine was under French occupation, and the peasantry was happy to celebrate anyone who was able to flout the law. At the end of 1798, Bückler had a rap sheet that included thefts of at least 40 cattle heads and horses. He was arrested by French Gendarmerie forces and brought to a judge, where he confessed some of his crimes. Imprisoned in a wooden tower in Simmern that most believed to be impenetrable, he utilized a kitchen knife smuggled in by a sympathetic guard and cut a hole in a small window to escape. The prison escape became widely reported, exciting the public and making Schinderhannes a folk hero.

After things began to get too dangerous for him, Schinderhannes fled across the Rhine and enlisted in the Austrian Army under the assumed name of Jakob Schweikart. He was soon recognised by a former associate and handed over to the French authorities and imprisoned in a tower of the medieval defensive wall of Mainz - the so-called Holzturm. After his mistress Juliana Blasius was threatened with being charged as an accomplice, Schinderhannes testified against his fellow gangsters which led to nineteen of his associates being sentenced to death. Despite his cooperation, Schinderhannes was also sentenced to death as well. On 21st November 1803, he was guillotined outside the gates of Mainz in front of more than 40,000 spectators. He remains Germany's most famous outlaw and his legend still attracts a great deal of tourism to the region where his gang operated.

As well as being renowned as a centre for gemstones, Idar-Oberstein is also famous for its other legend of Felsenkirche (Crag Church). According to the legend, there were two noble brothers, Wyrich and Emich, who both fell in love with a beautiful girl named Bertha. The brothers lived at Castle Bosselstein, which stood atop a 135m (443ft) high hill overlooking the town. Bertha was from a noble line that occupied the nearby Lichtenburg Castle. Neither brother was aware of the other’s feelings for Bertha. When Wyrich, the elder brother, was away on some unknown business, Emich succeeded in securing Bertha’s affections and, subsequently, married her. When Emich announced the news to his brother, Wyrich’s temper got the better of him. In the heat of the moment, he hurled his brother out of a window of the castle and sent him to his death on the rocks below. Wyrich was almost immediately filled with remorse. With the counsel of a local abbot, he began a long period of penance. At this time, Bertha disappears from the historical record. Many romantics feel that she died of a broken heart. As Wyrich waited for a heavenly sign showing that he was forgiven, the abbot suggested that he build a church on the exact place where his brother died. Wyrich worked and prayed himself into exhaustion. However, the moment the church was completed, he received his sign - a miraculous spring opened up in the church. Wyrich died soon after this. When the local bishop came to consecrate the new church, he found the noble lord dead on its steps. Wyrich was later placed in the same tomb with his brother.

In the 1980s, the River Nahe was covered over with a four-lane highway, Bundesstraße 41, putting the river underground, beneath the town. The first plans for this development - officially called the Nahehochstraße (Nahe flyover) - lay before planners as early as 1958, but they set off a wave of criticism that was felt far beyond the town’s limits. The project was meant to relieve traffic congestion in the inner town on the B41, which at the time ran through what is now a narrow pedestrian precinct through the middle of the Old Town. Work on the project began in 1980, and lasted five years, after which the Nahehochstraße was completed. The Nahe had thus been channelled into a 2km (1¼ miles) long tunnel. A timber-frame house nearby, the Sachsenhaus, was torn down and put into storage, its pieces numbered. Its reconstruction, to this day, has been indefinitely postponed.

The Visiting Town

Rockenhausen is a town with a population of around 5,500 inhabitants in the state of Rheinland-Pfalz and is located 38km (24 miles) south-east of Idar-Oberstein.

The Venue

Sportplatz Tiefensteiner
(Tiefenstein Sports Ground)

The games were played on a small sports ground in the suburb of Tiefenstein, located in the northern outskirts of Idar-Oberstein. It is home to the gymnastics and sports club Tiefenstein 1875 e.V. – TuS Tiefenstein for short – an all-sports club with an extensive range of competitive and popular sports. With almost 800 members, TuS is one of the largest sports clubs in the Idar-Oberstein area.

The predecessors of TuS Tiefenstein were the gymnastics club 1875 Obertiefenbach-Hettstein, the gymnastics club Jahn Hettstein 1906 and the soccer club Tiefenstein (1927). From these three clubs, the Verein für Leibesübungen Tiefenstein e.V. (VfL Tiefenstein) emerged in 1937, which was initially called the Tiefenstein Sports Club after World War II (1939-1945) and has been called TuS Tiefenstein since 1951.

TuS Tiefenstein has been based on the club's own sports and leisure area in Im Staden since 1925. These include a hard court, a grass field, an urban multi-purpose hall with its own restaurant, a youth recreation area and a small campsite with 25 parking spaces.

The municipal natural swimming pool in Staden is right next to the club's premises. The outdoor pool was originally built in 1932/33 by TuS Tiefenstein in-house and operated by the association until 1979. It was then sold to the town of Idar-Oberstein to use the proceeds to finance the construction of the club's own restaurant.

The Games in Detail

Game 1 - The Seven Swabians
(Die Sieben Schwaben)

The first game - ‘The Seven Swabians’ (Die Sieben Schwaben) - was played in unison and featured seven male competitors from each team equipped with a very large spear and a 50m (164ft) obstacle course. On the whistle, the team had to begin by bursting four rabbit-shaped balloons, which were attached to the sides of the course, with a nail attached to the tip of the spear. They then had to negotiate a steep incline and, after reaching the base, burst another nine balloons. The next obstacle required the team to burst a pair of large balloons hanging between two tree trunks and then pass between them to burst another 10 balloons on the side of the course. Once all the balloons had been burst, the team had to climb through a hooked rope which was hanging down from the equipment. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Although both teams got off to a good start, Rockenhausen did themselves no favours after getting the nail stuck in the top of the incline and causing the spearhead to bend which would hinder their progress further down the course. The delay permitted Idar-Oberstein to take the lead and from this point it was a one-horse race. Idar-Oberstein completed the game in 1 minute 13 seconds and, although the result was already known, the game was permitted to be played out, with Rockenhausen completing the game in 1 minute 53 seconds.

Game 2 - The Seven Ravens
(Die Sieben Raben)

The second game - ‘The Seven Ravens’ (Die Sieben Raben) - was played in unison over two minutes duration and featured a male competitor from each team, equipped with a swatter, and a steep greased incline. At the top of the incline, there were seven balloons representing the seven ravens and, on the whistle, the competitor had to race up the incline to burst the balloons. The team bursting all the balloons in the faster time or the one bursting the greater number would be declared the winners.

This was a very simplistic designed game and although both competitors set off at a steady rate, all of the bursting was done within the first 34 seconds. After this, both of them began to flounder and no further score was achieved. The game ended with Idar-Oberstein bursting 4 balloons and Rockenhausen bursting 2 balloons.

Game 3 - The Brave Little Tailor
(Das Tapfere Schneiderlein)

The third game - ‘The Brave Little Tailor’ (Das Tapfere Schneiderlein) - was played individually over 3 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured three male competitors from each team. Whilst one was dressed as a tailor, the other two were inside a unicorn costume. On the narrow 50m (164ft) raised course, there were four large upright tree trunks set on castors with the nearest to the unicorn having a large hole three-quarters up its length. On the whistle, the competitors dressed as the unicorn had to be directed forward in order that the horn could be placed into the hole and then push the four trees down the course. This had to be carried out at a slow pace because the trees were not tethered together and they would be moving independently of each other. The other competitor would be able to assist by guiding the trees along with ropes bound around the circumference of the trunk and to ensure that they stayed within the confines of the game. After the team had successfully reached the end of the course, the trees had to be moved to the other side of the course for the return journey. The team completing the course in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Idar-Oberstein and they completed their outward journey in 1 minute 9 seconds. However, the return journey proved to be a more difficult task as the trees were continuously coming out of line and delaying the team. With 15m (49ft 2½in) still to cover and just 40 seconds of permitted time remaining, it became a test of nerve as to whether the team would complete the game. Despite the crowd urging them on, the team were unfortunate and failed to complete the game.

The second heat featured Rockenhausen and their competitor was not as adept as his rival at keeping the trees in position. This resulted in the team not reaching the end of the course until 1 minute 51 seconds had elapsed and were already 42 seconds behind Idar-Oberstein at this point. As was the case with their rivals in the first heat, Rockenhausen was unable to complete the game and ended in a non-scoring draw.

Game 4 - The Frog Prince
(Der Froschkönig)

The fourth game - ‘The Frog Prince’ (Der Froschkönig) - was played in unison and witnessed Idar-Oberstein presenting their Joker for play. The game featured a male competitor from each team dressed in a frog prince costume wearing green gloves and with his ankles manacled together. On the whistle, the competitor had to hop down the 25m (82ft) course pushing a large gold ball with the nose of the frog costume to a female team-mate (his princess) located at the other end. After 23m (75ft 5½in), the frog was permitted to pick up the ball and run the final 2m (6ft 6¾in) and hand it over to his team-mate The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

From the outset, it was apparent that this would be a one horse-race with Idar-Oberstein completing the game in just 31 seconds. Although the Rockenhausen competitor continued on despite the cheering of the home crowd, he was eventually stopped in his tracks by assistant referee Gerd Siepe.

Game 5 - Mother Hulda
(Frau Holle)

The fifth game - ‘Mother Hulda’ (Frau Holle) - was played in unison over 3 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured a female competitor from each team with an oversized duvet filled with duck and goose down. On the whistle, the competitor had to run a short distance to an empty duvet cover and place the duvet inside. Although sounding easy to accomplish, it should be pointed out that the duvet measured 3m2 (9ft 10in2) and was filled with 75kg (165lb 4oz) of down. The competitor then had to secure the cover with two zips. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Although this was a straightforward and simple game, it was enjoyable to watch as the competitors struggled with the large duvet and cover. The light breeze blowing across the arena did nothing to assist them. Not only did it hinder the stability of the duvet cover but also sent thousands of feathers flying into the air, recreating the wintry fairytale scene on which the game was based. Throughout the game, Rockenhausen appeared to have the edge on their rivals and that they would secure their first points of the competition. However, at the very last moment, Idar-Oberstein grabbed victory from under their nose by being better adept at zipping up the cover. The times declared showed how closely matched the two were, with Idar-Oberstein finishing in 2 minutes 54 seconds and Rockenhausen finishing in 2 minutes 55 seconds.

Game 6 - The Seven-League Boots
(Siebenmeilenstiefel)

The sixth game - ‘The Seven-League Boots’ (Siebenmeilenstiefel) - was played in unison and witnessed Rockenhausen presenting their Joker for play. The game featured a male competitor from each team standing on top of a pair of 1m (3ft 3¼in) high boots. The boots were very heavy and designed in such a way that instead of the sole pointing downwards from the heel, they pointed upwards so it was only possible to move with the heels touching the ground. On the whistle, the competitor had to hold on to the cloth of the leg of the boot and, keeping his weight on the heel, move down the 50m (164ft) course. If he leant too far forward, the boot would topple over and send him tumbling to the ground. A team-mate could assist him should he suffer any mishap. The team completing the course in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Within seconds of the start of the game, Rockenhausen suffered a mishap and tumbled to the ground and this permitted Idar-Oberstein to open up a significant lead. However, whilst Idar-Oberstein took small secure steps, Rockenhausen took larger and faster steps to try and close the deficit. After one minute of elapsed time, the deficit had been closed and both teams were neck and neck. Within seconds, Rockenhausen had taken the lead and their first victory of the afternoon was handed to them after Idar-Oberstein lost their rhythm and balance after 1 minute 44 seconds. With just 4m (13ft 1½in) remaining to reach the finish line, Rockenhausen held their nerve and completed the game in 1 minute 52 seconds.

Game 7 - Lucky Hans
(Hans im Glück)

The seventh game - ‘Lucky Hans’ (Hans im Glück) - was played in unison and featured a male competitor from each team and a horse, a cow, a piglet, a plastic goose and a large circular grindstone. On the whistle, the competitor had pick up a large polystyrene nugget of gold and run along a 50m (164ft) corral and dispose of it. He then had to mount a horse and ride it back along the corral to the start line and hand the horse over to a stagehand. He then had to unbolt a pen and lead a young cow along the corral to the other end where he exchanged it for a piglet. He then had to run back to the start once more and hand the piglet over and collect a large plastic goose. After a final run up the corral, he exchanged the goose for a large polystyrene grindstone which he had to roll back to the start. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first run up the corral gave a hint that this might not be Rockenhausen’s day after their competitor failed to dispose of the gold nugget correctly and was sent back to complete the task. This delay permitted Idar-Oberstein to set off first on the horse and get ahead. However, halfway down the corral his horse stopped and refused to move. Contemporaneously, his rival had mounted his horse and was racing down towards him. Contemporaneously, the stubborn horse relented and continued its run but was somewhat spooked by the presence of the other horse and jumped into the adjoining corral which impeded Rockenhausen. With Idar-Oberstein ahead by a few seconds, both competitors released the cows and pulled them by ropes around their necks to the end of the course. Whilst Rockenhausen struggled to get hold of their piglet, Idar-Oberstein raced back to the start with theirs. After handing over the piglet, he grabbed the goose and raced back down the course. With a huge deficit to recover, it was all but over for Rockenhausen. A final run with the grindstone secured victory for Idar-Oberstein and they finished the game in 2 minutes 11 seconds.

Game 8 - Baron Münchhausen and the Cannonball
(Baron Münchhausen und die Kanonenkugel)

The eighth game - ‘Baron Münchhausen and the Cannonball’ (Baron Münchhausen und die Kanonenkugel) - was played in unison over three minutes duration and featured a male competitor from each team seated atop a giant cannonball which was balanced on either side by a giant leg on castors. On the whistle, the competitor had to lean forward and roll the cannonball down the 50m (164ft) course ensuring that he kept within the confines of the course. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

From the outset, the Rockenhausen competitor took control of the game and edged his way along the course in a timely manner. Whilst he remained seated, the home competitor could be seen standing up and this ultimately affected the steering ability of the equipment. Although he could be seen in the background protesting, referee Hans Ebersberger, who was standing just a few metres away, would not accept his gestures and permitted the game to continue. The game ended with Rockenhausen crossing the finish line in 2 minutes 31 seconds.

Game 9 - The Princess and the Pea
(Die Prinzessin auf der Erbse)

The ninth game - ‘The Princess and the Pea’ (Die Prinzessin auf der Erbse) - was played in unison over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured a male competitor from each team assisted by a female team-mate and a giant-sized bed frame with ten large heavy duvets laid on top. Hidden inside the layers of the duvets, there was a total of 45 giant peas and on the whistle, the competitors had to lift the duvets and climb inside to find as many of the peas as possible. Any that were found had to be handed to their team-mates who then placed them in a bowl. The team collecting the greater number of peas within the permitted time would be declared the winners.

The game was played out in a frantic manner and had some hilarious moments after the competitors were inside the duvets and lifting the layers and moving from one to the other. Rockenhausen appeared to be more successful at finding the peas and were quite adamant that they would hamper their rivals by continually turning the duvets over and over. The game ended and the number of peas was counted out individually by the referees and Idar-Oberstein were declared as having collected a total of 16 peas. Whilst Rockenhausen were having their total counted, the competitor looked inside the bowl and began to celebrate holding his arms aloft. However, as the count continued it revealed that they had also collected a total of 16 peas.

Game 10 - Gulliver and the Lilliputians
(Gulliver und die Liliputaner)

The tenth and penultimate game - ‘Gulliver and the Lilliputians’ (Gulliver und die Liliputaner) - was played individually over four minutes duration and featured five competitors (three males and two females) from each team. Laid down on ten wooden logs was a 6m (19ft 8¼in) high effigy of Gulliver and on the whistle, the competitors had to move it down the course. Whilst the female competitors stood at each end of the effigy, the male competitors had to move the logs from one end to the other so that it could be rolled along. The head and feet of the effigy had to be supported off the ground at all times, so it was important that the logs were laid down and removed at regular spacings. Once the team had crossed a line at the bottom of the 50m (164ft) course, they had to return to the start in the same manner. The time would be taken once all the logs and competitors were across the line. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Idar-Oberstein and they reached the halfway mark after 1 minute 42 seconds of elapsed time and then went on and finished the game in a total time of 3 minutes 43 seconds.

The second heat featured Rockenhausen who were slighter faster and reached the halfway mark in 1 minute 21 seconds, finishing the game in a total time of 3 minutes 7 seconds.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Idar-Oberstein (0pts awarded / 13pts total) 2nd Rockenhausen (2pts / 9pts)

Inspiration for the Game: This game was based on the book of the same name written by Anglo-Irish writer and clergyman Jonathan Swift (1667-1745). The book, originally with the long-winded title of Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon and then a Captain of Several Ships, begins with his first voyage, which takes place between 4th May 1699 and 13th April 1702. In it, Gulliver is washed ashore after a shipwreck and finds himself a prisoner of a race of tiny people, less than 6 inches (15.25cm) tall, who are inhabitants of the island country of Lilliput. After giving assurances of his good behaviour, he is given a residence in Lilliput and becomes a favourite of the court. From there, the book follows Gulliver's observations on the Court of Lilliput. He is also given the permission to roam around the city on a condition that he must not harm their subjects.

