D

Spiel Ohne Grenzen 1972

Heat 1

Event Staged: Saturday 8th April 1972
Venue: Eisstadion (Ice Stadium),
Bad Tölz, Bayern, West Germany

Transmission:
WDR 1 (D): Saturday 8th April 1972, 2.30-3.45pm (Live)

Referees on Duty:
Werner Treichel and assistants Gennaro Olivieri and Guido Pancaldi

Weather Conditions:
Very cold (event staged under cover, but open to the elements on all four sides)

Theme: Spielereien auf dem Eis (Players on the Ice)

Teams: Bad Tölz v. Hirschau an der Oberpfalz

Team Members included:
Bad Tölz - Herman van Frescher (Team Coach), Heinz Vader;
Hirschau an der Oberpfalz - Herman Heckl (Team Coach), Henning Ausfrauer, Albert Füchs, Hans Graf, Brittka Kopf, Norbert Lubert, Klaus Lugosz, Werner Marsheleck, Richard Mikler, Jürgen Rolich, Alfonse Sleur, Heide Spitmeier, Inga Stoiner, Maria Strügel, Rudolf Wiltz.

Games: The Ostrich and the Flowers, Button Balls, Curling, Special Skis, Sacks and Rings, The Big Unknown (Das Trainerspiel), The Snowmen, Sleigh Ride, The Race of the Donkeys, The Clowns, Clearing the Snow.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd

 H • Hirschau an der Oberpfalz ● ●
 T • Bad Tölz

14
12

Hirschau an der Oberpfalz qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Spa, Belgium:
staged on Tuesday 23rd May 1972

The Host Town

Bad Tölz, Bayern

Bad Tölz is a town with a population of around 19,000 inhabitants in the state of Bayern. It lies on the 295km (183 miles) long River Isar and is located 42km (26 miles) south of München, 44km (27 miles) west of Rosenheim, 47km (29 miles) north-east of the winter ski resort of Garmisch-Partenkirchen and 93km (58 miles) east of Kempten in Allgäu.

The name ‘Tölz’ (as ‘Tolnze’) appears relatively late in documentation at the end of the 12th century. Hainricus de Tolnze built a castle on the site, which controlled the river and road traffic in the region but which no longer exists. In 1331, Louis IV (1282-1347) made Tölz a market town.

The 14th century saw Tölz become a crossroads for the salt and lumber traffic on the River Isar. In 1453, the street market, church, and castle were destroyed by fire. Duke Albrecht III (1401-1460) enabled the town to rebuild, but this time in stone. He also built a palace which stood until 1770, when it fell into disrepair and was eventually undermined by the Ellbach river.

The Thirty Years' War (1618-1648) brought plague and destruction to the region. During the War of the Spanish Succession (1702-1715) things began to turn around again, with trade in lime and wood products, among other items.

In the middle of the 19th century, Tölz changed direction with the discovery of natural springs. The town began to focus on the healing properties of these springs and became a cure and spa town. In 1899, it officially became known as Bad Tölz.

Today, Bad Tölz is known for its spas, historic medieval town, and spectacular views of the Alps. On the western bank of the Isar lies the Kurverwaltung, or modern spa, the iodine-rich waters of which are known for their soothing and healing powers.

The Visiting Town

Hirschau an der Oberpfalz is a town with a population of around 6,000 inhabitants in the state of Bayern and is located 201km (125 miles) north of Bad Tölz.

The Venue

Eisstadion

The games were played at the local Eisstadion which actually was the second ice rink on the site, the first being built in the 1930s and which had been open to all the elements.

It stood on Peter-Freisl-Straße which is dedicated to market and city builder Peter Freisl (1874-1945), who carried out vital construction work between 1901 and 1937, turning Bad Tölz from a rural market spot into a modern spa resort. The rink was later upgraded in the late 1950s with standing terraces and although it had a roof supported by concrete pylons, it was still open to the weather on all sides.

Today, the ice rink no longer exists on the site, the land having been used to construct a modern sports stadium. A new fully-covered multi-purpose ice stadium at the Am Sportpark 2, approximately 1.7km (1.06mi) south east of the former site, was constructed in 2003. It was officially opened on 4th February 2004 with an International match between the German ice hockey team and Austria, which the home team lost by 0-2!

The Games in Detail

Introduction

Before the start of this game, presenter Camillo Felgen introduced the three referees and stated that the venue for the heat was ideal for Gennaro Olivieri and Guido Pancaldi and was somewhat like a second home for them as they had both previously served as international ice-hockey referees. However, Werner Treichel on the other hand, had served as a football referee and was questioned by the presenter on how he would cope with the playing surface. He replied by stating that he had been ice-skating since a child and was now enjoying his new ‘retirement’ career as his ‘Gute reitzig Jahre’ (good fun years). This was met with a smile by all with Olivieri holding out his hand to Treichel as a mark of respect and agreement.

Game 1 - The Ostrich and the Flowers
(Der Strauß und die Blumen)

The first game - ‘The Ostrich and the Flowers’ (Der Strauß und die Blumen) - was played in unison over three minutes duration and featured a male competitor from each team wearing ice-skates and dressed as an ostrich with a hook at the end of its beak and a female team-mate inside a tree trunk dressed as a chick. At the far end of the 50m (164ft) course there was a tree on which there were ten floral heads. On the whistle, the competitor had to skate down the course and then, using the hook, remove one of the floral heads and return to the start and place it into the nest in the tree. The game then had to be repeated throughout until the end of permitted time. Only heads that were placed inside the nest correctly would be counted and any that were dropped would be deemed as null and void. The team collecting the greater number of floral heads would be declared the winners.

This was a very simple and straightforward game which ended with Bad Tölz having collected 7 floral heads and Hirschau an der Oberpfalz having collected 6 floral heads.

Game 2 - Button Balls
(Schaltflächenkugeln)

The second game - ‘Button Balls’ (Schaltflächenkugeln) - was played in unison over 2 minutes 15 seconds duration and featured two female competitors from each team equipped with 25 large foam rubber balls. In the centre of the ice rink was a large circular net which had a large four-holed button placed across the top. On the whistle, the competitors had to throw the balls onto the button and hopefully get them to fall through the holes into the net below. However, with both teams playing together their task would be made somewhat more difficult with the balls hitting each other and ricocheting away from the holes. Any balls that fell back down onto the ice could be used again and only balls dropping through the holes before the whistle sounded would be counted. The team dropping the greater number of balls in the net would be declared the winners.

Although this appeared at first glance to be a simple game, as time progressed it could be seen that the button had been set to lay exactly level on the net without any incline. This resulted in many of the balls just ‘sitting’ on the button and not falling into the net or back onto the ice to be reused. However, this did not deter the competitors and after 45 seconds of elapsed time, Bad Tölz were leading by 4-1. With balls being thrown from all directions, Hirschau an der Oberpfalz had closed the deficit by the two-thirds mark (1 minute 30 seconds) and the scores were level at 5-5. However, not to be outdone, Bad Tölz forged ahead in the final third of the game and scored another 5 balls, bringing their total to 10, whilst Hirschau an der Oberpfalz could only score another 3 balls, bringing their total to 8.

Game 3 - Curling
(Eisschießen)

The third game - ‘Curling’ (Eisschießen) - was played in unison over three rounds (a total of nine throws each) and featured three competitors (two males and one female) from each team equipped with six plungers each weighing 3.2kg (7lb 8oz). At the far end of the 25m (82ft) course, there was a large polystyrene snowman inside a printed circle and 10m (32ft 9¾in) further back there was another circle. On the whistle, the team had to take it in turn (male, male, female) and slide the plungers - in a manner akin to curling stones - towards the snowman in order to hit the base and thus push it backwards towards the furthest circle. The team moving their snowmen closest to the centre of the second circle would be declared the winners.

At the end of the first round (three throws each), Hirschau an der Oberpfalz had made two strikes to their snowman as opposed to one by Bad Tölz. However, Bad Tölz had been more accurate and had struck their target dead centre and directly towards the second circle, whilst Hirschau an der Oberpfalz had hit their target on the left side and thus sent it off to the right of the course.

At the end of the second round (six throws each), although Hirschau an der Oberpfalz had moved their snowman further, their poor accuracy had once again seen it pushed further away from the circle. Bad Tölz, despite only having had one of their second three shots on target, had once again been accurate in the delivery and had moved their snowman within inches of the perimeter of the circle.

The seventh of the nine throws by Bad Tölz would witness them hit the snowman with further accuracy and incredibly stop it dead centre inside the second circle. With Hirschau an der Oberplalz already having their snowman in a position that would be impossible to steer it any closer to the circle, Bad Tölz wisely decided to aim their final two plungers away from the snowman.

Game 4 - Special Skis
(Spezielle Skier)

The fourth game - ‘Special Skis’ (Spezielle Skier) - was played in unison over two laps and featured five male competitors from each team on specially designed skis and holding a rope. Whilst the first and fifth competitors had their own pairs of skis, the second, third and fourth competitors had to share a single set. On the whistle, the team had to ski around a 60m (196ft 10¼in) oval course keeping the rope in their hands. Halfway round the course, the teams had to swap lanes, but the first team to reach this point gained an advantage as the second team would have to wait whilst all the team achieved this. They then had to make a complete circumnavigation of the course in their lane and then swap over again at the same point. The team then had to complete the final section of the course in their original lane. The team crossing the finish line in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Although simple in design, this game caused somewhat of an upset for Bad Tölz. Although they had reached the change-over point first and gained a good advantage, Hirschau an der Oberpfalz then made a comeback and reached the change-over point first on the second occasion. Despite now being in the outside lane, Hirschau an der Oberpfalz had created a big enough gap to their rivals to maintain the lead and crossed the line in 1 minute 56 seconds followed by Bad Tölz in 1 minute 59 seconds.

Game 5 - Sacks and Rings
(Säcke und Ringe)

The fifth game - ‘Sacks and Rings’ (Säcke und Ringe) - was played in unison over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and witnessed Bad Tölz presenting their Joker for play. The game featured three female competitors from each team equipped with two sets of three lozenge-shaped sacks linked by ropes and a course comprised of eight rings hanging down from above. On the whistle, the three competitors had to work together and pass the sacks and themselves through all eight hoops. Once accomplished, they then had to return to the start to start the second run. The team completing both runs correctly in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a very simple and straightforward game which saw Bad Tölz take the lead and maintain it throughout. At the halfway point, they had opened up a seven-second gap after completing their first run in 58 seconds whilst Hirschau an der Oberpfalz did likewise in 1 minute 5 seconds. Although they had the advantage, Bad Tölz appeared to slow down on their second run which permitted Hirschau an der Oberpfalz to lessen the deficit by over 50%. However, Bad Tölz held their nerve and completed the game in 1 minute 57 seconds with Hirschau an der Oberpfalz finishing in 2 minutes 1 second.

The Coaches' Game (Das Trainerspiel) - The Big Unknown
(Das große Unbekannte)

The next game - ‘The Big Unknown’ (Das große Unbekannte) - was the team coaches’ game (Das Trainerspiel) and was played in unison originally over five minutes duration and featured the male coach from each team. On the whistle, each of the competitors was handed a basket containing pieces of rope of varying size and thickness and each had to tie them together in order to make a single length of 20m (65ft 7½in). The team completing the game in the faster time or the one with the greater length connected would be declared the winners.

This was somewhat a tedious game to watch for both the assembled and the viewing audience but it was apparent from the outset that Hirschau an der Oberpfalz were more adept at tying knots than Bad Tölz. With just one minute remaining, it appeared that neither team would complete the game. However, Camillo Felgen announced that the game would be extended to six minutes to permit the game to be completed. Despite this extension, it still looked doubtful that this would be sufficient but with just 5 seconds remaining, Bad Tölz began joining the final pieces of rope together and completed the game in 5 minutes 59 seconds.

Game 6 - The Snowmen
(Die Schneemänner)

The sixth game - ‘The Snowmen’ (Die Schneemänner) - was played in unison over 1 minute 30 seconds duration and featured two male competitors from each team dressed as snowmen and equipped with a large snowball. On the whistle, the two competitors had to transport the snowball along a 25m (82ft) obstacle course comprising a low hurdle, a seesaw and a garden shed. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a very simple, straightforward and uneventful game which Bad Tölz completed without mishap in just 42 seconds.

Game 7 - Sleigh Ride
(Schlittenfahrt)

The seventh game - ‘Sleigh Ride’ (Schlittenfahrt) - was played in unison over 3 minutes 30 seconds duration and witnessed Hirschau an der Oberpfalz presenting their Joker for play. The game featured two male competitors from each team sitting on sleighs and eight extra large water-filled balloons hanging above the 40m (131ft 2¾in) course. On the whistle, a male team-mate had to push the sleigh with the first competitor up the ice towards the balloons and, at a given point, release it. The competitor then had to steer the sleigh with his feet and when he reached the first balloon had to burst it. Whilst he returned to the start on foot with the sleigh, the second competitor was set in motion in the same manner and then the game was repeated until all eight balloons had been burst. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Although this was another straightforward game, it proved to have a very close outcome. With both teams having burst seven balloons each and with just one balloon remaining to be burst, Hirschau an der Oberpfalz were slightly ahead and set off first on their last run and completed the game in 2 minutes 6 seconds closely followed by Bad Tölz in 2 minutes 9 seconds.

Game 8 - The Race of the Donkeys
(Das Rennen des Esels)

The eighth game - ‘The Race of the Donkeys’ (Das Rennen des Esels) - was played in unison over two heats and featured two male competitors from each team on ice skates dressed in a donkey costume. On the whistle, the two competitors had to skate around a 60m (196ft 10¼in) oval course, pass underneath four high bar obstacles and then cross a finish line. The game would then be repeated and the two times added together. The team completing the game in the faster aggregate time would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw Bad Tölz in the outside lane and Hirschau an der Oberpfalz in the inside lane. As expected, being in the inside lane, Hirschau an der Oberpfalz completed the course first in 21 seconds followed by Bad Tölz in 24 seconds.

For parity, the teams changed lanes for the second heat. Hirschau an der Oberpfalz were in the outside lane and Bad Tölz were in the inside lane, and it was expected that they would win the race having the advantage of having to travel the lesser distance. However, things did not go as planned and the team knocked the bar off the second obstacle as they passed underneath and were sent back to retry. This error permitted Hirschau an der Oberpfalz to cross the finish line first in 24 seconds, giving them an aggregate time of 45 seconds. After recomposing themselves, Bad Tölz crossed the finish line in 38 seconds, giving them an aggregate time of 1 minute 2 seconds.

Game 9 - The Clowns
(Die Clowns)

The ninth and penultimate game - ‘The Clowns’ (Die Clowns) - was played in unison over four minutes duration and featured a male competitor from each team dressed in a clown outfit and wearing very large shoes. At one end of the 20m (65ft 7½in) course, there was a table on top of which were a number of items - an oversized knife and fork, a tray of seven salamis, a large stein of beer and a bowl containing 30 large bread rolls - whilst at the far end there was an empty table. On the whistle, the competitor had to pick up the knife and fork and race down the course and place them on the table and then return to the start. He then had to do the same with the stein of beer and likewise with the tray of salamis and then with the bowl of rolls. Once accomplished, he then had to race back to the start line for a final time, in order to push a male team-mate sitting in a chair up the ice to the table. He then had to raise the knife and fork to finish the game. Any item that was dropped in transit or fell from the table had to be picked up before any further progress could be made. On the final run, the team-mate would be able to assist the competitor by jumping up and down in small movements. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Although this was a straightforward game it proved to be a closely run race with both teams sharing the lead. Hirschau an der Oberpfalz got the better start and placed the knife and fork on the table at the far end of the course after 12 seconds of elapsed time. Although Bad Tölz were just one second behind, the fork fell from the table and delayed them for a further five seconds whilst they retrieved it from the ice.

Although they were now six seconds behind, they had lessened the deficit by the end of the second run with Hirschau an der Oberpfalz placing their stein after 56 seconds and Bad Tölz after 58 seconds.

On the third run, Bad Tölz were delayed following a couple of their salamis falling onto the ice and this permitted Hirschau an der Oberpfalz to re-open the six-second deficit at the halfway mark after they placed their tray on the table after 1 minute 27 seconds followed by Bad Tölz after 1 minute 33 seconds.

However, on the fourth run, Bad Tölz closed the deficit and overtook their rival and placed their bowl of rolls on the table after 2 minutes 23 seconds, two seconds ahead of Hirschau an der Oberpfalz in 2 minutes 25 seconds.

It was now a straight race back to the start for the final run and although Bad Tölz set off ahead of their rival, Hirschau an der Oberpfalz closed the deficit and overtook them halfway down the ice and they lifted their knife and fork after 2 minutes 55 seconds, just three seconds ahead of Bad Tölz's time of 2 minutes 58 seconds.

Running Scores and Positions: =1st Bad Tölz (0pts awarded / 12pts total) =1st Hirschau an der Oberpfalz (2pts / 12pts) ▲

Comments: The inside of the stein had a measuring line imprinted a few centimetres from the top and the competitor had to ensure that he did not spill its contents and take the level down to below that line otherwise a penalty of 15 seconds would be incurred.

Game 10 - Clearing the Snow
(Schneeräumung)

The tenth and final game - ‘Clearing the Snow’ (Schneeräumung) - was played in unison over three minutes duration and featured five competitors (two males and three females) from each team. Whilst the game was being introduced, copious amounts of artificial snow were dropped from the roof of the ice rink onto the ice. On the whistle, the three females each had to collect a snow shovel and then work together to push the snow lying on their side of the rink to a given line at the end of the course. This snow then had to be picked up using shovels by the two males and then hurled into a large container located on an industrial set of scales. The game then had to be repeated throughout. The team collecting the greater amount of snow would be declared the winners of the game and - with points tied going into the game - the competition overall.

This was a straightforward and uneventful deciding game but difficult to judge from a viewing perspective. At the end of the permitted time, Hirschau an der Oberpfalz had collected 12.5kg (27lb 8oz) of snow and Bad Tölz had collected 8.25kg (18lb 12oz).

Final Scores and Positions: 1st Hirschau an der Oberpfalz (2pts awarded / 14pts total) 2nd Bad Tölz (0pts / 12pts) ▼

Comments: Following an incredible comeback, this was the first time that Hirschau an der Oberpfalz had actually led the competition in their own right!

Additional Information

The team colours for this series of Spiel Ohne Grenzen were either light blue or orange. In this heat, the home team of Bad Tölz donned light blue outfits whilst the visiting team of Hirschau an der Oberpfalz wore orange. Interestingly in all subsequent heats, the home team would wear orange outfits and the visitors light blue.