Game 11 - The Star Money
(Die Sterntaler)

The eleventh and final game - ‘The Star Money’ (Die Sterntaler) - was played in unison over one minute duration and featured a female member of the public representing her respective team. Each competitor was supplied with an apron and above the arena there were 200 polystyrene coins hanging from a wire. On the whistle, the coins were released and fell to the ground and the competitor had to collect as many of them in the apron within the permitted time. The team collecting the greater number of coins would be declared the winners.

A straightforward game saw the representative of Idar-Oberstein using the better method by holding the apron ends in her mouth and thus freeing her hands to pick up the coins. This proved to be the most beneficial as the results showed that Idar-Oberstein had collected 80 coins whilst Rockenhausen had collected 69 coins.

Final Scores and Positions: 1st Idar-Oberstein (2pts awarded / 15pts total) 2nd Rockenhausen (0pts / 9pts)

Inspiration for the Game: The seventh and final game to be based on a Grimm fairytale tells of an unnamed, orphaned girl who is poor and homeless. The only things she has left are her clothing and a loaf of bread that some charitable soul has given her. She is a good-hearted person, however, and as she was thus forsaken by the entire world, she went forth into the open country, trusting in the good God. After meeting a poor hungry man, she gives him the last pieces of the bread, and to three cold children she gives her cap, her jacket, and her dress. In a forest, she sees a naked child begging for clothes, and since it was dark and could not be seen, she gives her own smock away. As she stands with nothing left at all, suddenly some stars fall to earth before her. They are nothing else but hard smooth pieces of money called thalers (silver coins), and although she had just given her little shirt away, she had a new one which was of the very finest linen. Then she gathered together the money into this, and was rich all the days of her life.

Reunions

Idar-Oberstein

On the evening of Saturday 25th November 2017, the former team-mates of the successful Idar-Oberstein team gathered for a reunion in Stadenhalle.

Even before the start of the event, there was an atmosphere of a school reunion. Some of those attending had not seen each other for over 46 years. After the welcome by TuS chairman Michael Brill, Lutz Henze looked back on the events of that time as one of the athletes and especially the selection process and the exhausting training programme under the direction of Olympic champion Bernd Cullmann, athlete Heinz Hoffmann and soccer world champion Horst Eckel. But above all he remembered the great solidarity within the team. “I still meet one or the other today, and we hug,” he stated.

After a meeting with Heinz Hoffmann, they discussed a public screening of the two films that the then vice-chairman of TuS, Karl-Heinz Schäfer, had made. Gerdi Schäfer, herself a competitor, was happy to provide the films her husband had made. “Back then, Karl-Heinz meticulously documented everything, the training, the preparations for the television teams and the competitors – both in Staden and in Riccione,” reported Hoffmann. “He even drove to Riccione in his car to film the arrival of the plane that brought the team to Italy and the train that took the battle-goers (supporters).”

The audience was able to enjoy the two films with a total playing time of around 50 minutes. Comments and heckling showed that the participants could still remember the events of that time very well. The screening went by in a flash and ended with great applause from those assembled.

“I was so happy that this event took place and that I was able to see the films and participants again,” explained Gisela Kramer, who lives in Eppstein im Taunus and came back to Idar-Oberstein for the evening. As a memento of the reunion there was a photograph together, and of course a lot of memories were exchanged afterwards.

Records and Statistics

This heat marked both the 25th Domestic Spiel Ohne Grenzen programme since 1967 and the 75th Spiel Ohne Grenzen transmission (Domestic and International) being broadcast on West German television.

Additional Information

Spiel Ohne Grenzen received a spruce-up for its 1971 series, with a brand new and distinctive animated opening title sequence and theme tune being followed each week by the familiar travelogue films. These had been shot in black and white during 1970 even though the series had made the transition to colour from the second heat, but now they were all filmed and shown in glorious colour. Despite this, one black and white camera was still used in the 1971 programmes, trained on the scoreboards.

The final game in this year’s competition was played by members of the audience. Towards the end of each competition, presenter Camillo Felgen would ask for members of the audience from each of the competing towns to volunteer to participate for their respective teams. These were either all male or female, dependant on the venue and game involved. The burgermeisters of the competing towns were then asked to select which one(s) of the volunteers would participate for their opponents.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in German archives

D

Spiel Ohne Grenzen 1971

Heat 2

Event Staged: Saturday 1st May 1971
Venue: Platanenallee (Avenue of Plane Trees), Offenburg,
Baden-Württemberg, West Germany

Transmission:
WDR 1 (D): Saturday 1st May 1971, 2.30-3.45pm (Live)

Referees on Duty:
Hans Ebersberger and assistants Peter Hochrath and Gerd Siepe

Weather Conditions:
Overcast with Intermittent Rain

Theme: Züge (Trains)

Teams: Goslar im Harz v. Offenburg

Team Members included:
Offenburg - Dieter Roth (Team Coach), Hubert Beathalter, Christian Blender, Christel Käshammer, Artur Köchlin, Ellen Mundingen.

Games: Resetting the Signals, The Travellers, The Baggage Handlers, Examining the Tickets, The Electric Carts, The Railway Station Clock, The Destination Boards, Transporting the Luggage, The Uncoupled Carts, All Aboard!, Suitcases, Suitcases, Suitcases!

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd

 O • Offenburg ● ●
 G • Goslar im Harz

15
11

Offenburg qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Offenburg, West Germany:
staged on Wednesday 4th August 1971

The Host Town

Offenburg, Baden-Württemberg

Offenburg is a town with a population of around 60,000 inhabitants in the Schwarzwald (Black Forest) in the state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located 38km (24 miles) south-west of Baden-Baden, 96km (60 miles) west of Stuttgart, 127km (79 miles) north-west of Konstanz and just 17km (11 miles) east of the River Rhein and the French border town of Strasbourg.

Offenburg was first mentioned in historical documents dating from 1148. By 1240, Offenburg had already been declared a Free Imperial Town. In September 1689, the town, with the exception of two buildings, was totally destroyed during the Nine Years’ War (1688-1697) by French troops. Due to the dissolution of the Holy Roman Empire and the reorganization of the German states in 1803 by Napoléon Bonaparte (1769-1821), Offenburg lost its status as a Free Imperial Town and fell under the rule of the Grand Duchy of Baden.

During World War I (1914-1918), Offenburg was one of the first cities to experience the effects from aerial bombardment, the operations against the Offenburg railway sidings mostly being flown by aircraft from the Independent Force (strategic bombing squad) out of Ochey aerodrome in eastern France. It is a mostly forgotten fact that in the aftermath of World War I, during the Occupation of the Ruhr (1923-1925), French troops had occupied Offenburg as it fell within the perimeter of the Kehl bridgehead. The French occupation forces entered the town in February 1923 and stayed until 1924.

Most of the buildings in the town are colourful and picturesque and the same can be said of the Baroque-style Town Hall located at the junction of Hauptstraße and Fischmarkt. Dating back to 1741, the building bears the town’s coat of arms above the front balcony and an Austrian double-headed eagle under a flat gable. In recent years, the children’s play area outside the Town Hall has become so popular, that the excessive usage of the rotating ‘birdmen’ had worn out the ball-bearings on which they sit. According to the town’s records, the statues had to be lifted by a crane to change the defective parts, at a cost of approximately 1,600 euros (£1200).

The name of the town literally means ‘open castle’ (from offen and burg) and this is represented on the town’s coat of arms showing open gates. The town is one of only a few that are twinned with one of its own nation (Altenburg). It is also twinned with Borehamwood, Hertfordshire in Great Britain.

The Visiting Town

Goslar im Harz is a town with a population of around 51,000 inhabitants in the state of Niedersachsen and is located 420km (261 miles) north-east of Offenburg.

The Venue

Platanenallee

The games were played on a small tarmacked area located directly north of the main railway line between Platanenallee and the west bank of the Kinzig river.

The area today has been redeveloped and is now a small cul-de-sac of 14 houses and a large warehouse (centre of above photograph) stands on the majority of the playing arena.

The Games in Detail

Game 1 - Resetting the Signals
(Rücksetzen der Signale)

The first game - ‘Resetting the Signals’ (Rücksetzen der Signale) - was played individually over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured five male competitors from each team and a large wooden train engine with hamster-cage styled wheels. Four of the competitors started the game inside each of the wheels whilst the fifth was in the driver’s cab and equipped with a long pole. On the whistle, the competitors in the wheels had to walk forward to rotate them and set the train in motion around a meandering course. The competitors in the front two wheels were responsible for the steering which was achieved by reducing the speed of one of the wheels when approaching bends in order that the engine would turn into the direction of play. At four given points around the course, there was a signal arm set at a right angle, denoting that the train could go no further. In order for the team to progress, the driver had to release a cable which was connected to the signal by using a long pole and, once accomplished, the signal would rise and permit the train to move on. The team completing the course in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Goslar im Harz and the team suffered just one mishap during their circumnavigation of the course. Approaching the final signal, the team were travelling too fast to turn the engine and crashed into the signal pole and had to reverse and reposition the train. Despite this, the team quickly recomposed itself and finished the game in 1 minute 57 seconds.

The second heat featured Offenburg and they were slightly faster than their rivals, but as was the case in the first heat, the team suffered a mishap at the final signal and had to reposition itself before continuing. Nevertheless, the lead that they had acquired during the earlier stages of the game, resulted in them finishing in 1 minute 48 seconds.

Game 2 - The Travellers
(Die Reisenden)

The second game - ‘The Travellers’ (Die Reisenden) - was played in unison over a 50m (82ft) course and featured two competitors (one male and one female) from each team with a children’s pram, a set of six suitcases and a long-haired dachshund. On the whistle, the male competitor had to push the pram in front of him whilst using his other hand to hold aloft a wooden plank supporting the suitcases. The other end of the plank was held aloft by the female whilst walking the dog on a leash with her other hand. When reaching the ‘border’ crossing, the necessary travel documents had to be produced from two of the suitcases (the identity of which were unknown to the competitors) and shown to the customs officer and the dog had to be put into isolation (handed over to the authorities). Once the documents had been validated, the pram and plank had to be lifted off the ground, and the competitors had to climb some steps and cross a podium and then descend another set of steps and run 30m (98ft 5in) to their holiday destination. Once the team had arrived, the female had to return across the podium to the customs officer to retrieve their pet dog and then traverse the podium for a final time and return to the destination. The team, with dog in tow, then had to carry the plank and suitcases and race back down to the start of the game and unload the suitcases on to a porter’s cart and get on board to finish the game. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

From the outset, the teams were neck and neck with both teams reaching the ‘border’ together but Offenburg produced their documents from the cases first and carried on. Contemporaneously, there appeared to be somewhat of a delay with Goslar im Harz producing their documentation. Whilst one of the documents had been found and validated, the second could not be found in any of the suitcases. Whilst Offenburg continued with the game, unaware what was occurring behind them, referee Hans Ebersberger blew the whistle to stop the game after 50 seconds of elapsed time. It was at this point, it was explained that the production staff had omitted to put a second document into one of the suitcases of Goslar im Harz and that the game would have to be restarted. Unsurprisingly, this was met with displeasure from the two Offenburg competitors and a hail of whistles and boos from the home crowd.

The game was restarted and Offenburg took an early lead but disaster struck the team after five of the suitcases tumbled to the ground as they climbed the steps. This permitted Goslar im Harz to take control of the game and arrive at their destination in 1 minute 18 seconds. Contemporaneously, Offenburg had recomposed themselves and reached the same point in 1 minute 24 seconds. However, the time lost caused by the earlier disaster could not be recouped and Goslar im Harz finished the game in 1 minute 46 seconds with Offenburg finishing in 1 minute 54 seconds.

Game 3 - The Baggage Handlers
(Die Gepäckabfertiger)

The third game - ‘The Baggage Handlers’ (Die Gepäckabfertiger) - was played individually over five rounds and featured three male competitors from each team equipped with 10 large boxes and 28 sacks standing behind a barrier. Standing 5m (16ft 5in) in front of them, there were two male opposition team members and an open railway wagon on tracks. On the whistle, the opposition had to push the wagon up the tracks whilst the competitors hurled the boxes and sacks at it. Any items that landed inside the wagon were removed at the other end of the track by team-mates and the wagon was pushed back to the start. The game was then repeated on four more occasions. There was no limit to the number of items thrown in each round but only items delivered to the end of the course would be counted. The team with the greater number of luggage items in total would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Goslar im Harz and on their first run they failed to score despite throwing a total of six boxes at the wagon. On the second run they fared better, securing three items (2 boxes and 1 sack) from a total of seven items actually thrown (four boxes and three sacks). With all the ten boxes now disposed of, it just left sacks to throw and on the third run, the team threw a total of nine sacks with 4 of them (running total of 7) landing inside the wagon. On the fourth and penultimate run, a further eight sacks were thrown but only 2 of them landed securely in the wagon (running total of 9). On the fifth and final run, the remaining seven sacks were thrown with 4 of them landing inside the wagon, giving a total of 13 items (2 boxes and 11 sacks).

The second heat featured Offenburg and on their first run, as was the case with Goslar im Harz, they also failed to score. Although two of the boxes from the seven thrown landed in the wagon, neither of them were deemed as scoring as the wagon had been blocked from completing its journey by a box landing on the tracks. On the second run, the team secured 2 boxes from a total of six items thrown (three boxes and three sacks). On the third run, the team threw six sacks with 4 of them (running total of 6) landing in the wagon. On their penultimate run, a further seven sacks were thrown but only 2 of them counted (running total of 8). On the fifth and final run and with eleven sacks available to throw, the team secured 5 sacks from seven thrown, giving a total of 13 items (1 box and 12 sacks). The game had incredibly ended in a draw.

Game 4 - Examining the Tickets
(Prüfung die Fahrkarten)

The fourth game - ‘Examining the Tickets’ (Prüfung die Fahrkarten) - was played in unison over one minute duration and featured a male competitor from each team equipped with a giant pair of hole-punching clippers. On the course, there was a line of 18 giant train tickets connected in pairs in an inverted ‘V’ shape to form a concertina. On the whistle, the competitor had to punch a hole in one of the tickets and then pass through the inverted ‘V’ in order to do the same to the ticket on the opposite side. He then repeated the game until all of the 18 tickets had been clipped. Once accomplished, he had to dispose of the clippers and push against the 18th ticket and run back to the start compressing the concertina as he went. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

From the outset, it was neck and neck all the way with both competitors punching their final holes at the exact same time. This continued with the run back to the start with both competitors finishing in 34 seconds and the game ended in a draw.

Game 5 - The Electric Carts
(Die Electro Karren)

The fifth game - ‘The Electric Carts’ (Die Electro Karren) - was played in unison over four minutes duration and witnessed Offenburg presenting their Joker for play. The game featured a male competitor from each team and an electric porter’s cart with a small cart attached at the front. On the whistle, the competitor had to steer the vehicle through a slalom course of three open gates in order to reach the far end of the playing area where the 28 sacks and 10 large boxes utilised in the third game were located. Once he arrived, he had to load 10 sacks onto the small cart and then return to the start in the same manner, but in reverse gear. Once he reached the start line, he had to dispose of the sacks and repeat the game, bringing up to 10 items back to the start on each journey. Any items that fell from the cart onto the ground whilst in transit could not be recovered. The team completing the game in the faster time or the one with the greater number of items collected would be declared the winners.

From the outset, the game was a one-horse race with Offenburg reaching the storage area after 20 seconds of elapsed time whilst Goslar im Harz were just traversing the third gate at the time. After completing the return journey and disposing of the items in 1 minute 4 seconds, Offenburg set off for their second run. Contemporaneously, the visitors were having some difficulty in traversing the course in reverse and completed his first run in 1 minute 28 seconds. Offenburg completed their second return journey in 2 minutes 8 seconds and set off for the third whilst Goslar im Harz was still loading his cart at the other end of the course on his second run. Although they successfully completed the run in 2 minutes 55 seconds, Offenburg were already returning on their third. Despite the fact that Offenburg dropped a sack and a box during this run, it made little difference to the result. Goslar im Harz were far enough behind that they would not complete their third run and emulate their score. Nevertheless, Offenburg began a fourth run after 3 minutes 28 seconds of elapsed time whilst Goslar im Harz began their third return journey after 3 minutes 45 seconds. But time was not on their side and halfway down the course, the final whistle was sounded. Offenburg had collected 28 items whilst Goslar im Harz had only collected 20 items.

Game 6 - The Railway Station Clock
(Die Bahnhofsuhr)

The sixth game - ‘The Railway Station Clock’ (Die Bahnhofsuhr) - was played individually over one minute duration and witnessed Goslar im Harz presenting their Joker for play. The game featured a male competitor from each team inside a giant hamster exercise wheel, inset into the base of a large clock. The wheel was connected via cogs and belts to the actual hands of the clock. On the whistle, with the hands of the clock showing 12 noon, the competitor had run inside the wheel in order to move the hands forward in time. The team advancing the hands of the clock the greater distance would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Offenburg and their competitor ran a steady pace throughout the duration and was able to advance the hands 10 hours and 25 minutes.