As part of the town’s 50th anniversary celebrations since their participation in Spiel Ohne Grenzen, a special screening of the original WDR broadcast from Bad Tölz was held at the Festspielgelände (Festival Grounds) at Hirschau an der Oberpfalz on Saturday 6th August 2022. Entry to the event was free with the screening starting at 21:30.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in German archives

D

Spiel Ohne Grenzen 1972

Heat 2

Event Staged: Saturday 15th April 1972
Venue: Schrannenplatz (Grain Trade Square), Rothenburg ob der Tauber,
Bayern, West Germany

Transmission:
WDR 1 (D): Saturday 15th April 1972, 2.30-3.45pm (Live)

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

Weather Conditions:
Overcast and Cold

Theme: Der Wochenmarkt (The Weekly Market)

Teams: Rothenburg ob der Tauber v. Waldkraiburg

Team Members included:
Rothenburg ob der Tauber - Helmut Stenatz (Team Coach), Rudolf Leopold (Assistant Coach);
Waldkraiburg - Günther Bauer (Team Coach), Heide Bauer, Peter Gerhardt, Günther Hunkel, Manfred Pithofer, Eva Oberberger, Erika Ostroff, Peter Thiem.

Games: The Cloth Merchants, The Cheese Sellers, The Fire-Eaters, The Ladies’ Outfitters, The Sausage Makers, The Big Unknown (Das Trainerspiel), The Poulterers, The Fruit and Vegetable Traders, The Champion Drinkers, The Meat Sellers, Dismantling the Stall.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd

 W • Waldkraiburg ● ●
 R • Rothenburg ob der Tauber

14
12

Waldkraiburg qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Bern, Switzerland:
staged on Wednesday 7th June 1972

The Host Town

Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bayern

Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a town with a population of around 11,000 inhabitants in the state of Bayern. It is located 48km (30 miles) south of Würzburg, 61km (38 miles) north of Aalen, 66km (41 miles) west of Nürnberg and 109km (68 miles) east of Heidelberg. It lies on a plateau overlooking the River Tauber and its name translates as ‘red fortress above the Tauber’. It is popularly thought that the name ‘Rothenburg’, comes from the words rot (red) and burg (burgh, medieval fortified settlement), referring to the red colour of the roofs of the houses which overlook the river.

It is well known for its well-preserved medieval old town and is a destination for tourists from around the world. It is part of the popular 350km (217 miles) long ‘Romantic Road’ between Würzburg and Füssen im Allgäu, devised by promotion-minded travel agents in the 1950s, which takes in twenty-eight towns along its route including Tauberbischofsheim, Bad Mergentheim, Rain am Lech, Augsburg, Schongau and the beautiful fantasy castle of Schloß Neuschwanstein.

In 1070, the counts of Comburg-Rothenburg built Rothenburg castle on the mountain top high above the Tauber river. In 1170, the town was founded with the centre being the marketplace and the Church of St. Jakob. Walls and towers were built in the 13th century and some of these are preserved today, in particular the White Tower, the Markus Tower and the Röder Arch. In 1274, Rothenburg ob der Tauber was accorded privileges by King Rudolf of Habsburg as a Free Imperial Town.

In October 1631, during the Thirty Years' War (1618-1848), the Catholic Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly (1559-1632), wanted to quarter his 40,000 troops in Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Rather than allow entrance, the town defended itself and intended to withstand a siege. However, Tilly's troops quickly defeated them. After the winter, they left the town poor and nearly empty, and in 1634, a bubonic plague outbreak killed many more townsfolk. Without any money or power, Rothenburg ob der Tauber stopped growing and thus preserved its 17th century state.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber held a special significance for Nazi ideologists. For them, it was the epitome of the German 'Home Town', representing all that was quintessentially German. Throughout the 1930s, the Nazi organisation KDF (Kraft durch Freude or ‘Strength through Joy’) organised regular day trips to the town from all across the Reich. This initiative was staunchly supported by the town’s citizenry - many of whom were sympathetic to National Socialism - both for its perceived economic benefits and because Rothenburg ob der Tauber was hailed as ‘the most German of German towns’. In October 1938, the town expelled its Jewish citizens, much to the approval of Nazis and their supporters across Germany.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber is now mostly a tourist town and there are many sights and attractions. The Rathaus (Town Hall) is a notable building with its rear Gothic part dating from 1250 and the attached front Renaissance structure from 1572. Its tower is one of only two accessible towers in the town. The other is the 61m (200 feet) high Roedertor, located at the east end of the town and, for an admission fee of 2 euros, visitors can climb to the top and enter a room giving a scenic view of the entire town.

Other attractions are the Doll and Toy Museum (Puppen und Spielzeugmuseum), the Shepherds' Dance Museum (Schäfertanz Museum), the Christmas Museum (Weihnachtsmuseum ‘Käthe Wohlfahrt’) and the Criminal Museum (Kriminalmuseum) which gives an insight into judicial punishment over the last 1000 years. Exhibits include instruments of torture, shrew's fiddles, scold's bridles, medieval legal texts, and guidance on witch trials.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber has appeared in several films, notably fantasies. It was the inspiration for the village in Walt Disney Productions film adaptation of Pinocchio in 1940, which was based on the novel The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi (1826-1890). It was also the location for the Vulgarian village scenes in the 1968 film directed by Ken Hughes (1922-2001), Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, based on the novel of the same name by Ian Fleming (1908-1964), and starring Dick Van Dyke, Sally Ann Howes (1930-2021), Lionel Jeffries (1926-2010) and Benny Hill (1924-1992).

The Visiting Town

Waldkraiburg is a town with a population of around 24,000 inhabitants in the state of Bayern and is located 209km (130 miles) south-east of Rothenburg ob der Tauber.

The Venue

Schrannenplatz

The games were played at Schrannenplatz, a small square located in the north-west corner of the town. Although very little can be researched about the area, what is known is that the square has somewhat of a darkened history as it had once been the site of a Jewish cemetery.

The Jewish community of Rothenburg ob der Tauber was one of the oldest communities in Germany. During the Rintfleisch pogrom (persecution / massacre) of 1298, almost the entire municipality, about 450 people, were killed. Even after this pogrom, Jews settled again but in 1520, the final expulsion took place. On this occasion all of the property of the congregation was confiscated and the tombstones from the graveyard were used as building material.

In 1589, the ‘Schranne’ or granary (which served as a central storage and shipping place for agricultural products, mainly cereals) was built on the south side of the former cemetery. This and the barn are currently used as a venue for exhibitions and concerts. It was only in the 19th century that the Jewish community were able to settle in Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Although the area continued to be known as site of the cemetery, it was not until 1955, that the square was given its current name.

Due to its wealth and relative importance during the Middle Ages, Rothenburg ob der Tauber needed to be well-fortified. The Pulverturm, built in 1408 and originally used as a storage area for powder (hence the name), is one of 26 towers which connect the walls which surround the old town. Today, the walls are covered over and visitors can enjoy a rooftop walk and take in stunning views of all the points of interest during a 2km (1¼ miles) walk around the perimeter of the old town.

The square, which today still retains all of its original buildings, is mainly used as a pay and display car park and as a stopping point for the daily coach service en route on the aforementioned Romantic Road tour.

The four trees at the northern end of the square (as seen above), in addition to the six at its southern end, had not yet been planted at the time of transmission.

The Games in Detail

Game 1 - The Cloth Merchants
(Die Tuchverkäufer)

The first game - ‘The Cloth Merchants’ (Die Tuchverkäufer) - was played in unison over two minutes and featured six male competitors from each team equipped with a flag pole with a large pennant attached. The team had to stand in a line and wear seven giant boots in such a manner that the middle four competitors had to share boots with their neighbours and the outside feet of the other two were in separate boots (1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 2, 1). On the whistle, the team had to get itself in a rhythm so that they moved their feet in step with each other, in order to move down the 40m course comprising five high bars. As the team approached each of the bars, the pole had to be tossed over and then caught cleanly on the other side. At the end of the course they had to place the pole upright into a weighted base and then return to the start walking backwards. If the pole was dropped the team had to stop and pick it up before continuing. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

From the outset, Rothenburg ob der Tauber got the better start and appeared that they would win the game with ease. However, as they tossed the pole over the fourth bar, the pennant became entangled with the bar and fell to the ground. This delay enabled Waldkraiburg to close the deficit and overtake them and from that moment, the outcome of the game became a foregone conclusion. Waldkraiburg reached the end of the course and raised their flag after 44 seconds of elapsed time and began their return journey whilst Rothenburg ob der Tauber did likewise after 54 seconds. With a ten-second advantage, Waldkraiburg maintained the lead and finished the game in 1 minute 11 seconds with Rothenburg ob der Tauber finishing in 1 minute 21 seconds.

Game 2 - The Cheese Sellers
(Die Käseverkäufer)

The second game - ‘The Cheese Sellers’ (Die Käseverkäufer) - was played in unison over two heats of 45 seconds duration and witnessed Waldkraiburg presenting their Joker for play. The game featured three male competitors from each team equipped with 25 foam-rubber truckles of cheese. The cheeses were divided into two types: plain-coloured and patterned. Whilst two of the competitors would be standing on one side of the course - one equipped with 15 large ‘plain-coloured’ truckles and the other with 10 ‘patterned’ truckles - the third would be standing in a marked circle on the other side, 15m (49ft 2½in) diagonally opposite to them. On the whistle, the first competitor from each team had to roll the ‘plain-coloured’ truckles to their competitor on the other side for him to catch and place into a stack whilst the first competitor of the other team did likewise. Contemporaneously, the second competitor equipped with the ‘patterned’ truckles would roll them into the path of the opposing team’s ‘plain-coloured’ truckle in order to knock it off course and prevent it from reaching the competitor. For parity, the teams would change sides of the course for the second heat. The team collecting the greater overall number of ‘plain-coloured’ truckles would be declared the winners.

This was a very fast-moving game and in order for the teams to maximise their scores within the limited time of 45 seconds, they had to execute it in rapid succession. The first heat saw Waldkraiburg collecting 6 truckles and Rothenburg ob der Tauber collecting 5 truckles.

The teams changed sides and the second heat saw Waldkraiburg collecting a further 11 truckles and Rothenburg collecting a further 8 truckles. The final score was declared as Waldkraiburg with 17 truckles and Rothenburg ob der Tauber with 13 truckles.

Game 3 - The Fire-Eaters
(Die Feuerschlucker)

The third game - ‘The Fire-Eaters’ (Die Feuerschlucker) - was played in unison over two minutes duration and featured two competitors (one male and one female) from each team and a 4m (13ft 1½in) high giant effigy of an open-mouthed fire-eater. Before the game began, stagehands set fire to the inside of the effigy’s mouth. On the whistle, the team had to throw up to 100 small packets of flame retardant material into the effigy’s mouth in order to douse the flames. The team dousing the flames in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a simple and straightforward game which was somewhat tedious to watch, not only from the perspective of the television audience, but also for the assembled crowd who were located at the far end of the arena. With no indication given as to when the flames had been completely doused, it was just a matter of waiting until the referees had decided a winner. At the end of the game neither team were deemed as having extinguished the flames completely and therefore the result was decided on the number of packets that had been thrown into the mouth of the effigy. Rothenburg ob der Tauber had scored 27 hits compared to Waldkraiburg's 26.

Game 4 - The Ladies' Outfitters
(Die Damen Ausrüster)

The fourth game - ‘The Ladies’ Outfitters’ (Die Damen Ausrüster) - was played in unison over two minutes duration and featured four female competitors from each team and a large foam-rubber torso dress. On the whistle, the first competitor had to be assisted by two male team-mates to get inside the outfit and then she had to run 25m (82ft) to the other end of the course. She then had to be assisted by two other male team-mates to get out and for the second competitor to get in. She then had to run back to the start and then the game had to be repeated by the third and fourth competitors. If any of the competitors tumbled whilst traversing the course, the team-mates could run up the course to assist her to her feet. The team completing all four runs in the faster time would be declared the winners.

From the outset, Waldkraiburg got the better start and completed the first run after 15 seconds of elapsed time with Rothenburg ob der Tauber lagging five seconds behind in 20 seconds. By the end of the second run, they had opened up a ten-second gap after crossing the line after 32 seconds and Rothenburg ob der Tauber doing likewise after 42 seconds. It appeared at this point that it would be a clear cut victory for Waldkraiburg and the team-mates assisting began to celebrate and turned their backs to the game to encourage the supporters to cheer. However, no sooner had their rivals crossed the line, their own competitor tumbled to the ground and they lost valuable seconds getting her on her feet. This hiatus permitted Rothenburg ob der Tauber to lessen the deficit to just two seconds. This ‘closure’ was to last no more than two seconds due to the Rothenburg ob der Tauber competitor tumbling to the ground. Despite the team-mates rushing in to stand her upright, Waldkraiburg had already reached the end of the third run after 1 minute 1 second and began their final run. Reaching the end of their run in 1 minute 10 seconds, and being nine seconds adrift, Rothenburg ob der Tauber were facing a lost cause unless Waldkraiburg suffered another mishap. Unfortunately for the home team, this was not to occur and Waldkraiburg crossed the finish line in 1 minute 22 seconds with Rothenburg ob der Tauber, following another tumble, doing likewise in 1 minute 45 seconds.

Game 5 - The Sausage Makers
(Die Wurstmacher)

The fifth game - ‘The Sausage Makers’ (Die Wurstmacher) - was played in unison over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured two male competitors from each team and 12 sausages hanging from elasticated wires, 4m (13ft 1½in) above their heads. On the whistle, the first competitor had to ascend a pole in order to reach the sausages and then, by using only his mouth, had to pull one from a wire and then descend back down the pole. The second competitor then had to do likewise and then the game had to be repeated throughout. The team collecting the greater number of sausages would be declared the winners.

This was a very straightforward game which saw Rothenburg ob der Tauber finish in 2 minutes 10 seconds and Waldkraiburg finish in 2 minutes 18 seconds.

The Coaches' Game (Das Trainerspiel) - The Big Unknown
(Das große Unbekannte)

The next game - ‘The Big Unknown’ (Das Große Unbekannte) - was the team coaches’ game (Das Trainerspiel) and was played in unison over three minutes duration. After the choice of container had been made, the door was opened and the equipment, description and rules of the game to be played were revealed. Inside the container were two suitcases - one for each of the coaches - which were removed by stagehands. On the whistle, the coach had to open the case and attire himself in the articles within - a sweater, a waistcoat, a jacket, an overcoat, a pair of boots and a hat. Once he had completed this, he then had to remove the cover from an umbrella and open it up and then run with the suitcase to the other end of the 15m (49ft 2½in) course. There were strict stipulations that the shoes had to have their laces tied, the waistcoat, jacket and overcoat all had to be fully buttoned, the umbrella had to be opened, the suitcase had to be relocked with his original footwear inside and the cover of the umbrella had to be carried with him. The team completing the game correctly in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Despite both the coaches being unaware of the game details until the start, this was a closely run race. After 1 minute 30 seconds of elapsed time, the two were neck and neck having attired themselves in all the required items. With just the buttons to secure it was just a matter of which would hold his nerve. Waldkraiburg eventually set off after 1 minute 58 seconds and completed the game three seconds later in 2 minutes 1 second. During the same period, the Rothenburg ob der Tauber coach had been delayed trying to remove the umbrella cover as well as opening it up and eventually finished the game in 2 minutes 16 seconds. Although he had forgotten his original footwear at the start of the course, he was not disqualified as it made no difference to the result.

Game 6 - The Poulterers
(Die Geflügelmänner)

The sixth game - ‘The Poulterers’ (Die Geflügelmänner) - was played in unison over two minutes duration and witnessed Rothenburg ob der Tauber presenting their Joker for play. The game featured three male competitors wearing flippers on their feet and standing inside polystyrene geese costumes. On the whistle, the team had to run up the 50m (164ft) course to a small pool which had 60 water-filled balloons floating inside. They then had to use the flippers on their feet to remove them from the pool. Once accomplished, they then had to run back down the course traversing two small obstacles. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a very straightforward game and the reason Rothenburg ob der Tauber had chosen this as their best chance of winning their Joker, was apparent from the outset. Having all their competitors reach the pool after just 14 seconds of elapsed time, they were also more adept at using the flippers to remove the balloons. Taking another 50 seconds to remove them, the team completed their run back to the start in 1 minute 23 seconds followed by Waldkraiburg in 1 minute 42 seconds.

Game 7 - The Fruit and Vegetable Traders
(Die Obst und Gemüsehändler)

The seventh game - ‘The Fruit and Vegetable Traders’ (Die Obst und Gemüsehändler) - was played in unison over two minutes duration and featured a female competitor from each team equipped with a basket containing 50 small cabbages and a market stall containing 40 large green cabbages and 60 smaller coloured cabbages (purple for Rothenburg ob der Tauber, white for Waldkraiburg). On the whistle, the competitor had to throw the cabbages in the basket at the opposition’s stall to dislodge and remove the cabbages. The team removing all the cabbages in the faster time or the one with the greater number removed would be declared the winners.

This was a very straightforward game which ended with Waldkraiburg removing 71 cabbages (29 remaining) from the Rothenburg ob der Tauber stall, and Rothenburg ob der Tauber removing 59 cabbages (41 remaining) from the Waldkraiburg stall.

Game 8 - The Champion Drinkers
(Die Meistertrinker)

The eighth game - ‘The Champion Drinkers’ (Die Meistertrinker) - was played individually over two minutes duration and featured a male competitor from each team wearing a large caricatured open-mouthed drunkard’s head and a waterproof cloak. On the whistle, the competitor had to make his way up a course comprising fourteen podia with a large metallic container of water on each. As he approached each podium, he had to lift the container and empty the contents into his mouth. The water would then run down into the lining of the cloak and collect at the bottom. The rules of the game stipulated that, although there was a maximum time of two minutes permitted, the competitors had to ensure that they returned to the start and crossed the finish line within that time. To assist them, the referees informed the competitors when elapsed time had reached 1 minute 30 seconds and then they had to decide at which point they finished collecting water and to start their return journey. Once the competitor had crossed the finish line, he would then be weighed on a set of industrial scales to ascertain the volume of water collected. The team collecting the greater overall volume of water would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Waldkraiburg and their competitor played at a steady rate and emptied all 14 containers of water into the mouth of the costume before he decided to return to the start. After crossing the finish line in 1 minute 47 seconds, he was assisted onto the scales, the water level inside the costume was permitted to settle and his total weight was 55kg (121lb 4oz / 8st 9lb 4oz). After deducting 15kg for his body weight (see note (a) below), his overall score was declared as 40kg (88lb 4oz) of water.