The second heat featured Goslar im Harz and their competitor stormed the game, emulating the target score of Offenburg after just 47 seconds of elapsed time. During the remaining 13 seconds, he advanced the clock a further 2 hours and 35 minutes, bringing their total clocked time to 13 hours exactly.

Game 7 - The Destination Boards
(Die Bestimmungsort Bretter)

The seventh game - ‘The Destination Boards’ (Die Bestimmungsort Bretter) - was played in unison and featured a female competitor from each team dressed as a stationmaster and standing inside a sack. On a high scaffold at the end of the 10m (32ft 9¾in) course, there was a large destination board with six compartments and hanging from the base of the board were six ropes. On the whistle, the competitor had to jump up the course and pull on the first rope to reveal the first letter of the team’s name. She then had to jump back up the course to circumnavigate a small sign and repeat the game until all letters were revealed. Whilst Goslar im Harz revealed one letter at a time (G, O, S, L, A and R), Offenburg whose name comprised nine characters, revealed a combination of letters (OF, FE, NB, U, R and G). The team displaying their name in the faster time would be declared the winners.

From the outset, it was a closely run contest, with Offenburg having the edge and leading throughout. On her second run, despite having only pulled on the second rope, the third combination of letters (NB) was also revealed. The referees stepped in to inform her that she had to imitate pulling on the third rope on her next run to ensure parity. The game ended with Offenburg completing the game in 47 seconds with Goslar im Harz finishing in 51 seconds.

Game 8 - Transporting the Luggage
(Das Gepäcktransport)

The eighth game - ‘Transporting the Luggage’ (Das Gepäcktransport) - was played individually over six runs and featured two male competitors from each team equipped with a porter’s cart loaded with five suitcases of varying size. In opposition, there were five male team members hanging from the seats of children’s swings. On the whistle, the first competitor had to run with his cart across the path of the opposition whilst they attempted to remove as many of the cases with their feet. Any case that was not removed was placed on a podium on the other side of the course. This then had to be repeated by the second competitor and then again by both competitors on two further occasions. The team with the greater number of cases on the podium would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Offenburg and on their first run had one case remaining on the cart. The second run proved just as fruitful, giving the team a running total of 2, although it appeared at first glance that there were three cases on the cart when it reached the safety of the other side. The other two were deemed by the referees to have been hit by the opposition and caught on the handle of the cart during its journey. The third run saw all the cases removed from the cart but the fourth run proved as fruitful as the first two runs, giving a running total of 3. The fifth run proved disastrous for team after one of the cases fell backwards and off the cart by its own volition, resulting in the competitor losing his footing and giving the opposition extra time to remove all the cases. The sixth run proved just as fruitless for Offenburg after they were somewhat hindered by the opposition. On the backward swing, a Goslar im Harz member got his foot entangled with the cart’s handle, bringing it to an abrupt halt, and permitted extra time for all the cases to be removed. The referees stated that his actions had not been intentional and confirmed the total score for Offenburg as 3 cases.

The second heat featured Goslar im Harz and in opposition were Offenburg who were determined that their score would not be beaten. On their first run, the had one case remaining on the cart. Despite some delaying tactics on the second run, they found themselves with an empty cart, giving them a running total of 1. The third, fourth and fifth runs proved just as fruitless as the second and the team entered the last run requiring at least two cases to draw the game. Fortunately for the team, one of the cases hit by the opposition did not fall to the ground and remained on the cart whilst another was missed entirely. Referee Hans Ebersberger declared that both cases were deemed as good and that the game ended in a 3-3 draw.

Game 9 - The Uncoupled Carts
(Der Ungekoppelten Karren)

The ninth game - ‘The Uncoupled Carts’ (Der Ungekoppelten Karren) - was played in unison and featured six male competitors from each team. Five of the competitors were standing on wheeled podium whilst the sixth was sitting in a small electric car. On the whistle, the car had to be driven down a 50m (164ft) course with the five podia in tow. However, only the first podium was attached to the car whilst the other four had to be held together by the competitors linking hands. Halfway down the course, the team had to circumnavigate a road sign and then when they reached the end of the course had to repeat the course for the return journey. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

A straightforward, uneventful game saw Offenburg finishing in 1 minute 1 second whilst Goslar im Harz finished in 1 minute 3 seconds.

Game 10 - All Aboard!
(Alle an Bord!)

The tenth and penultimate game - ‘All Aboard!’ (Alle an Bord!) - was played in unison and featured eleven male competitors from each team, 14 suitcases and an empty railway coach with three windows. On the whistle, ten of the competitors had to board the coach via the middle window and once inside, the eleventh handed the team the suitcases. Once accomplished, he then had to climb into the coach and the window had to be closed. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a very simple, fast-moving and quickly executed game with Goslar im Harz having the edge and they finished the game in just 41 seconds with Offenburg finishing in 43 seconds.

Game 11 - Suitcases, Suitcases, Suitcases!
(Koffer, Koffer, Koffer!)

The eleventh and final game - ‘Suitcases, Suitcases, Suitcases!’ (Koffer, Koffer, Koffer!) - was played in unison and featured a female member of the public representing her respective team. Located on the ground adjacent to her was a pile of 10 suitcases of varying size and on the whistle, she had to fit six of them inside of each other akin to Russian dolls. Although there were ten cases, only six of them would fit inside perfectly with the other four having the same dimensions as others.

Another straightforward game saw the Offenburg representative faring better and finishing the game in 1 minute 13 seconds whilst her rival had only placed five inside each other.

Reunions

Offenburg

In 2011, the German radio station Hit Radio Ohr reunited members of the Offenburg team to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their participation in the programme. In attendance at Offenburg Rathaus (Town Hall) were 17 members of the original team of 22, with some bringing souvenirs of the event to the reunion.

Original team member Artur Köchlin and team coach Dieter Roth were photographed as part of the media coverage of the reunion. Artur was pictured holding one of the large caricatured heads used in the final game, whilst Dieter held the actual Joker played on the night of the International Heat.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in German archives

D

Spiel Ohne Grenzen 1971

Heat 3

Event Staged: Saturday 8th May 1971
Venue: Parkbad (Park Swimming Pool), Stadtpark (Town Park),
Schwabach, Bayern, West Germany

Transmission:
WDR 1 (D): Saturday 8th May 1971, 2.30-3.45pm (Live)

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

Weather Conditions:
Hot and Sunny

Theme: Ein Dschungel Abenteuer (A Jungle Adventure)

Teams: Schorndorf v. Schwabach

Team Members included:
Schwabach - Rainer Leuthold (Co-Team Coach), Werner Schrödel (Co-Team Coach), Hans Zuleeg (Co-Team Coach), Hans Beil, Heide Blank, Hermann Botz, Walter Döll, Helmut Gerhardt, Werner Großer, Karl Haag, Günther Häring, Werner Kammerloher, Hans Katheder, Ilse Katheder, Karl-Heinz Kaufmann, Erika Kommenda, Herbert Rößner, Walter Ryschka, Helmut Schindler, Manfred Seifert, Helmut Steinbauer.

Games: Tarzan: King of the Jungle, Flowers of Paradise, Catching Butterflies, The Father Ape, The Safari Baggage, The Friendly Turtles, The Woodland Animal, The Tree Tower, The Safari Expedition, The Giant Water Snake, The Coconuts.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd

 SA • Schwabach ● ●
 SO • Schorndorf

14
12

Schwabach qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Solothurn, Switzerland:
staged on Wednesday 23rd June 1971

The Host Town

Schwabach, Bayern

Schwabach is a town with a population of around 40,000 inhabitants in the state of Bayern. It is located in the centre of the historic Duchy of Franconia, 11km (7 miles) south of Nürnberg, 79km (49 miles) west of Schwandorf, 93km (58 miles) east of Bad Mergentheim and 106km (66 miles) north of Augsburg.

Although there had been settlements in the area since 750 BC, it was not until the 14th century that the current town walls were built with municipal law being established in 1371. The name of the town derives from the old Franconian Suapaha (later Suabaha, then Villa Suabach) which translates as ‘Schwaben-Bach’ in modern German, meaning ‘Swabian stream’. The first part of the name was given by the Franconians, who came to the area about a millennium after the Hallstatt culture (a predominant Central European culture dating from the 8th to 6th centuries BC), to the people living on the banks of that stream, which were perceived as Swabians by them, while the second part is a reference to the stream which flows through town.

Schwabach is famous for its manufacture of sewing machine needles - the first factory being established there in 1633 - and its crafts made of gold, and in particular those covered in gold foil. Much of the foil used to decorate London landmarks such as Buckingham Palace and the Albert Memorial stems from Schwabach. In 2004, the town celebrated this tradition with an anniversary festival entitled ‘500 Jahre Goldfolie in Schwabach’ (500 years of gold foil in Schwabach). It also gives its name to the Schwabacher font (a hard black-letter typeface), developed around 1500 by a local typesetter, and used for printing the first bible in German translation. The town museum displays a large range of exhibits from the town's past that are of both local and national significance, and it incorporates a unique Egg Museum showing one of the world famous Fabergé eggs.

Schwabach may not be able to claim the greatest architectural treasures of European culture but it offers some charming features of a typical Franconian town with its numerous well-preserved old buildings, the jewels which document the town's rich history. The excellent restoration of the old town centre earned Schwabach the distinction in 1977 of becoming the first German town to be awarded the ‘Europa-Nostra Medal’ for the conservation of European architectural and cultural heritage. The main highlights of the historical town centre are the splendid town church dating from 1495, the town hall built just in front of it in 1528, the landmark old linden tree which was planted in 1768 and still grows strong and the ‘Schöne Brunnen’ (Beautiful Fountain) that was completed in 1717.

At the time of transmission, the town was celebrating its 600th anniversary.

The Visiting Town

Schorndorf is a town with a population of around 40,000 inhabitants in the state of Baden-Württemberg and is located 124km (77 miles) south-west of Schwabach.

The Venue

Parkbad

The games were played in the Parkbad located within the town’s Stadtpark.

Opened on 12th July 1938, it was considered to be one of the most beautiful baths of Franken (Franconia). However, despite its instant popularity there was very little re-investment after its heyday years, and by the late 1980s, the baths had fallen into disrepair and had become a risk to public health. Although the pool remained open, it faced an uncertain future, but following some rethinking by local councillors and backing by investors, the park has received a complete makeover in recent years and is no longer recognisable from its former years.

Additional facilities have been added including water-slides, fountains and family-friendly areas and it has now become one of the town’s most popular summer rendezvous for locals and tourists alike. The Parkbad, which is open between April and September each year, celebrated its 75th birthday in 2013, culminating in a colourful programme of festivities on Saturday 20th July.

The Games in Detail

Game 1 - Tarzan: King of the Jungle
(Tarzan: König des Dschungels)

The first game - ‘Tarzan: King of the Jungle’ (Tarzan: König des Dschungels) - was played individually over four minutes duration and witnessed Schorndorf presenting their Joker for play. The game featured two male competitors from each team and a course comprising 12 rope swings hanging from trees. On the whistle, the first competitor had to jump down from a cave using the first rope swing and then grab hold of the second on his outward journey. He then had to move to the second rope swing and repeat the process until he had reached the twelfth and final rope swing. He then had to kick a small tree trunk into the water to signify for the second competitor to repeat the game. The team completing both journeys in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Schorndorf with their first competitor completing the course in a fast time of 50 seconds. The second competitor was even faster, completing the course in just 43 seconds and giving the team an aggregate time of 1 minute 33 seconds.

The second heat saw the participation of Schwabach and it was apparent from the outset that they would not emulate the total time set by their rivals. The first of the two competitors, although making a brave effort to emulate the target, completed his run in 1 minute 12 seconds. With just 21 seconds to complete the second run, it was already a lost cause but the team played the game out with the second competitor completing his run in 1 minute 24 seconds, to give the team an aggregate time of 2 minutes 36 seconds.

Game 2 - Flowers of Paradise
(Blumen des Paradieses)

The second game - ‘Flowers of Paradise’ (Blumen des Paradieses) - was played in unison over three minutes duration and featured two competitors (one male and one female) from each team and 35 brightly coloured flower heads hanging from a wire above the pool. On the whistle, the two competitors had to swim the length of the 50m (164ft) pool and collect two items to assist them to collect the flowers - a machete for the male and a floating log island for the female. Once they had collected their respective items, the competitors had to move back up the pool with the male competitor cutting off the heads of the flowers from the wire whilst his team-mate placed the heads onto the island. The team collecting all the flower heads and returning to the start in the faster time would be declared the winners.

From the outset, this straightforward game was very close but ended with Schorndorf completing the game in 2 minutes 21 seconds whilst the home team of Schwabach completed the game in 2 minutes 22 seconds.

Game 3 - Catching Butterflies
(Fangen Schmetterlinge)

The third game - ‘Catching Butterflies’ (Fangen Schmetterlinge) - was played individually over two minutes duration and featured a male competitor from each team equipped with a butterfly net. In the pool, there was a long wooden log podium and a total of 16 butterflies floating on lily pads to the right-hand side of it. On the whistle, the competitor had to catch a butterfly and, once removed from the net, had to clip it onto his waist belt. He then moved along the log and repeated the game. Butterflies had to be caught one at a time and were not permitted to be retrieved from the pool by hand. The team completing the game in the faster time or the one catching the greater number of butterflies in limit time would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Schorndorf and it appeared that their competitor was not adept at clipping the butterflies on to his belt, something that delayed his journey along the course, and at the end of the game he had only collected 9 butterflies.

The second heat featured Schwabach with their competitor appearing more adept in his balancing and clipping skills. After 1 minute 30 seconds of elapsed time, he had already equalled his rival’s score and this was something that would prove crucial at the end of the game. Following this, he struggled to clip the next insect to his belt, taking almost 20 seconds to complete the task. At the end of the game, he had collected a total of 10 butterflies.

Game 4 - The Father Ape
(Der Affen Vater)

The fourth game - ‘The Father Ape’ (Der Affen Vater) - was played individually over 2 minutes 15 seconds duration and featured a male competitor from each team dressed in an ape costume. In the pool, there were a series of 12 polystyrene logs and at the end of the course there was a stranded baby ape. On the whistle, the competitor had to make his way across the logs in an ape-like manner (on all four limbs) in order to reach the baby ape. Once it had been rescued, the competitor then had to make his way back across the logs in the same manner to cross the finish line. The baby ape had nothing attached to it that could be used to bond it to the competitor so the method of carrying it across the pool had to be carefully thought out. The team completing the course in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Schwabach with their competitor reaching the baby ape after 28 seconds of elapsed time. Although at first glance his choice to carry the baby in his mouth appeared to be an arduous method which slowed him down, it would prove to be the more successful of the two chosen and he completed the course without mishap in 1 minute 28 seconds.

The second heat featured Schorndorf and it appeared that their competitor had the better stance and was faster over the outward journey. However, his pace began to slow, and he reached the baby ape after 31 seconds of elapsed time. The choice of method adopted to carry the baby ape was in complete contrast to that of Schwabach, with it being carried underneath the competitor’s dossard. However, this would prove to be Schorndorf’s downfall due to the fact that whilst the competitor was standing upright with his back straight, the baby sat firmly in place, but as soon as he leant forward the weight of the baby fell forward and dangled in the path of his feet as well as in the pool. This had the result of the baby becoming wet and heavier and more of a burden to carry. After 1 minute 35 seconds of elapsed time and with the game already beyond redemption, the competitor lost his footing and tumbled into the water. With his costume thoroughly soaked, he struggled to clamber back and stand up on the logs and eventually was declared out of time.

Game 5 - The Safari Baggage
(Die Safari Gepäck)

The fifth game - ‘The Safari Baggage’ (Die Safari Gepäck) - was played in unison over three minutes duration and featured two male competitors from each team, a large raft and a variety of travel baggage comprising 10 suitcases of varying size and 8 large polystyrene packing cases. On the whistle, the competitors had to jump into the water and each carry five suitcases above their head whilst wading 20m (65ft 7½in) into the pool to reach the raft. Once the cases had been placed onto the raft, the competitors had to swim back to the start and each collect one of the large packing cases. This was repeated until all eight cases had been loaded onto the raft and then the competitors had to push the raft to the start line. The team completing the course with all items intact would be declared the winners.

From the outset, both teams were neck and neck, but it was not until both teams had all their items on board that it became even closer. After 2 minutes 9 seconds of elapsed time, both teams began their return journey at exactly the same time and it was just a case of which team would be able to hold their nerve. But it was Schorndorf that appeared to have the edge and touched the finish line in 2 minutes 21 seconds with Schwabach finishing in 2 minutes 22 seconds.