The second heat featured Rothenburg ob der Tauber and their competitor also emptied all 14 containers before he decided to return to the start. He also crossed the finish line in 1 minute 47 seconds, and after being assisted onto the scales, his total body weight was only 51kg (112lb 7oz / 8st 0lb 7oz). However, after deducting 9kg for his body weight, his overall score was declared as 42kg (92lb 8oz) of water.

Game 9 - The Meat Sellers
(Die Fleischverkäufer)

The ninth and penultimate game - ‘The Meat Sellers’ (Die Fleischverkäufer) - was played in unison over three minutes duration and featured a holding pen containing 30 sheep and a male competitor from each team dressed in a sheepdog costume. On the whistle, the competitor had to ‘scare’ the sheep by banging on the ground (animal rights finally being respected in West Germany) in order to move them to the other end of the course via a 50m (164ft) mazed corral and into another holding pen. The competitors would not be permitted to hit the sheep in any form but they would be able to push them into the holding pen at the other end. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a straightforward game which witnessed Rothenburg ob der Tauber completing the game in 1 minute 11 seconds and Waldkraiburg in 1 minute 17 seconds and if the result was confirmed, the competition would be decided on the final game. However, when referee Hans Ebersberger announced the result, he had some devastating news for the home team. The rules categorically stated that the competitors were only permitted to push the sheep and not hit them, but the Rothenburg ob der Tauber competitor had blatantly flaunted this in order to get them to move down the course. Waldkraiburg were therefore declared the winners by default.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Waldkraiburg (2pts awarded / 14pts total) 2nd Rothenburg ob der Tauber (0pts / 10pts)

Comments: Following their win on this game and with just one game remaining to be played, Waldkraiburg had accumulated sufficient points to secure overall victory and the team could be seen celebrating on the arena.

Game 10 - Dismantling the Stall
(Demontage des Standes)

The tenth and final game - ‘Dismantling the Stall’ (Demontage des Standes) - was played in unison and featured three competitors (two males and one female) from each team equipped with a wooden cart and a market stall laden with various items. On the whistle, the competitors had to dismantle the stall and load it and the items onto the cart and then push it 25m (82ft) up the course to the finish line. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a very straightforward game and, although the winners had already been decided, Rothenburg ob der Tauber did not sit on their laurels and were determined to end the competition on a high note. Despite setting off first, Waldkraiburg suffered a mishap during the journey after items fell from the cart and had to be stopped. This enabled Rothenburg ob der Tauber, who were lagging behind, to overtake them in the final 5m (16ft 5in) and finish the game in 48 seconds followed by Waldkraiburg in 55 seconds.

Final Scores and Positions: 1st Waldkraiburg (0pts awarded / 14pts total) 2nd Rothenburg ob der Tauber (2pts / 12pts)

Reunions

Waldkraiburg

On the evening of Friday 14th September 2012, the surviving fifteen members of the successful Waldkraiburg Spiel Ohne Grenzen team from 40 years previous met for a reunion in the Sudentenland building at the invitation of the town’s councillors.

Back in the early 1970s, the then city treasurer Edmund Platsch suggested that the town apply to take part in Spiel Ohne Grenzen. The town's mayor at the time, Dr. Josef Kriegisch, put the idea to the town council and the motion was carried unanimously. Waldkraiburg applied in 1971 and was awarded an entry in the 1972 series. As a result, the Waldkraiburg track and field coach Horst Krumpholz was asked to put together a team and train them. Once the descriptions of the games had been received from WDR, the team were then selected based on their personal skills. From more than one hundred applicants, only 20 suitable players were picked to be part of the squad to represent the town.

Once the team were aware that there would be a game with a flock of sheep, they drove to Mettenheim to see a shepherd, who showed the participants how to drive a flock, and in fact it was exactly this discipline that was required of the participants on the day. It goes without saying that the Waldkraiburgers went on to win this game hands down.

Following their victory in Rothenburg ob der Tauber, the team qualified for the International programme in Bern in Switzerland. Despite not being reckoned to be any threat to the other teams, Waldkraiburg won ahead of the big favourites from Italy. However, going into the final game ‘Auszug auf dem Hotel’ (Moving Out of the Hotel) and leading by two points, the Italian team were unlucky and their luggage trolley got caught in a transverse groove of the ice rink and this dropped them five places.

At that time, the players were accompanied by around two thousand supporters with special trains laid on. Among the travelling support were singers Peter Maffay and Peter Zicholinski, who would later become the mayor of Waldkraiburg. The returnees were welcomed by an estimated 20,000 Waldkraiburgers at the old train station. From there they went to a reception - complete with brass band music - in front of the town hall.

At the 40th anniversary celebrations in the Sudetenland building, Mayor Siegfried Klika heartily thanked the organisers and participants, because this huge event made the town of Waldkraiburg very well known internationally. There were lively discussions at the meeting and many memories were refreshed. After a meal together, watching surviving film material from the team's 1972 adventure was a must. Members of the public were also invited to relive the memories of the team with a special viewing of both programmes in Waldkraiburg’s Haus der Kultur on Saturday 29th September 2012.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in German archives

D

Spiel Ohne Grenzen 1972

Heat 3

Event Staged: Saturday 22nd April 1972
Venue: Das Ahrtor und Die Stadtbefestigung (The Ahr Gate and Town Fortifications),
Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Rheinland-Pfalz, West Germany

Transmission:
WDR 1 (D): Saturday 22nd April 1972, 2.30-3.45pm (Live)

Referees on Duty included:
Werner Treichel

Weather Conditions: Overcast and Damp

Theme: Grape Harvesting at the Ahr (Weinlese an der Ahr)

Teams: Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler v. Westerland (Sylt)

Team Members included:
Westerland (Sylt) - Wolfgang Lehrerpen (Team Manager), Gudrun Haun, Veralka Liebrischen, Peter Matmüßen, Erhard Paul, Dieter Pulitzer.

Games: Transporting the Grapes (Traubentransport), The Bottle Run (Der Flaschenlauf), Picking the Grapes (Trauben Pflücken), The Wine Bottle (Die Weinflasche), The Comfortable Drinker (Der Bequeme Trinker), The Big Unknown (Das Trainerspiel), The Grape Press (Die Traubenpresse),
The Trophy (Der Pokal), The Wine Barrels (Die Weinfässer), The Living Barrel (Das Lebende Faß), The Dance (Der Tanz).

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

1st
2nd

 W • Westerland (Sylt) ● ●
 N-A • Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler

16
10

Westerland (Sylt) qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Westerland (Sylt), West Germany:
staged on Wednesday 20th June 1972

The Host Town

Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, Rheinland-Pfalz

Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler is a town with a population of around 28,000 inhabitants in the state of Rheinland Pfalz. It is located on the River Ahr, 22km (14 miles) south of Bonn, 93km (58 miles) north of Idar-Oberstein, 98km (61 miles) west of Wetzlar and 63km (39 miles) east of Monschau and the Belgian border. Originally two separate towns, Bad Neuenahr and Ahrweiler were merged with the municipalities of Gimmigen, Heimersheim, Kirchdaun and Lohrsdorf on 7th June 1969 to create a much larger town. The municipality of Ramersbach was later incorporated on 16th March 1974.

In 893 AD, Ahrweiler is first mentioned in the Prümer Urbar (a land registry of estates owned by Prüm Abbey). In 1250, the construction of the still existing town wall of Ahrweiler began, which was completed about ten years later. In 1269, the construction of the St. Laurentius parish church began.

At the beginning of 1814, the French rule ended in the left-Rhine regions. Due to the agreements made at the Congress of Vienna (1814-1815), the region then came under the control of the Kingdom of Prussia in 1815. With the construction of the road tunnel at Altenahr in 1834, it opened the area up to tourism. About 20 years later in 1852, the Apollinaris mineral water spa was discovered by chance in Georg Kreuzberg’s vineyard, He named it after St Apollinaris of Ravenna, a patron saint of wine. In 1856, the healing springs were opened and two years later another spa in Wadenheim (a suburb of the town) was founded. The Apollinaris spring is now owned by the Coca-Cola Company.

During the final two years of World War II (1939-1945), Ahrweiler suffered serious damage resulting from allied bomb attacks, with the destruction of 126 houses, especially in the lower Ahrhutstraße, Schutzbahn and Blankenheimer Hof areas. During this time, local residents sought protection from the raids in the nearby Silberberg tunnel. The present urban area then became part of the then newly-formed state of Rheinland-Pfalz within the French occupation zone after the war.

More recently between 18th and 19th May 2017, Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler was the venue for the G20 conference (under the presidency of Germany), where all the ministers of employment of the twenty most important industrial and emerging countries met.

The medieval old town is a popular holiday destination for tourists. The restaurant Zur Alten Post (the Old Post Office), owned by renowned chef Hans Stefan Steinheuer, is in the Heppingen district and is one of the ten best restaurants in Germany with two Michelin stars.

The Visiting Town

Westerland (Sylt) is a town with a population of around 9,000 inhabitants in the state of Schleswig-Holstein and is located 492km (306 miles) north of Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler.

The Venue

Das Ahrtor und Die Stadtbefestigung

The games were played on a small area outside the town fortifications adjacent to the Ahrtor, one of the town’s historical gates.