Game 6 - The Friendly Turtles
(Die Freundlichen Schildkröten)

The sixth game - ‘The Friendly Turtles’ (Die Freundlichen Schildkröten) - was played in unison and featured two competitors (one male and one female) from each team and a large polystyrene turtle. At the start of the game, the female competitor was standing on a floating tree disc whilst her team-mate was on the pool’s edge. On the whistle, the male competitor had to enter the pool and climb inside the turtle costume and then swim the length of the 50m (164ft) course whilst pushing the island with the turtle’s nose. The team reaching the finish line at the other end of the pool in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This straightforward game was neck and neck from the outset, but Schwabach started to edge ahead around the 25m (82ft) mark after their rivals went slightly off course. This gave them the momentum to push ahead and they reached the finish line in 1 minute 10 seconds with Schorndorf arriving in 1 minute 14 seconds.

Game 7 - The Woodland Animal
(Die Waldtier)

The seventh game - ‘The Woodland Animal’ (Die Waldtier) - was played individually over three minutes duration and featured a male competitor from each team dressed in a white woodland animal costume and three trees, each with 10 leaves hidden amongst their boughs. On the whistle, the competitor had to cross a rope using his arms and legs in order to reach the first tree. He then had to simply climb up, down and around the tree to find the 10 leaves and drop them into the pool below. Once accomplished, he then had to cross another rope to reach the second tree and then repeat the game before moving on to the third tree The team removing all 30 leaves in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Schwabach and, although this was a straightforward game, their competitor made it appear more difficult than it was. After reaching the third tree and removing all the leaves, the referees informed him that he had forgotten to dispense with one of the leaves from the second tree and he would have to return to the tree and remove it. This ultimately cost the team vital seconds but he completed the game in 2 minutes 37 seconds.

The second heat featured Schorndorf and their competitor was more adept in his climbing and searching skills and he completed the game in 1 minute 59 seconds. However, due to the referees having to confirm with each other that all the leaves had been removed, the official time was declared as 2 minutes 1 second.

Game 8 - The Tree Tower
(Der Turmbaum)

The eighth game - ‘The Tree Tower’ (Der Turmbaum) - was played in unison over two minutes duration and featured four male competitors from each team and nine tree discs of varying size. On the whistle, two of the competitors had to dive into the pool from the largest of the discs and swim to the pool’s edge. They then had to collect discs in decreasing size and each bring one back to the middle of the pool and hand them to the other two competitors who had to begin building a tapering tower by placing them on top of the largest disc and then climbing on top. The game was then repeated until eight discs were on top of each other. Once the final disc was delivered to the two climbing competitors, they had to stand aloft with the disc above their head to finish the game. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

As was the case with many of the games played in unison in this heat, this was a very close run contest with both teams neck and neck throughout. However, it was Schwabach that edged ahead after about 40 seconds of elapsed time, maintaining this slight advantage for the remainder of the game. Schwabach finished the game in 1 minute 32 seconds and Schorndorf were not far behind in 1 minute 42 seconds.

Game 9 - The Safari Expedition
(Die Safari-Expedition)

The ninth game - ‘The Safari Expedition’ (Die Safari-Expedition) - was another straightforward game and was played in unison over two minutes duration. It featured two competitors (one male and one female) from each team attired in jungle clothing and sitting astride a floating tree trunk. On the whistle, the two competitors had to move the tree trunk down the 50m (164ft) course by using their pith helmets as paddles. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Despite the fact that Schorndorf got off to the better start, the team suffered a mishap after 30 seconds of elapsed time when their female competitor tumbled into the pool after trying to adjust her posture. This permitted Schwabach to take the lead and complete the game in 1 minute 2 seconds. Contemporaneously, Schorndorf had recomposed themselves but failed to finish the game after both competitors tumbled into the water before reaching the finish line.

Game 10 - The Giant Water Snake
(Die Riesen Wasserschlange)

The tenth and penultimate game - ‘The Giant Water Snake’ (Die Riesen Wasserschlange) - was played individually over two minutes duration and witnessed Schwabach presenting their Joker for play. The game featured six competitors (four males and two females) from each team and a giant water snake comprising nine body sections. On the whistle, the four male competitors had to dive into the water and make their way across to the snake, which was curled up in the water, and each climb inside one of the first front four sections of the snake’s body. Working together, they had to uncoil the body in order for it to stretch out across the pool and, once accomplished, had to secure the head section to the pool’s edge. The referees would then signal to the first of the female competitors to begin her way across the snake’s body from one side of the pool to the other. This was then repeated by the second of the female competitors. The team completing the course with both females across in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this straightforward game saw the participation of Schorndorf and after securing the snake’s head after 59 seconds of elapsed time, they completed the game without mishap in 1 minute 40 seconds.

The second heat featured Schwabach and it was soon apparent that the team had played their Joker wisely. After uncoiling the snake and securing it after 54 seconds of elapsed time, the team already had a 5-second advantage on their rivals. The female competitors did not disappoint and were more adept with their balancing skills than their rivals and completed both runs in just 24 seconds (as opposed to 41 seconds taken by Schorndorf). After the total time taken by Schwabach was declared as 1 minute 18 seconds, the arena erupted.

Game 11 - The Coconuts
(Die Kokosnüsse)

The eleventh and final game - ‘The Coconuts’ (Die Kokosnüsse) - was simple and straightforward and was played in unison by two members of the public (one male and one female) representing their respective team. Located on the side of the pool was a plastic laundry basket containing 29 coconuts and, in the pool, about 5m (16ft 5in) from its edge, was a large basket on a floating podium. On the whistle, the representatives had to throw the coconuts, one at a time, into the basket to score. The female would participate first and throw the first 14 coconuts and was followed by her male compatriot to throw the remaining 15 coconuts. The team scoring the greater number would be declared the winners.

After 1 minute 41 seconds of play, both teams had exhausted their coconuts and the referees manually counted each basket separately. Schorndorf had scored 13 coconuts and Schwabach had scored 9 coconuts.

Reunions

Schwabach

Six surviving members of the Schwabach team were reunited in their home town on Tuesday 5th March 2019. They had gathered in the editorial office of Schwabacher Tagblatt, a local newspaper, to announce a screening of the 1971 domestic programme on Sunday 10th March in the Luna-Kino, which was made possible by Klaus Huber, an organiser of film matinées. Admission to the event was free, but donations were requested to help pay the 417 euro license fee for the public showing of the recording (which had been located during a frantic search and was once feared lost in a fire at the Westdeutscher Rundfunk archive).

The get-together was a bit like a class reunion; the six former team members had not seen each other for many years and yet the mood was very friendly as they viewed the programme and reminisced. One game - ‘The Safari Expedition’ - witnessed competitors astride a large tree trunk, with Ilse Katheder sat at the front and Hermann Botz, a master boxer, behind her. “The intelligence was at the front, the power at the back,” joked Hermann as they watched. “Schorndorf had the better start here and they were also ahead on the scoreboard. But then they ended up swimming! We were rewarded with the two points and levelled the scores at 10-10.” The result - and a trip to the Switzerland for the winners - hinged on the final two games and Ilse Müller (née Katheder) remembered the team were determined to be successful: “We really wanted to win. That's what we had trained for. We were totally happy.”

Schwabach’s team coach, the late Werner Schrödel, produced the team’s Joker for the penultimate game - ‘The Giant Water Snake’. “Three swimmers had to roll out a giant snake across the park pool, and then two girls had to run across its back from one side to the other,” Hermann explained. “Schorndorf went first and set us a time of 1 minute 40 seconds.” The Schwabach team took up the challenge, with Werner Hechtel, Helmut Schindler and Karl Haag jumping into the water, pulling the snake apart. First, Heide Blank ran across the plastic animal without any problem, then everything depended on Erika Kommenda (now Rohrmayr), who laughingly recalled: "I was a bit shaky, but I did not think too long about it and before I knew it, I was across." Herman Botz complimented her, saying: "You were like a gazelle." The clock was stopped at 1 minute 18 seconds. Schwabach had won the game and reserved a place in Jeux Sans Frontières in Solothurn, Switzerland, on Wednesday 23rd June, it now being impossible for Schorndorf to beat their points score on the day.

Their Swiss adventure was marked by further success, with the team bringing home the coveted Jeux Sans Frontières Silver Trophy.

"For me, Spiel Ohne Grenzen holds a great importance, I still have the tropical helmet at home," said Hermann Botz. "But the most beautiful thing is that we all met again."

Additional Information

Games designer Willi Steinberg created a watery jungle in the swimming pool, complete with ivy-covered trees, floating logs and arboreal, amphibious and reptilian creatures.

Following the victory of the Schwabach team, some of the competitors who appeared in this heat did not participate further. The reason for this was that the coaches wanted to bring in stronger competitors to contest the International programme and this resulted in nine of the team members listed above not travelling to Switzerland. Whilst on the subject of team coaches, Rainer Leuthold and Werner Schrödel decided that they wanted to be part of the action in Switzerland and demoted themselves to competitors when the team participated at Solothurn, six weeks later!

Made in Colour • This programme exists in German archives

D

Spiel Ohne Grenzen 1971

Heat 4

Event Staged: Saturday 15th May 1971
Venue: Prümer Wall, Rheinbach, Nordrhein-Westfalen, West Germany

Transmission:
WDR 1 (D): Saturday 15th May 1971, 2.30-3.45pm (Live)

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

Weather Conditions:
Warm and Sunny

Theme: Die Baustelle (The Construction Site)

Teams: Rheinbach v. Warburg

Team Members included:
Warburg - Heinz Flach (Team Trainer), Wolfgang Herrmann (Team Captain), Norbert Bunse, Bernhard Drolshagen, Wolfgang Flörke, Walter Hoischen, Werner Redeker, Hubert Rösel, Bernhard Sievers, Hubert Waldeyer, Lutz Welzel.

Games: The Sand Throwers, The Bricklayer, The Carpenters, The Crane Operator, The Roofers, The Overhead Power Lines, The Excavator Bucket, The Water Carriers, The Robotic Brick Carrier, The Jumping Jacks, The Decorators.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd

 R • Rheinbach ● ●
 W • Warburg

20
4

Rheinbach qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Rotterdam, Netherlands:
staged on Wednesday 7th July 1971

The Host Town

Rheinbach, Nordrhein-Westfalen

Rheinbach is a town with a population of around 28,000 inhabitants in the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen. It is located 16km (10 miles) south of the former capital city (West Germany) of Bonn, 48km (30 miles) east of the Belgian border, 95km (59 miles) west of Herborn and 100km (62 miles) north of Trier. It is a town full of history and stories and is famous for its manufacture of decorative church candles and ceramics industries and for its glassware, due to the fact that after World War II (1939-1945) many Eastern European glass workers fled here.

The town was mentioned by name for the first time in 762 AD, in a deed of King Pepin to the abbey Prüm. The knights and gentlemen of Rheinbach built a small rural settlement at the foot of its castle in the second half of the 13th century. Finds from the Stone Age and Roman times, however, show that Rheinbach had been settled thousands of years earlier. Town archives show that the town remained relatively small for many centuries with the population standing at just 135 inhabitants in 1581. However, the town began to grow and by 1664, it had a count of 167 families with 442 taxpayers.

In 1673, the Prince of Orange with four regiments took the city by force after Mayor Averdunck refused to surrender voluntarily. The Prince and his troops plundered the city and set fire to it, resulting in the destruction of 130 of the 150 houses and the deaths of 25 Rheinbach citizens and 23 farmers from the surrounding villages. By 1743, the population of Rheinbach had risen to 900 inhabitants, about 170 of whom had the rights of citizenship.

Between 1794 and 1815, the town found itself under French occupation with Rheinbach named as the capital of the newly formed canton. From 1816, the Rheinland became a Prussian province and the medieval city fortifications began to be demolished. By 1900, all traces of the old walls had disappeared.

In 1857, Die Spar und Darlehnskasse Rheinbach (The Rheinbach Loan and Savings Bank), known today as Kreissparkasse (District Savings Bank) is established. Its first bookkeeper was pensioner Theodor Liertz, who held the deposits and bonds in his apartment!

In 1969, Rheinbach and the municipalities of Flerzheim, Hilberath, Neukirchen, Lower Drees, Oberdrees, Queckenberg, Ramershoven, Todenfeld and Wormersdorf were amalgamated under municipal reorganization, to create the new town of Rheinbach.

The Visiting Town

Warburg is a town with a population of around 24,000 inhabitants in the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen and is located 182km (113 miles) north-east of Rheinbach.

The Venue

Prümer Wall

The games were played on an area within the Prümer Wall (taking its name from the former abbey of Prüm) which marked the line of the former town wall.

The German street name wall indicates the former ramparts, some of which are clearly visible on the southern side of the old town. At the western end is the Wasemerturm (Wasemer Tower) marking the south-western corner of the old town and is one of only two of the former eight towers of the medieval fortification they still exist today. The Neutor (New Gate) next to it was only built in the 17th century.

A much lower new wall has been built along here in recent years to give an idea of the historical situation, which is long lost. Most of this work has been done by a local organization that gives work to unemployed young people. Behind the wall, one can see the back gardens of the little houses along the next street. As is the case with many local councils today to increase council funds, the area is utilised as a pay and display car park. However on occasion, it is also used for special events such as classic car exhibitions and music events.

The Games in Detail

Game 1 - The Sand Throwers
(Die Sandwerfer)

The first game - ‘The Sand Throwers’ (Die Sandwerfer) - was played in unison over two minutes duration and featured four male competitors from each team, a portable cement-mixing machine and a huge pile of sand located between two 2m (6ft 6¾in) high walls. On the whistle, three of the competitors, each equipped with a shovel, had to throw sand over the wall and into the cement-mixer. To assist their direction of aim, the fourth competitor standing adjacent to the mixer shouted directions to them and adjusted the mouth of the mixer accordingly. Any sand that caught in the mixer could be emptied into large containers at any time by two male team-mates. The team catching the greater weight of sand would be declared the winners.

From the outset, this straightforward game appeared to be neck and neck with both teams shovelling great amounts of sand throughout. However, when it came to the final reckoning, the results revealed a completely different story. The four containers filled by Warburg were weighed first and they totalled 287.7kg (68.3kg + 86.4kg + 75.2kg + 57.8kg) or 634lb 4oz. However, when it came to Rheinbach, their total almost doubled this figure with their nine containers weighing 544kg (71.3kg + 88.2kg + 80.4kg + 62.5kg + 68.1kg + 97.3kg + 76.2kg) or 1199lb 5oz!

Game 2 - The Bricklayer
(Der Steinschicht)

The second game - ‘The Bricklayer’ (Der Steinschicht) - was played individually over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured a male competitor from each team underneath the ends of two inclined conveyor belts which were facing each other. The competitor was standing inside an already-prepared small chimney stack of three rows of 10 bricks. On the whistle, the two conveyer belts were started and two team-mates had to start placing polystyrene bricks onto marked areas at the base of the runners and as the bricks toppled over the end of the belts they had to be caught by the competitor underneath and placed onto the top row of the stack. However, the two belts were set at different heights and were running at different speeds and therefore the bricks would arrive intermittently (or together). The competitor had to be quick as he could only catch one brick at a time and if he failed to knock the other brick(s) out of the way, they would fall onto the stack and cause it to tumble to the ground. Only completed rows would be counted and the team achieving the stack with the greater height would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Rheinbach and the team completed the game without mishap and successfully stacked 8 rows which included the original three.

The second heat Warburg and their competitor was much taller than his rival, standing at 1.95m (6ft 5in) tall. Although this gave him somewhat of an advantage, he was assisted in part by a team-mate who could clearly be heard to shout “rechts” (to the right) as the bricks on the lower conveyor belt reached the top. Despite these advantages, the competitor failed to build each row with 10 bricks and although he stacked 9 rows of bricks, only six were deemed to be with the correct number.

Game 3 - The Carpenters
(Die Zimmermänner)

The third game - ‘The Carpenters’ (Die Zimmermänner) - was played in unison over four minutes duration and although it was straightforward and simple, it did have a close and exciting finish with a somewhat controversial decision. It featured a male competitor from each team and an obstacle course comprising four stepped hurdles, a wooden ladder and five 2.5m (8ft 2in) long rectangular wooden beams. On the whistle, the competitor had to transport one of the beams over the obstacles to the end of the 50m (164ft) course and then run back to the start and repeat the game. On completion of his fourth run, he had to start building a Stonehenge-like structure by standing two beams upright on their ends and then placing one of the other beams horizontally across the top. In order to reach the height, he had to utilise the remaining beam to stand on. After transporting the fifth beam, he had to use it as a third upright and place the one used to stand on previously, across the top of this and the second upright. In essence, the finished structure would resemble a ‘∏∏' structure. However, the competitor had to ensure that the first two upright beams were not placed too close together resulting in the horizontal beam overhanging the edge. This error could ultimately cause him difficulty when balancing the second horizontal beam between the second and the third upright. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

From the outset, this was a neck and neck contest with both teams on each other’s heels throughout. After completing their fourth runs, both competitors had constructed their first arch in exactly the same time of 2 minutes 52 seconds. With just over one minute remaining, both competitors raced back to the start to collect their final beam. Rheinbach, now with a slight edge, began their final run but had a mishap and dropped the beam halfway up the course. This permitted Warburg to close the deficit and take the lead. However, Warburg appeared to have difficulty in placing the beam in position and this delay permitted Rheinbach to get back in contention. With the clock displaying 3 minutes 45 seconds of elapsed time, it was now a case of which competitor could hold his nerve. With just 15 seconds remaining, Warburg struggled with the beam as their competitor had failed to allow enough of a gap between the first two uprights and Rheinbach could be observed dropping the final beam in the background. Although both competitors recomposed themselves and raised their beams to the top of the uprights, both structures were precariously unstable and began to topple to the side. With the clock reaching four minutes, both of the structures fell to the ground and it appeared that the game would be declared a draw. However, the referees declared that Rheinbach had completed the game in the nick of time, and it was the action of the Warburg structure falling against it that had caused it to tumble.

Game 4 - The Crane Operator
(Der Kranführer)

The fourth game - ‘The Crane Operator’ (Der Kranführer) - was played individually over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured a male competitor from each team and a large tower crane with a metal cage with open sides hanging from its jib. On the whistle, a male team-mate had to load eight stone blocks, each weighing 4.54kg (10lb), into the cage and then he had to push it forward and release it. On the backward swing, the competitor had to adjust the height of the cage with a control unit so that on its forward swing the base would hit a wall. On doing so, the kinetic energy would cause the cage to topple forward and force the bricks out and down a slope to a holding pen. The game was then had to be repeated until the end of permitted limit. Any broken brick or any remaining on the slope would not be counted in the final tally. The team with the greater number of whole bricks in the pen would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Warburg and the team completed five swings within the time and dumped a total of 19 bricks (6 + 1 + 6 + 5 + 1) into the pen.

The second heat featured Rheinbach and they were much quicker in the execution of the game and were able to make six swings and dumped a total of 28 bricks (3 + 5 + 1 + 4 + 8 + 7) into the pen.

Game 5 - The Roofers
(Die Dachdecker)

The fifth game - ‘The Roofers’ (Die Dachdecker) - was played in unison and witnessed Warburg presenting their Joker for play. The game featured two male competitors from each team standing adjacent to a roof truss with eight purlins (small strips of wood that provide support for the rafters and from which the top edge of the tiles hang from) running across its width and a total of 48 roofing tiles. On the whistle, the two competitors had to run forward and each collect a roof tile and then run back and place it on the lowest of the purlins. This then had to be repeated until a total of six tiles had been put in place and then they could commence on the second row and this would continue until they had placed all 48 tiles on the roof making 8 rows of six tiles. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The competitors were neck and neck for the first 50 seconds of play when the halfway mark (four rows) had been reached, but then cracks started to appear in the performance of Warburg. The competitors began to place the tiles erratically and not with as much precision as earlier and gaps began to appear between them. This would ultimately have a significant effect on the later stages, in the fact that the lower rows would need to be used to tread on to reach the higher purlins. As the teams reached their seventh rows together, Warburg had the narrowest of leads, but their earlier lack of precision finally came home to roost, when their tiles began to come loose and fall to the ground. With the game so closely contested up to this point, the team had no time to rectify the situation and ultimately handed the game to their rivals. Rheinbach finished the game and a perfect roof in 1 minute 55 seconds in addition to having nullified their rivals’ Joker.

Game 6 - The Overhead Power Lines
(Die Freileitungen)

The sixth game - ‘The Overhead Power Lines’ (Die Freileitungen) - was played individually over four minutes duration and featured two male competitors from each team and six 10m (32ft 9¾in) high wooden upright poles set 7.5m (24ft 8ins) apart. At the top of the poles there were two power hooks, one above the other. Each competitor was equipped with a support wire around his waist and was wearing a helmet with a hook attached to the top and a pair of unusual shoes which had curved blades with hooks protruding from the outside edges. On the whistle, the competitors had to work together to raise two power lines (ropes) to the tops of the poles. In order to do so, each had to place the power line in the hook of the helmet and then clip the support wire around the pole and then secure the wire back around his waist. The unusual shoes were designed so that the hooks on the blades would stick into the back of the pole, in the same manner as crampons, and permit the competitors to simply walk up the pole. Once they had reached the top, they had to hang the rope over the higher of the two hooks and then climb back down the poles. The team then had to move along to the third and fourth poles, respectively, and repeat the process and then again with the fifth and sixth poles. Once the power line had been secured in place at the top of the sixth pole and both competitors had descended, they had to run back to the start and repeat the game using a second rope and the lower of the two hooks. It should be noted that each pole had been marked halfway along its length with a white line to denote the point at which competitors could drop to the ground rather than descending the pole step by step. The time taken would be recorded when both competitors were on the ground after their final descents. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Warburg and the team completed their first run in 1 minute 26 seconds and their second run in 2 minutes 3 seconds. Their total time was declared as 3 minutes 29 seconds which appeared to be a respectable time based on the design and technicality of the game.

The second heat featured Rheinbach and they displayed a performance which was even better. Despite the fact that the team completed their first run three seconds behind their rival’s time in 1 minute 29 seconds, they closed the deficit on their second run, which they completed in 1 minute 41 seconds. The total time taken was declared as 3 minutes 10 seconds.

Game 7 - The Excavator Bucket
(Der Löffelbagger)

The seventh game - ‘The Excavator Bucket’ (Der Löffelbagger) - was played individually over three minutes duration and witnessed Rheinbach presenting their Joker for play. The game featured a male competitor from each team operating a hydraulic excavator bucket. On the whistle, an empty bottle was placed on a wooden table by a male team-mate and the competitor had to pick it up by the neck using the jaws of the bucket. However, he had to ensure that he did not close the jaws too quickly or to sustain too much pressure on the bottle, as either scenario could result in the bottle breaking. Once in the jaws of the bucket, the bottle had to be transported 90° to another table on top of which was a wooden box with 20 compartments into which the competitor had to drop the bottle. He had to ensure that it was exactly above one of the compartments before releasing it otherwise the bottle would topple over and fail to go in. Once accomplished, the game had to be repeated until permitted time expired. The team collecting the greater number of bottles would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Rheinbach and their competitor had successfully secured the first bottle in the jaws of the bucket within 20 seconds and had placed it in the box after 54 seconds of elapsed time. On his second attempt to pick up a bottle, he put too much pressure on it and crushed the top. A replacement bottle was positioned on the table, which he secured in the jaws after 1 minute 32 seconds and into the box after 1 minute 56 seconds. A third bottle was secured in the excavator’s jaws after 2 minutes 25 seconds but it failed to be put into the box successfully and it toppled over following its release. Although a fourth bottle was placed on the table, elapsed time was against the team and the whistle was sounded just before the competitor could pick it up and Rheinbach were declared as having scored a total of 2 bottles.

The second heat featured Warburg and it was a completely different story to that of the first. The Warburg competitor struggled to position and control the swing of the bucket on his first attempt and it resulted in the bottle’s neck being crushed after too much pressure was put on it. With elapsed time already at 48 seconds, a replacement bottle was positioned on the table and a second attempt was made to pick it up, which he did successfully after 11 seconds later. Unfortunately for the team, he was not so adept with the excavator’s controls and, whilst waiting for the bucket to stop swinging as it hovered over the table, he put a little too much pressure on the bottle which resulted in it breaking and falling onto the box below. He quickly returned to pick up another bottle but, with the clock already displaying 1 minute 40 seconds and with his inept skills, it appeared to be a lost cause. Despite this, he persevered and picked up another bottle after 2 minutes 13 seconds, but this was to be his swansong, because what followed was to leave everybody in fits of laughter. As he attempted to drop the bottle into the box, he pushed down with the bucket and the bottle broke. Somewhat aware that the game was now lost, he then pushed down harder and completely crushed the wooden table. A camera shot clearly shows him doing this with a wry smile on his face. Whilst presenter Camillo Felgen, also seeing the funny side to his antic, was explaining to the television audience at home what had taken place, in the background the other table could be heard being crushed by the excavator. With elapsed time now standing at 2 minutes 50 seconds, the game was stopped and the referees rushed in with huge smiles on their faces. Warburg had failed to collect any bottles and were declared out of time.

Game 8 - The Water Carriers
(Die Wasserträger)

The eighth game - ‘The Water Carriers’ (Die Wasserträger) - was played in unison over 3 minutes 30 seconds duration. It was straightforward and featured two male competitors from each team equipped with a rope which had five buckets attached to it. On the whistle, the competitors had to transport the rope over their shoulders to the end of the 50m (164ft) course whilst negotiating the four stepped hurdles used earlier in the third game. Once they had reached the end, any contents remaining in the buckets had to be emptied into a Perspex measuring container marked with centimetre graduations. The competitors then had to run back to the start, avoiding the obstacles, and then repeat the game until permitted time expired. The team collecting the greater volume of water would be declared the winners.

Both teams, neck and neck throughout, each traversed the course on four occasions and at the end of the game, the result reflected this. Whilst Rheinbach had filled their container with water to a height of 44.8cm (17½in), the Warburg team had only collected sufficient water to fill their container to the 44.1cm (17¼in) mark on the graduated scale.

Game 9 - The Robotic Brick Carrier
(Die Roboter-Backsteinträger)

The ninth game - ‘The Robotic Brick Carrier’ (Die Roboter-Backsteinträger) - was played individually over four minutes duration and featured two male competitors, one blindfolded and dressed in a robot costume and the second equipped with a walkie-talkie. On the whistle, the costumed competitor had to be guided to a podium where the ‘talking’ competitor was located and then given further instructions in order to pick up a stack of bricks. Keeping hold of the stack, he was then guided through a small obstacle maze comprising five wooden beams to the other end of the course where a male team-mate was located. It would then be the team-mate’s responsibility to signal, using hand movements only, to the talking competitor to instruct the robot on the position of the podium so that the stack could be placed without loss of any bricks. Once accomplished, the robot had to release the bricks and turn around and the game repeated throughout. There was no limit to the number of bricks that could be carried at any time, but it appeared that 15 or 16 would be the norm, and the team-mate at the end of the course was not permitted to assist the robot when placing them on the second podium. The team collecting the greater number of bricks would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Warburg who got off to a reasonable start and successfully placed 15 bricks on the second podium after exactly one minute of elapsed time. However following this, the robotic competitor went somewhat off-course and lost valuable time, but nevertheless the he recomposed himself and returned to the first podium after 1 minute 59 seconds. Another successful journey through the maze saw the second set of 15 bricks placed onto the podium after 2 minutes 50 seconds. Although the competitor returned to the start for a third journey, elapsed time was not on his side and he had just 24 seconds remaining to complete the run. Despite his efforts, he could only traverse half the course before the final whistle was sounded. The score for Warburg was confirmed as 30 bricks.

The second heat saw the participation of Rheinbach and their competitor picked up 16 bricks on his first run. However, a small disaster was to befall the team when three of the bricks tumbled to the ground after he collided with the second of the five beams. Further disaster was to follow after the competitor reached the end of the course after 1 minute 15 seconds of elapsed time and made a complete hash of placing the bricks on the podium. Despite his team-mate’s attempts, the referees stepped in and prevented him from assisting the competitor. Eventually after 1 minute 40 seconds, the team decided to abandon any further attempt to secure the stack and the competitor was instructed to turn around. However, time was no longer on their side and, with the team only having secured 8 bricks on the podium, the competitor was guided back through the maze. He collected the second stack of 16 bricks after 2 minutes 31 seconds and commenced his journey. Almost immediately he lost one of the bricks and then another at the end of the course, but successfully placed the remaining 14 bricks on the podium after 3 minutes 31 seconds. As was the case with Warburg, time was not on their side, and although they began the second return journey, the final whistle was sounded before he had reached the halfway mark. Rheinbach was confirmed as having collected 22 bricks.

Game 10 - The Jumping Jacks
(Die Sprungheberverdichter)

The tenth and penultimate game - ‘The Jumping Jacks’ (Die Sprungheberverdichter) - was played in unison over one minute duration and featured a male competitor from each team equipped with a 1970s hydraulic ‘jumping jack’ compactor. The enclosed course had a sand base under which 20 electrical contacts were hidden. On the whistle, the competitors had to operate the jumping jacks and move around the course trying to find the contacts. If successful, a light would be illuminated at the back of the course for each contact found and the team with the greater number of lights illuminated would be declared the winners.

A straightforward game ended with Rheinbach illuminating 5 lights and Warburg illuminating just 1 light.

Game 11 - The Decorators
(Die Dekorateuren)

The eleventh and final game - ‘The Decorators’ (Die Dekorateuren) - was played in unison and featured a female member of the public representing her respective team and a trolley loaded with 24 paint tins.

Additional Information

The surviving archive recording of this heat is retained in German archives in an incomplete form with the final game and end credits missing. This was a result of some of the games having running times that were longer than normal and the referees’ continual habit of carrying out manual counts with audience participation rather than just announcing the result. In cases such as this one, the surviving recording is incomplete as live broadcasts were then routinely recorded for archiving direct from the broadcast feed rather than at the recording venue.

Made in Colour • This programme exists incomplete in German archives

D

Spiel Ohne Grenzen 1971

Heat 5

Event Staged: Saturday 22nd May 1971
Venue: Emslandstadion (Emsland Stadium), Lingen an der Ems,
Niedersachsen, West Germany

Transmission:
WDR 1 (D): Saturday 22nd May 1971, 2.30-3.45pm (Live)

Referees on Duty:
Helmut Konrad and assistants Peter Hochrath and Gerd Siepe

Weather Conditions:
Warm and Sunny with a Strong Breeze

Theme: Die Römische Gladiatoren (The Roman Gladiators)

Teams: Bockum-Hövel v. Lingen an der Ems

Team Members included:
Bockum-Hövel - Dieter Ende.

Games: Ben-Hur, A Stone’s Throw, The Roman Columns, A Test of Strength, The Lion’s Den, The Flags, The Captured Gladiators, The Flying Gladiators, The Protective Shields, The Giant Maces, The Key to the Cage.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd

 BH • Bockum-Hövel ● ●
 L • Lingen an der Ems

16
10

Bockum-Hövel qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Vichy, France:
staged on Wednesday 21st July 1971

The Host Town

Lingen an der Ems, Niedersachsen

Lingen an der Ems is a town with a population of around 56,000 inhabitants in the state of Niedersachsen. It is located on the Ems river, 29km (18 miles) north of Bentheim, 105km (65 miles) south of Aurich, 164km (102 miles) west of Hannover and just 42km (26 miles) east of the Dutch border town of Coevorden. The town also spans the 269km (167 miles) long Dortmund-Ems Kanal which runs between the northern sea port of Emden and the inland city port of Dortmund.

The town was first mentioned as Liinga around 975 AD. The Dukes of Tecklenburg built a citadel in the area occupied by the current downtown area. It developed into a settlement that was still called 'village' as late as 1227. The settlement received town charter status in the early 14th century. In 1372, the young bachelor sons of the bourgeoisie of Lingen courageously defended the citadel which was under siege by the Bishop of Münster. This heroic act is celebrated on Whit Sunday of every third year by the young citizens at the Kivelingsfest - the festival of the Kivelinge (small fighters). Staged on the market-place, this special medieval spectacle attracts thousands of people from near and far.

Following a great blaze in 1548, when the majority of the town was destroyed, it was gradually reconstructed. Emperor Charles V (1500-1558) captured the castle in 1551 and from that time on the power base in Lingen changed more often than in any other German town or city. Philip II of Spain (1527-1598) and William of Orange of the Netherlands (1533-1584) took turns in conquering the city. The reign of Orange however, proved to be a golden era for Lingen, contributing to a high standard of education and a characteristic style of architecture. The castle was destroyed in 1607 and the fortifications razed in 1632. The Westphalian Peace Treaty of 1648 declared Lingen to be temporarily a part of Overijssels and thus a part of the Netherlands.

The Netherlands increasingly developed the city and trade and economy flourished. Many of the present-day buildings with the characteristic of Lingen am der Ems were constructed during this particular era. William III of Orange (1650-1702) built a Latin-School and also founded a university in 1697 which existed until 1820. The historical buildings surrounding the Universitätsplatz (University Square) are still regarded as highlights of Lingen am der Ems. After William’s death, the town came under the rule of Prussia in 1702. It was only the French (1806-1813) and the Kingdom of Hanover (1815-1866) who were capable of challenging the Prussians and intermittently took possession.

After 1866, again under Prussian rule, Lingen am der Ems became the county town of Emsland, a status that did not change until regional reforms in 1977. During the Industrial Revolution, Lingen am der Ems began to flourish. The railway repair factory was opened in 1856 and the opening of the Dortmund-Ems canal followed in 1899.

As is tradition, the Kivelinge present a gift to the town during its festival. In 1952, it came in the form of a glockenspiel which was placed in the tower of the Town Hall. In 2003, the Kivelinge presented the town with a set of moving figures to complement the glockenspiel and at 12pm, 3pm and 6pm each day, the tower doors open to reveal a drummer, a royal couple of the Kivelinge, a commander, a mayor, a flag-bearer, a Bürgertochter (daughter of the bourgeoisie) and the Kivelinge itself.

The Visiting Town

Bockum-Hövel, with a population of around 36,000 inhabitants, is a suburb of the city of Hamm in the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen and is located 98km (61 miles) south of Lingen am der Ems.