The town fortifications surrounding Ahrweiler are protected as a cultural monument and were first documented in the 13th century. The first documents for the moats are dated 1261, the town gates dated 1297 and the wall itself dated 1298.

Today, the old town of Ahrweiler is still almost completely surrounded by the 1800m (5,905ft 6in) long wall with all four of the original gates (Adenbachtor, Ahrtor, Niedertor and Obertor) still open as access points to the town. In addition to the four gates, three defensive towers - the cannon tower (half tower), the Bitzenturm and the Schlößchenturm are also preserved. The town was originally surrounded by a moat (consisting of four individual trenches) - the Jeuchengraben running between Obertor and Adenbachtor, the Weilergraben between Adenbachtor and Niedertor, the Faulengraben between Niedertor and Ahrtor and Bitzengraben between Ahrtor and Obertor. Of the four, only the Faulengraben no longer exists.

The town is actually built on a south-east sloping gradient towards and as a consequence, the bases of the four gates each stand at a differing heights above sea level - Niedertor 103.7m (340ft 6¾in), Ahrtor 103.9m (340ft 10½in), Obertor 106.2m (348ft 5in) and Adenbachtor 109.2m (358ft 3¼in).

The Mühlenteich brook, which branches off from the River Ahr and crosses the town, was the main source of water for the moat. The inlet at the upper gate and the outlet at the low gate were of crucial importance for the technical equipment and these places were protected against intruders with lattice gates.

The four trenches each had their own water level. They were separated from each other with barriers and chapels (inclined planes), so that in the event of any threat of flooding, the chapels could be raised and the parts of the trench could run out to the mill pond or the Bitzengraben. There was an overflow here at the deepest point towards the Ahr. Once a year, the mill pond and the moat would be drained of water for a period of 14 days, during which time any repairs could be made. It should be noted that the trench was only filled with water in times of war. In times of peace, the parts of the trench served as hay meadows and even as vineyards.

The entire fortification had to pass its first major test in 1474, when the town was locked and nominated by the troops of archbishop Ruprecht von der Pfalz (1463-1480) for a few weeks from 14th April during the Feud of Cologne (1473-1480). Under the command of the field captains Eberhard von Arenberg and the count Dietrich von Manderscheid, heavy weapons were used against the fortification. The Manderscheider alone charged his client for eight tons of gunpowder and one ton of crossbow arrows after the withdrawal on 12th May. The oldest surviving town bill from 1487 shows that extensive repair work on the towers, gates and walls took place 13 years after the event. Masonry, carpentry, roofing and locksmith work was also necessary for years after to restore the gates to their defensive state.

The Ahrtor, the largest and southern-most of all the gates, was originally a five-storey tower with two flanking three-storey half-towers, narrow shooting slits and rectangular windows. The two flank towers built to the right and left of the main tower have been preserved on two levels, but were previously built on three levels. The ogival (pointed) portals are stepped out of the town and have a crown. The barrel vault of the passage gate is made of tuff (a light porous volcanic rock). The outer archway, however, consists of trachyte (volcanic rock), an effusion rock mined from the Drachenfels near Königswinter for the construction of the gate.

On the first floor, there are crossbow holes that were once used to defend the town. A bay window was placed on the upper floor. The commandant's room was on the first floor. A staircase led up to the room which, when viewed from the centre of the town, is located on the left. On the trench side, a figure of the Virgin Mary is embedded in the wall above the gate, on the town side there is a figure of Saint Barbara, the patron saint of the Ahrhut (southernmost part of the town).

A cannon can be seen on the trench side to the right of the gate. It is a 2.67m (8ft 9in) long weapon with a calibre of 6.7cm (2¾in), referred to in old council minutes from 1626 as a ‘big piece’. The gun barrel has since been replicated. A restored old rampart can be seen from within the walls, which gives an impression of the Ahrweiler town defence system.

Due to its location, the Ahrtor was always the main target of enemy attacks on Ahrweiler. Of all the gates, it has suffered the most damage in its history and has been repaired frequently. However, it suffered the greatest destruction on 29th January 1945 during the Second World War (1939-1945), when it was almost completely bombed by Allied troops. It is thanks to a citizens' initiative that it was rebuilt in 1958, but only in a simplified, lower form. The floor height of the three towers was reduced by one floor each. The gate and towers still bear the scars of that torrid night.

The Games in Detail

Game 4 - The Wine Bottle
(Die Weinflasche)

The fourth game - ‘The Wine Bottle’ (Die Weinflasche) - was somewhat unusual for a Spiel Ohne Grenzen domestic game as it was played in two distinct parts.

Played individually over two heats, the result of the first part affected the teams’ participation in the second part of the game, which was subtitled ‘The Trampoline Jumper’ (Die Trampolinspringerin).

Additional Information

Unfortunately, this is one of just three Spiel Ohne Grenzen Domestic series programmes that cannot be accessed in German archives. Although this programme survives in the archive, the master videotape recording is reportedly damaged to the extent that it is unplayable, whilst two other programmes - those editions broadcast from Bardenberg in 1967 and Wesel in 1970 - are missing completely. It is therefore not currently possible to confirm the scoring or to add referee information regarding this heat. However, the weather conditions, theme, game titles and final result have been gleaned and confirmed from other sources.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in German archives but is unplayable

D

Spiel Ohne Grenzen 1972

Heat 4

Event Staged: Saturday 29th April 1972
Venue: Sportplatz 1. FC 04 Oberursel (Sports Ground of 1st FC 04 Oberursel),
Oberursel im Taunus, Hessen, West Germany

Transmission:
WDR 1 (D): Saturday 29th April 1972, 2.30-3.45pm (Live)

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

Weather Conditions:
Overcast with Light Rain Showers interspersed by High Winds

Theme: Alten Mexiko (Old Mexico)

Teams: Bad Marienberg v. Oberursel im Taunus

Team Members included:
Bad Marienberg - Gerhard Ingel (Team Coach), Klaus Bergman;
Oberursel im Taunus - Karl Pfaff (Team Coach), Werner Schlotter (Assistant Team Coach), Ottmar Bessler, Elke-Blasner-Koepke, Margarete Braun, Peter Güra, Martin Heckendorf, Ingrid Heusler, Kurt Hundertmark, Wolfgang Lux, Erica Michelson-Hellbrück, Jens Mischner, Gert Oettinger, Doris Ruddat, Horst Dieter Schimanski, Rita Schlotter, Heinz Scholl, Christina Schmitz, Volker Schwiegerhausen, Hans Stampe, Albrecht Voss, Gabriele Weil, Wolfgang Westenburger, Norbert Wiest.

Games: The Popocatépetl Volcano, The Cactus Maze, Pancho Villa and his ‘Pancho Villa’, The Skipping Señoritas, The Duel of the Rams, The Big Unknown (Das Trainerspiel), Transporting the Tequila, Zorro and the Melons, The Corks (abandoned), The Chair Walkers (Reserve Game), Stop That Bull!, The Giant Snakes.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd

 O • Oberursel im Taunus ● ●
 M • Bad Marienberg

22
2

Oberursel im Taunus qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Passariano di Codroipo, Italy:
staged on Wednesday 5th July 1972

The Host Town

Oberursel im Taunus, Hessen

Oberursel im Taunus is a town with a population of around 46,000 inhabitants in the state of Hessen. It is surrounded largely by fields and meadows with the Taunus forests touching the northern parts of the town and is located 13km (8 miles) north-west of Frankfurt am Main, 40km (25 miles) south of Wetzlar, 74km (46 miles) east of Koblenz and 170km (106 miles) west of Coburg.

The name of the town is taken from the Ursel brook which flows pleasantly through the town and used to be its source of life. The first reference to a settlement called ‘Ursella’, from which both derive their names, is in a title deed of 791 AD recorded at the monastery in Lorsch. During the Middle Ages, Oberursel im Taunus' culture and economy flourished thanks to the weavers, cloth makers and cloth traders, relying on the brook for water and power.

Under the reign of the House of Eppstein, Oberursel im Taunus was granted a town charter in 1444. At first a rural settlement, it developed into the most flourishing town of trade on the southern slopes of the Taunus Mountains until the start of the Thirty Years' War (1618-1648). During this conflict, Oberursel im Taunus was burned down twice, in 1622 and in 1645, after which only three buildings survived - the old town hall, the bakery and one apartment house near the marketplace. The number of residents declined from 1,600 to roughly 600. Trade and craft shops were in ruins. This is probably the reason why nearly all houses in the old town date from the 17th century.

In the era that followed, numerous mills (for processing grains and oilseeds), tanneries, steel-grinding mills as well as iron and copper forges were established along the Ursel. However, the once-prosperous cloth-making and cloth trading businesses never regained their pre-war significance. When the cotton-spinning mill was founded at the Hohe Mark (a wooded hillside) in 1858, the Industrial Revolution had arrived in Oberursel im Taunus. By the mid to late 1900s, it was credited with being the most industrialised town in the state (then Hessen-Nassau which was part of the Kingdom of Prussia).

During World War II (1939-1945), the town was spared from major air raids. However, many captured American and British airmen passed through Oberursel im Taunus as they were interrogated and processed into the German prisoner-of-war camp system at the ‘Durchgangslager der Luftwaffe’ (Transit Camp of the Luftwaffe) which was located here. Following the hostilities, trade and industry were soon booming again. Banks and insurance companies settled in the town and new schools were built, residential areas developed and new roads constructed. Various recreation facilities were created, and large parts of the town-owned forest were turned into a recreational area ensuring better protection. A public indoor swimming pool was built right beside the scenic public outdoor swimming pool and old people's homes and youth centres were established.