At the time of recording the town of Bockum-Hövel stood to the north-west of the city of Hamm. However, in a reorganisation of 1975, the town lost its identity when it was incorporated into its near neighbour and now forms the quarter of the city with the largest number of inhabitants.

The Venue

Emslandstadion

The games were played at the town’s Emslandstadion which is a multi-purpose stadium catering for both football and athletics. It has a capacity of 7,500 people, 900 of which are under cover. The local football club play in the Niedersachsenliga, the fifth tier of the German football league system and the highest league in the state of Niedersachsen.

Formed on 10th April 1910, as the Lingener Sport Verein (LSV), the club have always played in an all-red kit with a yellow stripe across the shoulders and displaying a badge denoting the three Lingen towers. The first training session took place on the Kotten Weise (Kotten Meadow) in the nearby village of Schepsdorf.

At that time, since the sport of football was still frowned upon by many older people, the club only had 13 founding young members. After 1913, the number of members had increased to 35, but then somewhat stagnated. It was then that the club began to offer athletics and this resulted in a dramatic increase in membership numbers. Both footballers and athletes showed very good performances in the 1920s. Whilst the athletes reigned supreme at regional sports festivals, the football club went on to the Gauliga, the highest level of play in German football between 1934 and 1945.

After the Second World War (1939-1945), the club was re-established under its current name TuS Lingen 1910 (Turn und Sportverein Lingen 1910) and found annual successes leading to promotion to the second highest league, the Amateuroberliga Niedersachsen West district in 1954. Following these successes, the club suffered many years of uncertainty following successive defeats and end-of-year results. Not to be too disheartened, the club recovered and enjoyed another period of success between 1971 and 1974, when the club won four championships in a row and were promoted to the Verbandsliga West.

The Games in Detail

Game 1 - Ben-Hur
(Ben-Hur)

The first game - ‘Ben-Hur’ - was played in unison over eight runs and featured a male competitor from each team equipped with a large spear with a flexible shaft and a Roman chariot pulled by two male opposition members dressed as horses. On the whistle, the opposition had to race along a 50m (164ft) L-shaped course which was flanked on either side by 50 balloons attached to individual podiums whilst the competitor in the chariot attempted to burst as many of them as he was able with the spear’s tip. When the chariot reached the end of the course, the horses had to turn around and repeat the game. This would continue until 8 complete runs (or 4 return journeys) had been completed. The team bursting the greater aggregate number of balloons would be declared the winners.

A straightforward game saw both teams neck and neck as they completed their runs but the scores at the end revealed that Lingen am der Ems had burst 74 balloons whilst Bockum-Hövel had burst 82 balloons.

Game 2 - A Stone's Throw
(Ein Steinwurf)

The second game - ‘A Stone’s Throw’ (Ein Steinwurf) - was played individually over four rounds and featured a male competitor from each team and a 15kg (33lb 2½oz) rubber boulder. On the whistle, the competitor had to lift the stone from the ground and then ‘cold’ throw it towards a boxed 25m (82ft) course marked out in metre sections. Once the boulder had come to rest in a section, the competitor was then permitted to throw the boulder from that point. This was then repeated until four throws had been completed and the total distance was marked with a flag. After both competitors had completed their first rounds, the game was repeated. Boulders that fell outside the remit of the boxed sections would not be counted and the throw would be deemed as non-scoring. The team achieving the greater aggregate distance would be declared the winners.

The first round saw the participation of Lingen an der Ems and the four throws saw the boulder reach the 3m, 6m, 11m and 16m sections, respectively. However, the score was only declared as 15m as the competitor had been penalised on his second throw after he had placed his foot on the wooden slat that separated each section instead of keeping his feet on the ground and this was deemed to have given him some advantage of extra balance.

The second round featured Bockum-Hövel and their competitor reached the 2m, 7m, 12m and 16m sections, respectively, with his four throws.

The third and penultimate round saw Lingen an der Ems on their second run with their competitor reaching the 2m, 8m, 13m and 17m sections.

The fourth and final round saw Bockum-Hövel on their second run with their competitor reaching the 3m, 8m, 14m and 18m sections.

After this the aggregate score for Lingen an der Ems was declared as 32m (15m + 17m) whilst the score for Bockum-Hövel was declared as 34m (16m + 18m).

Game 3 - The Roman Columns
(Die Römischen Säulen)

The third game - ‘The Roman Columns’ (Die Römischen Säulen) - was played in unison over three minutes duration and featured two male competitors from each team standing adjacent to a Roman column comprised of ten individual parts. On the whistle, the competitors had to lift the column and carry it down a 50m (164ft) L-shaped course comprising five obstacles, ensuring that the column remained intact. Once the team had accomplished this, they had to turn around and repeat the course in the opposite direction. Teams were permitted to rebuild their column should it tumble to the ground. The team completing the course in the faster time would be declared the winners. 

From the outset, Bockum-Hövel took command of the game and reached the turnaround point in 1 minute 2 seconds with Lingen an der Ems reaching the same point after 1 minute 11 seconds. The return journey was almost a repeat of the outward with the exception that Lingen an der Ems suffered a mishap on their approach to their final obstacle and the column tumbled to the ground. However, it made little difference to the result as Bockum-Hövel had already crossed the finish line and completed the game in 1 minute 58 seconds.

Game 4 - A Test of Strength
(Ein Test der Stärke)

The fourth game - ‘A Test of Strength’ (Ein Test der Stärke) - was played in unison over three heats of one minute duration and was a tug-o-war contest in reverse. It featured four male competitors from each team and a greased walkway flanked on both sides by a small wall. Spanning the wall and secured at its mid-point, was a large column which could be moved back and forth along the top. Before the game was started, the competitors had to approach the wall from either side and get themselves into position by pressing against the column. Once both teams were ready and the column was confirmed as being exactly mid-point, the whistle was sounded. The teams then had to use their strength to move the column to their specified point along the wall to win the heat. The team winning the greater number of heats would be declared the winners.

The first heat was a whitewash after Bockum-Hövel completed the game in just 10 seconds.

The second heat was a different story and although Bockum-Hövel had the upper hand, stalemate set in after 11 seconds of elapsed time and no further progress was made in either direction. With the heat declared null and void, the game went into its final heat with Bockum-Hövel still leading 1-0.

The third heat was an exact repeat of the second and ended in stalemate. Bockum-Hövel were declared the winners 1-0 by default rather than on their own merits.

Game 5 - The Lion's Den
(Der Löwengrube)

The fifth game - ‘The Lion’s Den’ (Der Löwengrube) - was played individually over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and witnessed Lingen an der Ems presenting their Joker for play. The game featured two male competitors from each team in a lion’s costume and four opposition males each attired in an inflexible polystyrene gladiator costume standing within a padded arena. On the whistle, the competitor had to knock the gladiators to the floor by unbalancing them whilst they attempted to avoid any contact by moving around the arena. The team knocking all four gladiators to the floor in the faster time or the one having the greater number brought down within limit time would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Lingen an der Ems and with the opposition suffering casualties after 7 seconds, 25 seconds and 35 seconds of elapsed time, it was apparent as to the reason for them opting for this to be their Joker game. Despite a brave effort from the final gladiator, Lingen an der Ems set an almost unbeatable target after knocking him down after 42 seconds.

The second heat featured Bockum-Hövel and from the outset it was a different story to that of the first. Despite every attempt by their competitor, he could not unbalance any of the Lingen an der Ems gladiators and as the clocked passed the 42 seconds mark, the game was all over in theory. Whilst presenter Camillo Felgen explained that the Lingen an der Ems team were about to receive their first points of the competition, Bockum-Hövel knocked its first gladiator to the ground after exactly one minute of elapsed time. A second gladiator was brought down after 1 minute 30 seconds with the third after 1 minute 53 seconds. Following this, and despite all its efforts including one of the competitors using his had to pull the opposition to the ground, no further scoring occurred. Bockum-Hövel were declared as out of time and although the home crowd were already aware of the outcome, it was met with great cheers as the result was announced.

Game 6 - The Flags
(Die Fahnen)

The sixth game - ‘The Flags’ (Die Fahnen) - was played individually over two minutes duration and witnessed Bockum-Hövel presenting their Joker for play. The game featured two male competitors from each team assisted by two male team-mates and 15 flags hanging above a pool. On the whistle, the two team-mates had to assist the first of the competitors by raising him off the ground and then pushing him upwards and out to the centre of the pool to grab the flags. This then had to be repeated with the second competitor whilst the first exited the pool and returned to repeat the game. There was no limit as to the number of flags that could be removed on each attempt and there was no ruling as to the method of propulsion. The team removing all the flags in the faster time or the one removing the greater number would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Bockum-Hövel and the team adopted a method of cupping their hands to raise the competitors off the ground. This method would later be vindicated as giving the greater upward movement of the two adopted. On the first lift, the competitor removed 11 flags with another being removed after 43 seconds of elapsed time. Despite another four attempts being made, the remaining flags were out of reach of the competitors. The score for Bockum-Hövel was confirmed as 12 flags.

The second heat featured Lingen an der Ems and they adopted a different style to their rivals and one which appeared to be their downfall. The competitors were raised up to the shoulder-height of the team-mates and then hurled forward, but this method had the disadvantage of not having such a great upward movement from the team-mates’ push. On their first attempt, the competitor removed 5 flags and a further 4 flags were removed by the second competitor on his first attempt. Two failed attempts were then followed by success, when the first competitor removed another flag after 56 seconds of elapsed time. Immediately after this, a further flag was removed by the second competitor on his next attempt. The scores were now standing at Bockum-Hövel 12, Lingen an der Ems 11 and there were still 53 seconds remaining on the clock for the team to emulate their rival’s total and to nullify their Joker. However, the reduced strength of the competitors and team-mates, coupled with the great distance needed to reach the remaining flags, would result in no further progress being made and the game ended with the same score.

Game 7 - The Captured Gladiators
(Die Gefangenen Gladiatoren)

The seventh game - ‘The Captured Gladiators’ (Die Gefangenen Gladiatoren) - was played in unison over three minutes duration and featured six male competitors from each team inside a elongated net and an obstacle course comprised of small hurdles, bridges and tunnels. On the whistle, the team had to work together and get into a uniform step in order to move along the course and step over the higher obstacles. When encountering the low obstacles, the team had to get down on their knees to pass underneath but continue moving in a uniform step. The team reaching the end of the 50m (164ft) L-shaped course in the faster time would be declared the winners.

From the outset, it was apparent that Bockum-Hövel were the stronger and more organised of the teams in this straightforward game. Leading throughout, they completed the game in 1 minute 45 seconds whilst Lingen an der Ems crossed the finish line in 2 minutes 5 seconds.

Game 8 - The Flying Gladiators
(Die Fliegenden Gladiatoren)

The eighth game - ‘The Flying Gladiators’ (Die Fliegenden Gladiatoren) - was played individually over three runs and, as the name suggests, was played above the arena. It featured three male competitors from each team utilising a zip wire and six ‘lion’ targets of differing values. On the whistle, the first of the competitors had to place a large rubber boulder between his feet and then descend into the arena by the wire. At a chosen point, he had to aim and release the boulder in order to knock over one of the targets. The targets were set out in an arrowhead (Λ) formation with the lower outside targets valued at 5pts each, the middle two targets valued at 4pts each and the targets at the tip of the arrowhead valued at 3pts each. In order to reach the highest-scoring targets, the competitors would need to turn their bodies before releasing the boulder. The team achieving the greater total would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Bockum-Hövel and their three competitors scored 0pts, 4pts and 4pts, respectively and giving the team a total of 8pts.

The second heat featured Lingen am der Ems who scored 0pts, 4pts and 0pts on their three runs, giving the team a total of 4pts.

Game 9 - The Protective Shields
(Die Schutzschilde)

The ninth game - ‘The Protective Shields’ (Die Schutzschilde) - was played in unison over two minutes duration and featured a male competitor from each team and two giant circular shields attached to each other to create a wheel. On the whistle, the competitor had to climb to the top of the shields and face away from the course. Two team-mates then had to roll the shields down the 50m (164ft) L-shaped course whilst the competitor walked forward, maintaining his balance throughout. The team would be permitted to recompose itself, without penalty, should their competitor fall to the ground. The team completing the course in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Although at this point, the overall outcome was already a foregone conclusion, this straightforward game witnessed somewhat of a comeback from Lingen an der Ems. Leading from the outset, the team completed the game without mishap in 1 minute 9 seconds with Bockum-Hövel finishing in 1 minute 11 seconds.

Game 10 - The Giant Maces
(Die Riesigen Keulen)

The tenth and penultimate game - ‘The Giant Maces’ (Die Riesigen Keulen) - was played in unison over a maximum fourteen rounds (two sets of seven fights) of 20 seconds and featured four male competitors from each team equipped with giant rubber maces and a balance beam spanning a pool. Before the game started, the first of the competitors from each team had to make his way across the beam to a given point. On the whistle, they had to take part in a ‘pillow-fight’ type contest by attempting to knock his opponent off the beam. The maximum time that each ‘fight’ could last was 20 seconds and all competitors that fell into the pool would be counted, winners or not. Once a team had reached 4pts (victories), the teams changed ends and repeated the game until a team reached 4pts again. The team with the greater aggregate number of competitors in the pool would be declared the winners.

The first two rounds ended in draws when the victors of each round lost their balance after knocking their opponents into the pool (running total 2-2).

The third round saw Bockum-Hövel victorious (3-2 to Bockum-Hövel) whilst another draw ensued in the fourth round (4-3 to Bockum-Hövel). With Bockum-Hövel reaching the required total of 4, the teams changed ends.

The fifth round saw Bockum-Hövel victorious once more (1-0 to Bockum-Hövel).

The sixth round saw another draw (2-1 to Bockum-Hövel) but after this Lingen an der Ems made a miraculous recovery by winning the next three ‘fights’ (4-2 to Lingen an der Ems). With the required total reached by Lingen an der Ems, the game ended and the final aggregate scores revealed that Lingen an der Ems had won the game by 7-6 (3-4 + 4-2).

Game 11 - The Key to the Cage
(Der Schlüssel für den Käfig)

The eleventh and final game - ‘The Key to the Cage’ (Der Schlüssel für den Käfig) - was played in unison and featured a female member of the public representing her respective team and a double-gated cage, inside which was a lion at either end. On the whistle, the competitor had to race to her respective gate where a bunch of 15 keys of similar shape and size were located. She then had to try and find the key that unlocked the gate by trying each one in the lock. The team opening the gate and releasing their lion in the faster time would be declared the winners.

A straightforward game saw the Lingen an der Ems representative opening her gate first in 26 seconds.

Additional Information

The surviving archive recording of this heat is incomplete, missing the opening titles and the "picture postcard" introductions of the towns competing. The programme opens just as the teams are arriving in the arena accompanied by strains of Entrance of the Gladiators, composed in 1897 by Czech composer Julius Fučík (1872-1916).

Made in Colour • This programme exists incomplete in German archives

D

Spiel Ohne Grenzen 1971

Heat 6

Event Staged: Saturday 29th May 1971
Venue: Ufer des Großen Plöner See (Shore of the Great Plön Lake), Plön am See,
Schleswig-Holstein, West Germany

Transmission:
WDR 1 (D): Saturday 29th May 1971, 2.30-3.45pm (Live)

Referees on Duty:
Hans Ebersberger and assistants Peter Hochrath and Werner Treichel

Weather Conditions:
Hot and Sunny

Theme: Die Amerikanischen Indianer (The American Red Indians)

Teams: Plön am See v. Wetter an der Ruhr

Games: The Canoes, The Peace Pipe, The Kon-Tiki Rafts, The Chieftains, The Paddle Horses, Crimping the Clothes, The Totem Poles, The Dance of Death, Catching the Fish, The Chicken’s Eggs, The Tomahawks.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd

 W • Wetter an der Ruhr ● ●
 P • Plön am See

15
11

Wetter an der Ruhr qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Blackpool, Great Britain:
staged on Wednesday 18th August 1971

The Host Town

Plön am See, Schleswig-Holstein

Plön am See is a town with a population of around 9,000 inhabitants in the northernmost state of Schleswig-Holstein. It is located 74km (46 miles) north-east of Hamburg, 93km (58 miles) south-east of Flensburg, 111km (69 miles) west of Rostock and 117km (73 miles) north-east of Cuxhaven.

It lies on a narrow isthmus on the shore of the state’s largest lake - the Großer Plöner See - as well as on four smaller lakes - Behler See, Kleiner Plöner See, Schöhsee and Trammer See - which virtually touch the town on all sides. The town's landmark is Plön Castle, a chateau built in the 17th century on a hill overlooking the town.

The history of the town dates back to when Slavic tribes entered the region during the early 7th century following the withdrawal of the original Germanic population. On the large island opposite Plön am See, which was later called Olsborg, they built a large fortification. They called their settlement Plune, which literally means ‘ice-free water’. In 1139, Adolf II of Schauenburg (1128-1164), Count of Holstein, destroyed the fortress, ending the domination of the Slavs in the region. Twenty years later in 1159, Adolf II had the castle on the island rebuilt, but soon had it moved to its present site of Schloßberg (castle hill). It was here, under the protection of the castle and close to the major trading route from Lübeck to the north, that a Saxon market town emerged.

In 1236, Plön am See was granted town rights under Lübeck law and it remained a centre of the County of Holstein until the Danish royal house fell in the 15th century. Between 1633 and 1636, a Renaissance castle was built on the site of the old one by Duke Joachim Ernest (1595-1671) and the town became the capital of a small, but independent, princedom. As a residence town, Plön am See experienced a considerable increase in status and later under Duke Charles Frederick (1706-1761), the castle district was expanded with several baroque buildings and a pleasure garden. At that time, the town had about 1,000 inhabitants and reached as far as the bridge over the River Schwentine in the east and to the end of today's pedestrian zone in the west. Both entrances were protected by gates.

In 1761, the Duchy fell back into the hands of the Danish crown. Plön am See remained under Danish rule until the Second Schleswig War in 1864. Although it was the Danish king's summer residence from time to time, it remained otherwise a sleepy provincial town of about 2,000 inhabitants. In 1867, Plön am See became a county town following the introduction of Prussian administrative reforms.

After World War II (1939-1945), Plön am See was chosen as the site for King Alfred School, a secondary school for British Forces children under the headmastership of Freddie Spencer Chapman (1907-1971), a British Army Officer, with his staff at the Ruhleben Barracks site and can rightly claim to be the first fully comprehensive school in the UK system. The school existed from 1948 to 1959.

The town’s coat of arms is quite interesting and shows a red fish swimming in the lake under a low crenellated (with battlements) wall made of red bricks, on a silver background. On top of the wall there is a short crenellated tower with two blackened window arches above which hovers Holstein's coat of arms - a silver nettle leaf.

The Visiting Town

Wetter an der Ruhr is a town with a population of around 28,000 inhabitants in the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen and is located 370km (230 miles) south-west of Plön am See.

The Venue

Der Große Plöner See

The games were played on a grassed area on the shore of the Großer Plöner See, the largest of the numerous lakes surrounding the town. The lake, located to the south of the town, lies wholly within the Naturpark Holsteinische Schweiz (Holstein Switzerland Nature Park) - a picture-postcard nature park of lakes, woods and gently rolling hills - with its main tributary, as well as its main outflow, being the 63km (39 miles) long River Schwentine.

At its greatest, it measures 8.3km x 7.1km (5¼ miles x 4½ miles) and covers a surface area of 29.97km2 (11.57 miles2), with a total shore length of 50km (31 miles). It has a maximum depth of about 58m (190ft), although its average depth is around 13.5m (44ft 3in), and its surface elevation is around 21m (69ft) above sea level.

The lake, owned both by the state of Schleswig-Holstein as well as various private individuals, is classed as eutrophic - a body of water that has a high biological productivity due to excessive nutrients, especially nitrogen and phosphorus, and is able to support an abundance of aquatic plants - and emerged as a consequence of the glaciation of Schleswig-Holstein after the last ice age. Its surroundings are a popular recreational area for residents of the metropolitan areas of Kiel, Lübeck and Hamburg as well as a centre of tourism within the Holsteinische Schweiz region. There are a total of 15 bathing sites with several of the campsites located directly on the lakeshore. There is a wide range of recreational activities such as boating, sailing, diving and fishing and during the summer months, pleasure boats ply the lake.

The Games in Detail

Game 1 - The Canoes
(Die Kanus)

The first game - ‘The Canoes’ (Die Kanus) - was the first of four to be played on the lake. It was played in unison over four minutes duration and witnessed Plön am See presenting their Joker for play. The game featured four competitors (three males and one female) from each team and a cleverly-conceived canoe comprising two halves. On the whistle, two of the male competitors had to row 50m (164ft) across the lake aboard one half of the canoe. On reaching the other side, they would be joined by the third male who had the other half of the canoe in his possession. Once the two halves of the canoe had been placed together, they had to row back to the start where they had to collect the female competitor. Once aboard, the team had to make a final journey across the lake to the finish line. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

From the outset, it was a neck and neck race with both teams reaching the opposite side of the lake after 1 minute 6 seconds of elapsed time and it appeared that the Plön am See Joker could be in some jeopardy. However, Plön am See were the quicker of the two in assembling the two parts of the canoe and started their return journey first. With Wetter an der Ruhr suffering a mishap on this journey after the two parts of the canoe separated, it permitted Plön am See to further increase their lead and virtually secure victory. On reaching the start line after 2 minutes 1 seconds, Plön am See were joined by their female for the final journey across the lake. By the time Wetter an der Ruhr had collected their squaw after 2 minutes 39 seconds, Plön am See were halfway across the lake and with a perfect finish, they completed the game in 3 minutes 7 seconds.

Game 2 - The Peace Pipe
(Die Friedenspfeife)

The second game - ‘The Peace Pipe’ (Die Friedenspfeife) - was played individually over four minutes duration and featured five male competitors from each team and a 7m (22ft 11¼in) long peace pipe comprising seven parts sitting on seven equally-spaced podia. On the whistle, the five competitors had to work together by pushing against the pipe from either end and supporting the middle parts in order to lift the pipe off the podia. They then had to transport the pipe along the 50m (164ft) course comprised of two obstacles - a small ramp and a large horizontal tree trunk. Once they had negotiated the obstacles, they then had to place the pipe back onto seven equally-spaced podia at the end of the course. If the pipe fell apart whilst the team was negotiating an obstacle, the pipe had to be reassembled in front of that obstacle and the attempt repeated. At the end of the four minutes, a timer inside the bowl of the pipe would create black smoke to bellow out from inside. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Plön am See and they got off to a slow start but once into their rhythm they made progress up the course. However, whilst negotiating the small ramp, the lead competitor inadvertently permitted his right foot to step off the downward side. This error was quickly noticed by referee Hans Ebersberger and instructed them to go back to the start of the obstacle. After recomposing itself, the team negotiated the ramp successfully and moved onto the next obstacle. Once again luck was not on their side after the pieces of the pipe separated and fell to the ground after 2 minutes 57 seconds of elapsed time. The bowl of the pipe then began to bellow out smoke too early and a stagehand moved in to douse its progress with a bucket of water. With limit time fast approaching, the team recomposed itself once more and struggled to negotiate the tree trunk. Disaster was to strike again after 3 minutes 5 seconds, just prior to the final competitor’s attempt to step over the tree trunk, when the team did not maintain the pressure on the pipe and it fell apart. With very little time remaining, the team had no chance of the completing the game and were deemed out of time after the whistle was sounded, 15 seconds later.

The second heat featured Wetter an der Ruhr and it was a completely different story to that of the first. The team appeared to have learned from their rivals’ errors and were sleeker in their performance, having time to stop halfway down the course to recompose itself. The team completed the game without mishap in 2 minutes 31 seconds.

Game 3 - The Kon-Tiki Rafts
(Die Kon-Tiki Flöße)

The third game - ‘The Kon-Tiki Rafts’ (Die Kon-Tiki Flöße) - was played in unison on the lake over two minutes duration and featured five competitors (four males and one female) from each team and a Kon-Tiki raft. On the whistle, the two male competitors had to punt the raft up a 50m (164ft) course which was spanned by five wires. As they approached the wires, the competitors had to step or jump over them whilst the raft passed underneath and at the end of the course, a large drum would be handed to the team. The course then had to be repeated in the opposite direction with the added difficulty of carrying the drum over the wires. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

From the outset of this straightforward game Wetter an der Ruhr got the better start and reached the end of the course without mishap after 39 seconds of elapsed time followed by Plön am See after 41 seconds. It was then a straight race back to the start with Plön am See closing the deficit within seconds and taking the lead. With both teams negotiating the final hurdles successfully, Wetter an der Ruhr found a final burst of energy to close the deficit and both teams reached the finish line in the exact same time of 1 minute 23 seconds.

Game 4 - The Chieftains
(Die Häuptlinge)

The fourth game - ‘The Chieftains’ (Die Häuptlinge) - was played in unison over five minutes duration and although was basic in design, it emerged as a most hilarious game. It featured a blindfolded male competitor from each team wearing a very large Indian chief’s caricatured head and equipped with a small bucket. On the shore there was a makeshift open-fire with a cooking pot hanging from above and before the start of the game, the competitor was positioned so that he was facing the lake. On the whistle, he had to make his way forward into the lake and fill the bucket with water. He then had to turn around and make his way back to the fire and pour the water into the pot. The process then had to be repeated for the remainder of the game. The team collecting the greater volume of water would be declared the winners.

As soon as the competitors were released, they both headed for the lake and each gathered up a bucketful of water. Plön am See were the first to successfully locate their pot after 1 minute 5 seconds of elapsed time followed by Wetter an der Ruhr after 1 minute 25 seconds. After this, it was a game of chance with each of the competitors oblivious to their actual positions and finding themselves on the wrong side of the arena, at their opponent’s pot or being guided back on course by the referees. A second bucket for Wetter an der Ruhr was emptied into their pot after 3 minutes 20 seconds whilst Plön am See repeated the feat 17 seconds later. A third bucket for Wetter an der Ruhr was emptied into their pot after 4 minutes 47 seconds and would be the final scoring on the game. After five minutes of joyful television, the results were revealed. Whilst both competitors had collected two bucketsful of water each, Wetter an der Ruhr had filled their pot with water to a height of 14cm (5½in) on the referee’s dipstick as opposed to 10cm (4in) achieved by Plön am See.

Game 5 - The Paddle Horses
(Die Paddelpferde)

The fifth game - ‘The Paddle Horses’ (Die Paddelpferde) - was played in unison on the lake over three minutes duration and featured two male competitors from each team standing on the back of a polystyrene horse which had a paddle wheel on each side of its body. On the whistle, the competitors had to use one foot to propel the wheels forward and steer the horse through a 50m (164ft) slalom course comprising four gates, whilst at the same time maintaining their balance. Once they had reached the end of the course, they had to turn around and return to the start in the same manner. The team completing the course in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was yet another neck and neck race with Wetter an der Ruhr having the slight edge on Plön am See on the outward journey. Reaching the turnaround point in 1 minute 8 seconds, they were just one second ahead of their rivals. The return journey saw Wetter an der Ruhr maintaining their slight lead but they soon suffered a setback after misjudging their angle of entry into the third of the four slalom gates. This mishap permitted Plön am See to close the deficit and take the lead, which they maintained for the remainder of the game and finished in 2 minutes 31 seconds.

Game 6 - Crimping the Clothes
(Crimpen der Kleidung)

The sixth game - ‘Crimping the Clothes’ (Crimpen der Kleidung) - was played in unison over three minutes duration and was very unusual and one that did not quite fit into the theme of the programme. It featured a male competitor from each team sitting on a podium dressed in a shirt and trousers whose arms and legs measured 10m (32ft 9¾in) in length. On the whistle, the competitor had to use his hands (which were inside the arms of the shirt) to crimp the material backwards up his arms so that he could free his hands to do the same with the legs of the trousers. Once his hands and feet were free, he had to jump down off the podium and run to a large drum and place a feathered band around his head. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

From the outset, it was apparent that Wetter an der Ruhr were faster and more adept in their execution of the game and had his hands free after 1 minute 21 seconds of elapsed time. Although Plön am See appeared to have emulated the same time as their rivals, the arms of their shirt had not been fully crimped and this caused the competitor some difficulty in his efforts to crimp the trousers. Wetter an der Ruhr maintained their lead throughout the game and finished in 2 minutes 15 seconds.

Game 7 - The Totem Poles
(Die Totemfähle)

The seventh game - ‘The Totem Poles’ (Die Totemfähle) - was played in unison and witnessed Wetter an der Ruhr presenting their Joker for play. The game featured three male competitors from each team (one which began the game tethered to a totem pole) and an obstacle course comprising a tunnel and a total of five hollowed-out tree trunks and stumps. On the whistle, the other two competitors had to paddle a canoe 50m (164ft) across the lake to the shore, where they had to disembark. They then had to negotiate the six obstacles and run to the totem pole and rescue their team-mate. Once released, all three of the competitors then had to negotiate the obstacles in the opposite direction and return to the canoe. It would then be a straight 50m race back to the start. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

It was soon apparent as to the reason that Wetter an der Ruhr had opted to play their Joker on this very straightforward game. Getting the better start, they held a slight lead from the outset which they maintained throughout. Entering the water four seconds ahead of their rivals for the return journey, they increased their lead further and finished the game in 1 minute 45 seconds, seven seconds ahead of Plön am See in 1 minute 52 seconds.

Game 8 - The Dance of Death
(Der Totentanz)

The eighth game - ‘The Dance of Death’ (Der Totentanz) - was played individually over one minute duration and featured a male competitor from each team and a giant effigy of a Thunderbird - a supernatural bird of power and strength - with large splayed wings. Surrounding the effigy, there was a circular podium on which four male opposition members wearing headbands stood at equidistant points. Attached to the headbands were two wooden feathers set at right angles to each other. On the whistle, the competitor had to rotate the effigy by running around the inside of the podium whilst holding onto a pole which extended horizontally over the perimeter of the podium. Contemporaneously, the opposition had to jump over the pole and avoid the wings of the bird making contact with the feathers on their headbands as it swept over the podium above. Any method could be adopted to clear the pole but if the wings of the bird made contact with either of the feathers, the opposing team member would be eliminated from the game. The team eliminating all the opposition in the faster time or the one with the greater number of opposition eliminated would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Plön am See and their competitor was unable to eliminate any of the opposition.

The second heat featured Wetter an der Ruhr and although their competitor hared around the circle at a greater speed than his rival in the first heat, he was also unable to eliminate any of the opposition. The contest therefore ended in a 0-0 draw and the points were shared.

Game 9 - Catching the Fish
(Auffangen des Fisch)

The ninth game - ‘Catching the Fish’ (Auffangen des Fisch) - was played in unison over two minutes duration and was the last of the four games to be played on the lake. It featured three competitors (two males and one female) from each team in a canoe which was tethered to a jetty by an elasticated rope. On the whistle, the two males had to paddle the canoe up the course to a point where a shoal of 28 fish (in four rows of seven) were located. Whilst the males had to struggle against the pull of the elasticated rope and keeping the canoe stationery, the female had to grab as many of the fish as possible and place them in the canoe. The fish could be grabbed from any of the rows and tactics could be used to position the boat to maximise the number of fish that could be collected and lessen those available to the opposition. The team collecting the greater number of fish would be declared the winners.

At the end of this uneventful game, which saw Wetter an der Ruhr position their boat in the better location, Plön am See had collected 5 fish and Wetter an der Ruhr had collected 9 fish.

Game 10 - The Chicken's Eggs
(Die Hühnereier)

The tenth and penultimate game - ‘The Chicken’s Eggs’ (Die Hühnereier) - was played individually over one minute duration and featured an effigy of a chicken laying eggs and eight unseen competitors (five males and three females) from each team with their arms through holes in a wall which featured caricatures of Indian braves and squaws. On the whistle, the first male competitor removed a large egg from the chicken’s backside and passed it to his other hand. He then passed it to the second competitor who repeated his actions and passed it onto the third competitor. Once the egg had been received in the second hand of the eighth competitor, it then had to be pushed through a hole in the mouth of the final caricature and dropped into a box. The game would continue simultaneously throughout so that several eggs were in motion at all times. It should be noted that the holes used by the competitors were set at varying heights and the competitors were unable to see the actual egg as it moved along the line. The team collecting the greater number of eggs would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this very simple game saw the participation of Wetter an der Ruhr and they collected a total of 13 eggs.

The second heat featured Plön am See and, encouraged on by the home crowd, they were quicker in their execution of the game and they collected a total of 16 eggs.

Game 11 - The Tomahawks
(Die Tomahawks)

The eleventh and final game - ‘The Tomahawks’ (Die Tomahawks) - was played individually and featured a male member of the public equipped with four tomahawks representing his respective team. On the whistle, he had to throw the tomahawks one at a time at four large painted masks on high podia. The team dislodging the greater number of masks would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of the Plön am See representative and after failing on his first three attempts, he was successful in removing a mask with his final tomahawk.

The second heat featured the Wetter an der Ruhr representative and he completed the game in the exact reverse to his counterpart. Brimming with success after his first throw, he failed to remove any other masks with his final three throws and the game ended in a 1-1 draw.

Additional Information

This heat overran its allotted transmission slot and therefore the surviving archive recording is incomplete, lacking any end credits. This was the result of presenter Camillo Felgen’s insistence that he introduced members of the Leck team that were in the assembled crowd and who would be hosting the following week’s heat. Despite wishing everybody at home a final goodbye, he was informed that the team were in the audience and began his introductions!

Made in Colour • This programme exists in German archives

D

Spiel Ohne Grenzen 1971

Heat 7

Event Staged: Saturday 5th June 1971
Venue: Nordfrieslandstadion (North Frisian Stadium), Leck,
Schleswig-Holstein, West Germany

Transmission:
WDR 1 (D): Saturday 5th June 1971, 2.30-3.45pm (Live)

Referees on Duty:
Werner Treichel and assistants Hans Ebersberger and Helmut Konrad

Weather Conditions:
Hot and Sunny

Theme: Die Geschicten von Eulenspiegel (The Tales of Eulenspiegel)

Teams: Jever v. Leck

Team Members included:
Leck - Uwe Hill (Co-Team Coach), Hartmut Münchow (Co-Team Coach), Hartmut Pietsch (Co-Team Coach), Claus Vogelsang (Co-Team Coach), Paul Brodovin, Annelore Kock, Friedrich Ratze.