In the early 1970s, Oberursel im Taunus embarked on an ambitious programme to restore its historic old part of town. Private home owners and the local administration tackled this large-scale restoration project together to cover the enormous costs. In the centre of town, roads were closed to traffic to create pedestrian areas, and culture and administration were firmly settled in a central location.

The Visiting Town

Bad Marienberg is a town with a population of around 6,000 inhabitants in the state of Rheinland-Pfalz and is located 68km (42 miles) north-west of Oberursel im Taunus.

The Venue

Sportplatz 1. FC 04 Oberursel

The games were played on the sports ground of the 1st FC 04 Oberursel football club, located on Königsteiner Straße on the western outskirts of Oberursel adjacent in the city forest and Stierstädter Heide (Stierstädter Heath). The area is protected as a flora and fauna habitat within the Natura 2000 network.

There are two sports pitches at the venue, the southernmost of these being utilised for Spiel Ohne Grenzen.

The Games in Detail

Game 1 - The Popocatépetl Volcano
(Der Popocatépetl Vulkan)

The first game - ‘The Popocatépetl Volcano’ (Der Popocatépetl Vulkan) - was played in unison over two minutes duration and featured five competitors (four males and one female) from each team, the four males each being equipped with an electrical cable with connectors at either end, and a steep incline representing Mexico’s famous Popocatépetl volcano. On the whistle, the first male had to climb to the top of the volcano, using footholds already built into the incline, and connect his cable to an electrical port located in the ‘mouth’ of the volcano. Once accomplished, the second male had to ascend the incline and connect his cable to the dangling end of the first. This then had to be repeated by the third and fourth males connecting their cables to the second and third cables, respectively. The female then had to attach a fifth cable which was connected to a power source in order to set off a large firecracker in the volcano. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

From the outset, Bad Marienberg got the better start and connected their first cable after 23 seconds of elapsed time followed by Oberursel im Taunus in 28 seconds with the second cables being connected after 38 seconds and 41 seconds, respectively. With the deficit between the two teams closing, Oberursel im Taunus closed the gap further after they connected their third cable after 48 seconds, just two seconds behind Bad Marienberg. With both teams connecting their fourth cables at the exact same time of 55 seconds, it put pressure on the females to connect the final cable and send the current to the firecracker. Whilst Oberursel im Taunus achieved their goal in one minute exactly, it appeared that Bad Marienberg were having difficulty connecting it, eventually setting the volcano alight after 1 minute 2 seconds. The frustration of their lead male competitor at the top could clearly be seen as he swung his clenched fist downwards at the top of the incline.

Game 2 - The Cactus Maze
(Das Kaktus-Labyrinth)

The second game - ‘The Cactus Maze’ (Das Kaktus-Labyrinth) - was played individually over three minutes duration and featured a male competitor from each team wearing large boots and with 100 balloons (25 each of blue, white, red and green) attached to his back and connected by rope to the back of his boots. On the whistle, he had to traverse a maze comprising 16 cacti whilst gathering up a rope which had been laid down by stagehands before the game started. If all the balloons had been burst by the thorns of the cacti before completing the game, the run would be deemed null and void. The team completing the game with at least one balloon intact would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this very straightforward game saw the participation of Bad Marienberg and they completed the course with balloons intact in 2 minutes 6 seconds.

The second heat featured Oberursel im Taunus and they were slightly faster in their execution and completed the game with balloons intact in 1 minute 55 seconds.

Game 3 - Pancho Villa and his ‘Pancho Villa’
(Pancho Villa und seine ‘Pancho Villa’)

The third game - ‘Pancho Villa and his ‘Pancho Villa’’ (Pancho Villa und seine ‘Pancho Villa’) - was played in unison over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured three male competitors from each team (one dressed as Pancho Villa) equipped with a large cart and a house constructed of large jigsaw-shaped pieces held together by backing paper on the inside walls. On the whistle, whilst Pancho Villa stood on the cart, the other two competitors had to pull it down to the end of the 50m (164ft) course. On their arrival, they had to remove the door and dismantle the four sides of the house and place all the pieces onto the cart. Once accomplished, Pancho Villa then had to climb on the cart and lie down on top of the pieces, whilst the other two competitors pulled the cart back to the start to complete the game. There was no stipulation as to how large the pieces of the jigsaw placed in the cart had to be (if the teams dismantled carefully, they could place a complete wall in one piece), but the sides of the house had to be separate from each other. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was another straightforward game which saw both teams virtually neck and neck throughout. Following their arrival at the end of the course together after 10 seconds of elapsed time, the teams began dismantling the sides of their houses. On the stroke of one minute, both teams could be seen placing their final pieces on their carts, but it was Oberursel im Taunus that began the return journey first, four seconds later, and finishing the game in 1 minute 16 seconds. Although Bad Marienberg also completed the game in 1 minute 19 seconds, they had dropped one small piece of the jigsaw, four metres from the finish line, and were therefore disqualified.

Game 4 - The Skipping Señoritas
(Das Überspringen Señoritas)

The fourth game - ‘The Skipping Señoritas’ (Das Überspringen Señoritas) - was played in unison over two minutes duration and witnessed Oberursel im Taunus presenting their Joker for play. The game featured eleven competitors (ten males and one female) from each team and ten skipping ropes. On the whistle, the ten male competitors had to turn the ropes (each of which were anchored to a pole at the other end) and the female had to make five clear jumps of the first rope before moving on to the second. This then had to be repeated with the remaining nine ropes until a total of fifty clean jumps had been made. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a simple and straightforward game which again was executed very quickly. Despite being neck and neck after the second rope, Bad Marienberg suffered a mishap and permitted Oberursel im Taunus to take the lead from which they held throughout the remainder of the game. Assisted by the home crowd with the number of the jumps at each of the ropes from that point, Oberursel im Taunus completed the game in 1 minute 2 seconds (despite the on-screen clock stopping exactly on one minute) followed by Bad Marienberg in 1 minute 8 seconds.

Game 5 - The Duel of the Rams
(Das Duell der Schafbocken)

The fifth game - ‘The Duel of the Rams’ (Das Duell der Schafbocken) - was played alternately over four rounds and featured a male competitor from each team and two ram effigies mounted on small bogies facing each other. Each bogey had a car tyre fitted to the front and was located 10m (32ft 9¾in) apart on a rail track. On the whistle, the competitor had to push the first ram up to a given line and then release it in order for it to hit the other ram, thus causing it to move backwards along the track which was marked with 10cm (4in) graduations. The distance would then be measured and the equipment would then be reset for the opposing competitor to participate. The game would then be repeated on three further occasions by both teams. The team travelling the greater overall distance would be declared the winners.

The first team to participate was Bad Marienberg and they moved the second ram a distance of 30m. This was followed by Oberursel im Taunus and, following a false start (see Comments, below), they moved the ram a distance of 31.5m. The teams then played the game in the same order throughout.

On the second run, Bad Marienberg achieved a distance of 29.3 (running total 59.3m) whilst Oberursel im Taunus, following another false start, achieved a distance of 27.9m (59.4m).

On the third and penultimate run, Bad Marienberg moved the ram a distance of 23.3m (82.6m) and Oberursel im Taunus, a distance of 26.3m (85.7m).

The fourth and final runs produced distances of 23.6m for Bad Marienberg, giving them a total of 106.2m (348ft 5in), and 28.1m for Oberursel im Taunus, giving them a total of 113.8m (373ft 4in).

The Coaches' Game (Das Trainerspiel) - The Big Unknown
(Das große Unbekannte)

The next game - ‘The Big Unknown’ (Das Große Unbekannte) - was the team coaches’ game (Das Trainerspiel) and was played in unison over two minutes duration. After the choice of container had been made, the door was opened and the equipment, description and rules of the game to be played were revealed. A large container of water was placed on either side of the 5m (16ft 5in) course and each competitor was handed a cloth hat (similar to those worn by country yokels) with a number of holes in the crown. On the whistle, the competitor had to fill the hat and transport the water to the end of the course and then empty any remaining contents into a similar container. The competitors would be able to use any method to stop the water from escaping but could only use their hands when doing so. The team transporting the greater volume of water would be declared the winners.

Although this was a very simple game in design and execution, the two competitors opted for different methods of transportation. Whilst Bad Marienberg held the hat by its brim, which permitted the water to pour from the holes, and then race frantically up the short course, Oberursel im Taunus held the base of the upturned crown in his palms, thus permitting the minimum volume of water to escape, and moved at a slower pace. At the end of the game, it was not necessary to take any comparative measurements to determine the winners, such was the difference in the amount of water successfully transported by the two teams. The referees simply stated that the winners were Oberursel im Taunus.

Game 6 - Transporting the Tequila
(Den Tequila Transportieren)

The sixth game - ‘Transporting the Tequila’ (Den Tequila Transportieren) - was played in unison originally over four minutes duration and featured two male competitors from each team - one wearing an over-sized sombrero, the other standing on a podium and equipped with a number of ropes - and a large weighted Tequila bottle standing upright on an axis. On the whistle, the competitor with the ropes had to lasso the neck of the bottle in order to pull the mouth down in order to empty the contents into the sombrero worn by the second male. Once filled, the competitor had to run up the 50m (164ft) course and empty any contents into a container marked with centimetre graduations and then return to start. Contemporaneously, the first male had to release the rope in order for the bottle to return to its original upright position and return to his podium. The game then had to be repeated throughout. The team collecting the greater volume of water would be declared the winners.