Games: The Shoes, The Barber’s Windows, The Milkmaids, The Furriers, The Moving Bridge, The Owls and the Monkeys, The Beehives, The Blacksmiths, The Broken Pots, The King’s Jester, The Owl’s Plumage.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd

 L • Leck ● ●
 J • Jever

16
10

Leck qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Oostende, Belgium:
staged on Wednesday 1st September 1971

The Host Town

Leck, Schleswig-Holstein

Leck is a town with a population of around 7,500 inhabitants in the northernmost state of Schleswig-Holstein. It is located 30km (19 miles) west of Flensburg, 103km (64 miles) north of Cuxhaven, 150km (93 miles) north-west of Lübeck and just 13km (8 miles) south of the Danish border town of Pebersmark.

The town, which spends at least three months of the year with temperatures hovering around 0°C (32°F) due to its northerly location, was first mentioned in 1231 as a medium size Königsgut (royal estate) of Danish King Waldemar II (1170-1241) and belonged to the Duchy of Schleswig. However, archaeological finds date the castle Leckhuus to the 11th century.

The local language in the area is called Plattdüütsch (or Low German) and despite the reducing numbers which speak it, the town continues to keep the language alive by providing speech lessons for those that are keen to learn.

In 1689, the town was granted market rights and the craft and commercial establishments were more numerous and more diverse than anywhere else in the country. The town attracted saddlers, blacksmiths and wheelwrights, dyers, tailors and cobblers, carpenters, turners and other professionals. There was also a hospital, a pharmacy, a post office and a school. During the Second World War (1939-1945), Leck Air Base was constructed for the former Nazi Luftwaffe.

One of the best places to visit is the Climatic Spa which offers a whole array of activities including swimming, hydro-massage and tanning beds. There are a number of 18-hole golf courses nearby and one can enjoy Nordic Walking, hiking and cycling. For the more adventurous, the town is close to the Wattenmeer (Wadden See), which stretches 500km (310 miles) from the north-western Dutch coastal town of Den Helder, along the north coast of Germany and north to Esbjerg on Denmark’s western coast, and caters for extreme sports such as kite-surfing and mudflat hiking.

The Visiting Town

Jever is a town with a population of around 14,500 inhabitants in the state of Niedersachsen and is located 152km (94 miles) south-east of Leck.

The Venue

Nordfrieslandstadion

The games were played on the football pitch of the Nordfrieslandstadion, one of the biggest multi-purpose stadia in the district and with a membership of around 1,800 members. It offers a wide range of sports with handball, football, swimming and gymnastics being its mainstays. Other sports include tennis, badminton, volleyball, cross-country skiing, cycling, chess and martial arts such as judo, karate and aikido.

The stadium is home to local club MTV Leck von 1889 (Männerturnverein Leck 1889) which has both a men’s and women’s football team. The women’s team played the 1996/97 season in the Oberliga Nord, the then second division and the 2013/14 season saw the team finish in third place of the Erbandsliga Nord (North Association League) of the Schleswig-Holsteinischen Fußballverbands (Schleswig-Holstein Football Association).

The Games in Detail

Introduction

Before the start of the first game, a demonstration on a tightrope above the arena was given by a member of the Circus Renz - a famous German circus family. The circus had originally been established in Berlin in 1842 by Ernst Jakob Renz (1815-1892) as Circus Olympic. On 20th April 1879, the circus moved into the former Berlin market hall (later Friedrichstadt-Palast). In 1888, the auditorium was augmented to 5,600 seats. However, due to financial difficulties, Ernst’s son Franz, had to close the company on 31st July 1897. On 28th October 1899, Albert Schumann (1858-1939) took over the Berlin circus building and operated his own Circus Schumann until 1918. In 1940, Ernst Renz's great-nephew, Bernhard Renz (1921-2012), re-established a touring circus under the family name. When Bernhard died, he was the oldest recorded circus director at the age of 91. His descendants continue to this day to lead their own circuses, carrying the Renz name.

Game 1 - The Shoes
(Die Schuhe)

The first game - ‘The Shoes’ (Die Schuhe) - was played in unison over two minutes duration and featured six competitors (three males and three females) from each team and 20 giant foam rubber shoes of varying colour and size. On the whistle, a funambulist had to drop the shoes from above and the competitors, each attired with a left boot and sock of varying colour, had to rush in to find the matching right boot and sock and placing it on their foot. The team collecting all six correctly matched pairs in the faster time would be declared the winners.

A straightforward game, which was completed in a surprisingly fast time by both teams, saw Leck finish the game in 47 seconds and Jever finish in 50 seconds.

Game 2 - The Barber's Windows
(Die Barbiere Fenster)

The second game - ‘The Barber’s Windows’ (Die Barbiere Fenster) - was played individually and featured a male competitor from each team and two window frames, each with nine panes of ‘glass’, and a row of 12 elasticated ropes spanning the 8m (26ft 8in) course. On the whistle, the competitor had to break through one of the panes (which in reality were made of paper) to enter the shop and make his way across to the other window via the elasticated ropes. On reaching the window, he then had to break through one of its panes to exit the shop and then turn around and break through a second pane to re-enter the shop. He then made his way back across to the first window and break out of the shop. He then had to repeat the game by breaking in and continue until he had completed nine runs in total and broken all 18 panes. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Jever and their competitor appeared the make the game look simple and completed it in 1 minute 20 seconds.

The second heat featured Leck and their competitor completed the game with even more veracity than his rival and completed the game in 1 minute 6 seconds.

Game 3 - The Milkmaids
(Die Milchmädchen)

The third game - ‘The Milkmaids’ (Die Milchmädchen) - was played in unison over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured three female competitors from each team. On the whistle, the competitors, each equipped with a bucket, had to run to the end of the 30m (98ft 5¼in) course to reach a large container of milk. Once they had filled their buckets, they had to return to the start via a barn which was criss-crossed by elasticated ropes. Any milk remaining in the buckets had to be emptied into a large Perspex container. The game then had to be repeated throughout and the team collecting the greater amount of milk would be declared the winners.

Although both teams set off at the same time, it was not long before Leck had the advantage and completed all their first three return journeys in 28 seconds, five seconds ahead of their rivals. After this they continued to build on their lead and completed 14 return journeys in total as opposed to 12 by the Jever. The two additional journeys were reflected in the score with Leck collecting 97.2kg (214lb 4oz) of milk and Jever collecting 86kg (189lb 8oz).

Game 4 - The Furriers
(Die Kürstner)

The fourth game - ‘The Furriers’ - was played in unison over two minutes duration and featured a male competitor from each team and a stuffed wolf mannequin on wooden legs. On the whistle, the competitor had to collect a cloth from a tailor’s dummy and a rope and run with both to the end of the 20m (65ft 7½in) course where the mannequin was located. He then had to attach four large castors (which were located adjacent to the game) to the legs of the mannequin and once upright had to place the cloth around the torso and secure it in place underneath with drawstrings. He then had to sit on the back of the mannequin and pull on the rope, which was attached to a pole at the other end, and travel back to the start whilst negotiating an obstacle course comprising a wooden framework on the ground and a small hillock. The team completing the course in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Although both teams were neck and neck during the first 45 seconds of the game, Leck took the lead when Jever failed to keep the momentum of the mannequin steady and got caught on the last of the three horizontal slats of the framework. Despite his efforts, he could not muster the strength to pull it over the wooden slat and stayed put whilst his rival increased the lead and finished the game in 1 minute 16 seconds. Despite eventually freeing himself and reaching the small hillock, which he failed to negotiate, the competitor from Jever was declared out of time.

Game 5 - The Moving Bridge
(Die Bewegliche Brücke)

The fifth game - ‘The Moving Bridge’ (Die Bewegliche Brücke) - was played individually over two minutes duration and featured two male competitors from each team and a rotating bridge spanning a pool. On the whistle, the first of the competitors had to collect one of thirty large hoops from a rack and walk to the middle of the bridge. He then had to throw the hoop over an effigy of a large jester’s head which was located outside of the pool. He then had to drop into the pool and return to the start whilst the second competitor repeated the game and then the process would be repeated throughout. The team with the greater number of scoring hoops would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Jever and from the 16 journeys made onto the bridge, they successfully scored with the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 8th, 9th, 10th, 12th, 14th and 16th hoops, giving them a score of 9.

The second heat featured Leck and they were slower than Jever and could only make 14 journeys onto the bridge within the time permitted. Their aim was not as accurate either and only scored with their 6th, 7th, 11th, 12th and 14th hoops, giving them a score of 5.

Game 6 - The Owls and the Monkeys
(Die Eulen and die Affen)

The sixth game - ‘The Owls and the Monkeys’ (Die Eulen and die Affen) - was played in unison over three minutes duration and featured a female competitor from each team attired in an evening dress and a total of six wooden statues (three owls and three monkeys) on a large table. On the whistle, the competitor had to run up the 30m (98ft 5¼in) course with one of the animals and place it in a holding pen. She then had return to the start via the barn criss-crossed with elasticated ropes utilised earlier and then repeat the game throughout. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a straightforward game and saw Leck getting the better start and they maintained the lead throughout. Although Leck completed the game in 2 minutes 20 seconds, Jever were not far behind and completed the game in 2 minutes 41 seconds.

Game 7 - The Beehives
(Die Bienenkörbe)

The seventh game - ‘The Beehives’ (Die Bienenkörbe) - was played in unison and witnessed Jever presenting their Joker for play. The game featured two male competitors from each team and a large beehive on a litter. Before the game started, an opposition male team member climbed inside the beehive whilst the lid was secured by the referees. On the whistle, the two competitors had to run 5m (16ft 5in) up the course and then crawl through a 15m (49ft 2½in) long net. Once executed, they each had to climb inside a large thief costume which was holding the litter at either end. They then had to carry the litter back up the 25m (82ft) course whilst the opposition member tried to unbalance them by rocking the beehive from side to side. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Despite appearing at first glance to be a simple and straightforward game, it would prove to have a few heart-stopping moments during its final stages. Although Leck got the better start and reached their costume first, their competitors were greatly hindered by the actions of Jever inside the beehive. This permitted Jever to steal the lead and it appeared that they would storm home in a blaze of glory and win their Joker game. However, they were to be thwarted by the opposition of Leck who caused them to tumble to the ground just 5m from the finish line. Whilst two male team-mates rushed to their aid, Leck were closing the deficit. Back on their feet, Jever recomposed themselves and moved up the course. With their lead competitor over the line and the rear competitor just three steps from doing the same, the team tumbled to the ground again. The Leck team were now hot on their heels and it appeared that they would cross the finish line first. However, disaster struck and they also tumbled to the ground just as their lead competitor crossed the finish line. By this time, Jever team had recomposed themselves once more and made the final steps to cross the finish line first in 1 minute 5 seconds.

Game 8 - The Blacksmiths
(Die Schmeide)

The eighth game - ‘The Blacksmiths’ (Die Schmeide) - was played in unison over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured a male competitor from each team attired with a single bed complete with a large padded duvet strapped to his back. On the whistle, the competitor had to pick up a blacksmith’s hammer weighing 7kg (15lb 7oz) and then had to flatten a total of 8 aluminium tools by hitting with the hammer on an anvil. Once small enough, he then had to pass the flattened tools through a wire-meshed window located behind him. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

It was apparent from the outset of this straightforward game, that Leck were the stronger of the two and gradually built up a commanding lead. In desperation, Jever attempted to push the tools through the meshing without flattening them correctly and instead of this being of assistance, it only made matters worse when the tools became jammed and they lost valuable seconds trying to release them. The game ended with Leck completing the task in 1 minute 42 seconds with Jever finishing in 2 minutes 28 seconds.

Game 9 - The Broken Pots
(Die Zebrochenen Töpfen)

The ninth game - ‘The Broken Pots’ (Die Zebrochenen Töpfen) - was played individually over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and witnessed Leck presenting their Joker for play. The game featured a female competitor from each team standing inside a large pear-shaped metronome located within a circular podium which had 16 items of crockery located equidistant around its perimeter. On the whistle, the competitor had to set the metronome in motion by rocking her body back and forth and, once in motion, she could choose to either break the items with a wooden stick or remove them from the podium by pushing them off with the stick. In order to move the metronome around the circle, the competitor had to push her weight to one side on her backward swing and line herself up for the next item. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Jever and although their competitor appeared to execute the game at a steady pace, she failed to lower the metronome enough during the early stages which resulted in her having to take double swings at many of the items and this ultimately cost her valuable seconds. She eventually broke all the items and completed the game in 1 minute 59 seconds.

The second heat featured Leck and despite a few teething problems with the first two items, once their competitor had struck the correct rhythm, she virtually broke every other item on her first forward swing. It was no surprise, with the Joker at stake, that she completed the game in 1 minute 33 seconds.

Game 10 - The King's Jester
(Des Königs Spaßmacher)

The tenth and penultimate game - ‘The King’s Jester’ (Des Königs Spaßmacher) - was played individually over three minutes duration and featured a male competitor from each team dressed in a large jester’s head which had weights hanging down from either side of the hat. In the middle of the course, there was a 15m (49ft 2½in) long podium on which the jester was standing and running along each side of this at regular intervals, there were 14 small mirrors and 14 wooden owls on pedestals. On the whistle, the competitor had to swing his body so that the weights swung outwards in order to knock down the items. The items had to be removed alternatively from each side and the team knocking down the 28 items correctly in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this straightforward game saw the participation of Jever and they completed the game in exactly two minutes.

The second heat featured Leck and their competitor was very erratic in his accuracy of his swings and knocked down 26 of the items in 2 minutes 14 seconds. However, the referees had deemed that he had failed to knock the items down in the alternate order prescribed in the rules and therefore awarded him a score of 0:00.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Leck (0pts awarded / 16pts total) 2nd Jever (2pts / 8pts)

Inspiration for the Game: Based on Tale No. 24 - How Eulenspiegel, with a superior trick, humiliated the King of Poland’s jester - the story tells of how at the time His Highness Casimir was King of Poland. Staying with him was an adventurer of unusual humour and clowning. Eulenspiegel, who was also in Poland at the time, visited the King, who had heard a great deal about him. However, as the saying goes, two fools in one house seldom go well together, and when Eulenspiegel and the King’s fool met, things soon became embroiled. The King’s jester disliked Eulenspiegel but, at the same time, did not wish to be ejected from the palace. The King realised this and summoned both of them to his chamber. He challenged them, “Whichever of you makes the wildest performance - one that the other cannot repeat after him - I will give new clothes and 20 guilders. Let’s get started right now.” The two set about with their clowning, performing a lot of absurd tricks, with funny faces and peculiar speeches. However, whatever one of them thought up and did, the other repeated. The King laughed, along with his court, and they truly witnessed all manner of bizarre acts. Eulenspiegel then reflected that 20 guilders and a new wardrobe would be rather nice and decided to do something that would otherwise be unpleasant. He knew that the King’s attitude was that it was all the same to him who won the prize and by whatever means. Unfortunately, the act that he performed is too distasteful to be described here but involved something that would be more at home with sadomasochism. The King’s fool stated that he would not copy what he did and Eulenspiegel won the championship and the King gave him his reward.

Comments: The name of Eulenspiegel literally translated into English is ‘owl’s mirror’ and it was a tongue-in-cheek inclusion that these were the items used in this game!

Game 11 - The Owl's Plumage
(Die Eule Gefieder)

The eleventh and final game - ‘The Owl’s Plumage’ (Die Eule Gefieder) - was played in unison over one minute duration and featured a female member of the public representing her respective team and a large wooden owl with sectioned plumage on the body. On the whistle, the competitor had to pull at the individual sections to find the 10 that were not adhered with glue. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

From the outset, the Jever representative appeared to be ripping the plumage away from the body of the owl instead of finding the loose feathers and removing them whilst off-camera the Leck representative had completed the game as per the rules in 48 seconds. The referees declared that although Jever had removed 15 feathers, only 5 had been removed in the manner prescribed and therefore had discounted their score.

Final Scores and Positions: 1st Leck (0pts awarded / 16pts total) 2nd Jever (2pts / 10pts)

Records and Statistics

At the time of recording, Leck was celebrating its 740th anniversary and held the record as being the most-northern venue for any West German heat (Domestic or International). However, this record was to be short-lived and would be broken in 1972 when WDR staged the International heat at Westerland on the island of Sylt, 20km (12½ miles) further north-west.

Additional Information

This heat overran its allotted transmission slot and therefore the surviving archive recording is incomplete, lacking any end credits. This was the result of many of the games being delayed whilst presenter Camillo Felgen described their relevance to the crowd. Another cause was that some of the games had to be reset for their second heats and resulted in an extended wait whilst this was carried out.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in German archives