This was an enjoyable game to watch and was suitably accompanied by Mexican-style musak. From the outset, it was a neck and neck race but as it progressed, the high winds would play a big part in the success and failure of the teams. However, it was a straightforward and uneventful race (from the point of view of the game itself) and ended with Oberursel im Taunus filling their container with water to a height of 29.5cm (11½in) and Bad Marienberg had only collected sufficient water to fill their container to the 20.4cm (8in) mark on the graduated scale.

Game 7 - Zorro and the Melons
(Zorro und die Melonen)

The seventh game - ‘Zorro and the Melons’ (Zorro und die Melonen) - was played individually over 1 minute 30 seconds duration and featured two competitors (one male and one female) from each team standing on podia on opposite sides of the course. In opposition, there was a male dressed as Zorro equipped with his trademark sabre and tethered to the ground by an elasticated rope around his waist. On the whistle, the male competitor had to attach a green water-filled balloon (to represent a melon) to a rope which was hanging from a gallows and then swing it across the chasm for the female competitor to catch. Contemporaneously, the opposition Zorro had to try and burst the balloons with his sabre as they were swung. The team collecting the greater number of balloons would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this very simple game saw the participation of Bad Marienberg and they swung a total of 13 balloons across the chasm without any being burst by the opposition.

The second heat featured Oberursel im Taunus and, although they were permitted to play for a total time of 1 minute 37 seconds, they only swung a total of 12 balloons across the chasm, again without any being burst by the opposition.

Game 8 - The Corks
(Die Korken)

The scheduled eighth game - ‘The Corks’ (Die Korken) - was to have been played in unison and would have featured a male competitor from each team wearing a large caricatured head and a framework from which 30 bottle corks were hanging from wires.

However, following the earlier high winds encountered at the venue during the sixth game, it was decided that, due to the necessary equipment being in tatters, damaged beyond repair, and for reasons of safety, the game would be abandoned and the reserve game - safer, simpler and closer to the ground - played in its place. 

Reserve Game - The Chair Walkers
(Der Stuhlwanderer)

The reserve game - ‘The Chair Walkers’ (Der Stuhlwanderer) - was played in unison over three minutes duration and witnessed Bad Marienberg presenting their Joker for play. The game featured a straight 50m (164ft) course and a male competitor from each team equipped with two dining-table chairs. On the whistle, the competitor had to place one foot on the first chair and then one onto the second chair. He then had to place both feet onto the second chair whilst he pulled the first chair in front of the second. He then had to place one foot onto the original first chair whilst keeping one foot on the original second. He then had to place both feet on the first chair and move the second in front of it. The game then had to be repeated throughout. Competitors had to ensure that they had one foot on each of the chairs before moving the rear one to the front. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a straightforward game and, although the game had been unrehearsed, it was executed with great momentum, with Oberursel im Taunus being more adept and moving the chairs the greater distance between strides. The game ended with Oberursel im Taunus crossing the finish line in 1 minute 3 seconds with Bad Marienberg doing likewise in 1 minute 9 seconds.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Oberursel im Taunus (2pts awarded / 18pts total) 2nd Bad Marienberg (0pts / Joker / 2pts)

Comments: As this game was unplanned and unrehearsed, it had to be treated in a similar manner as the team coaches’ game (Das Trainerspiel) earlier. The game description, equipment and rules had to be relayed to the competitors before the start of the game, with both of them being asked to confirm their acknowledgement of the rules and what they would be required to do.

Game 9 - Stop That Bull!
(Stoppen Sie Diesen Stier!)

The ninth and penultimate game - ‘Stop That Bull!’ (Stoppen Sie Diesen Stier!) - was played individually over two heats of six rounds and utilised the same equipment used earlier in Game 5. It featured three bulls mounted on train bogies and a male competitor from each team equipped with a large rope. On the whistle, a male opposition team member had to push the first bogey up the track and, at a given point, release it. The competitor who was standing in a marked circle, parallel to and 5m (16ft 5in) behind the track, had to try and lasso the bull’s horn and pull it from the bogey before it reached another given line. The game then had to be repeated with the other two bulls. The opposition male then had to move to the opposite end of the course and duplicate the game in the opposite direction. The team lassoing the greater number of bulls would be declared the winners.

The first heat saw the participation of Bad Marienberg with Oberursel im Taunus in opposition. On the first run, the competitor was successful and lassoed the bull but after this, was unable to build on this total on any of the next five essays.

The second heat featured Oberursel im Taunus with Bad Marienberg in opposition and after being successful on their first two runs, and having already won the game in theory, they went on to lasso another three bulls, only missing out on the fifth. Oberursel im Taunus were declared as having won the game by 5-1.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Oberursel im Taunus (2pts awarded / 20pts total) 2nd Bad Marienberg (0pts / 2pts)

Comments: During the post-game discussions, it transpired that Oberursel im Taunus were rather fortunate on this game, as their drawn competitor was a member of the local Western club and had honed his lassoing skills as a hobby!

Game 10 - The Giant Snakes
(Die Riesigen Schlangen)

The tenth and final game - ‘The Giant Snakes’ (Die Riesiger Schlangen) - was played in unison and featured five competitors (four males and one female) from each team and a giant snake’s head with a body comprising a large net filled with 106 balloons (100 small and 6 large). On the whistle, the four males, located underneath and inside the snake’s head, had to move up the 75m (246ft) course whilst the female stood atop the head holding a lance. After reaching the end of the course, the female had jump down and burst the six large balloons, located furthest from the head, and then remount the snake. The team then had to turn around and return to the start. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a straightforward game which saw both teams neck and neck during the outward journey, with both reaching the end of the course in 21 seconds. With Oberursel im Taunus gaining a two-seconds advantage during the remount, they held their nerve and completed the game in 1 minute 9 seconds, followed by Bad Marienberg in 1 minute 15 seconds.

Final Scores and Positions: 1st Oberursel im Taunus (2pts awarded / 22pts total) 2nd Bad Marienberg (0pts / 2pts)

Comments: It appeared that Oberursel im Taunus had utilised a loophole in the rules during the turnaround. Although referee Hans Ebersberger was in clear view and even acknowledged his actions, a male team-mate rushed in to pull the trailing tail of the snake out of the way and thus prevented it from hindering the head at the start of the return journey!

Reunions

Oberursel im Taunus

Following reunions of the Oberursel im Taunus team in 1982 and 1992, the team subsequently had no further contact with each other for many years. In 2016, a third reunion was arranged and was covered by Frankfurt am Main based newspaper Taunus Zeitung. Unfortunately, only twelve of the original 22 members were able to attend, with some members being absent due to ill-health and others because they had sadly passed away (Ingrid Heusler, Wolfgang Lux and Karlheinz Pfaff).

Team member Margarete Braun, 65, recalled, “It was an exciting time for us all. We were the representatives of Oberursel and were very popular in the town.” Fellow team member Elke Blasner-Koepke, 71, commented about their International exploits, “We were attired in black and yellow suits which contrasted well with the blue ones of Italy. I still have mine, with mothballs in it, so that it may be preserved.”

The reunion was held at Jahnstuben College where the co-team coach Werner Schlotter commented, “We are once again all feeling like time has been turned back. This will give us an opportunity to watch the second programme from Italy (Passariano di Codroipo) which none of those present have seen since 1972.”

The article then went on to reveal that once the nostalgic screening began, many of the team recognised themselves and the room was filled with laughter. For example, they saw team member Kurt Hundertmark wandering around with a giant sombrero and shoes which were far too big for him in an artificial forest with several cacti, where he had to try to carry as many balloons in his hands without any being burst by the spines.

Records and Statistics

This heat produced the third-highest winning margin in any Spiel Ohne Grenzen Domestic heat with the home team defeating their rivals by 20pts. The record of a 24pts clear victory was set in 1968 by Inzell against Schongau, with the home team winning every game in the process.

Additional Information

This domestic heat was originally intended to be staged on the small grassed sports ground located at the western end of Neutorallee adjacent to what is now the Parkplatz Bleiche (Bleiche Car Park). It was soon decided to relocate the recording to the sports ground of 1st FC 04 Oberursel, the oldest football club in the town, as the original venue was too small to accommodate the Mexican-themed scenery constructed for this programme.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in German archives

D

Spiel Ohne Grenzen 1972

Heat 5

Event Staged: Saturday 6th May 1972
Venue: Wiehltalstadion (Wiehl Town Stadium), Wiehl,
Nordrhein-Westfalen, West Germany

Transmission:
WDR 1 (D): Saturday 6th May 1972, 2.30-3.45pm (Live)

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

Weather Conditions:
Very Warm and Sunny

Theme: Ein Besuche im Zoo (A Visit to the Zoo)

Teams: Rodenkirchen v. Wiehl

Team Members included:
Rodenkirchen - Dieter Reinholz (Team Coach), Leo Marken;
Wiehl - Bobby Lück (Co-Team Coach).

Games: The Elephants and the Tree Trunks, The Zebra and the Zookeepers, The Giant White Mice, The Blue Whales, The Egyptian Camel Train, The Big Unknown (Das Trainerspiel), Feeding Time for the Lions, The Troublesome Apes and the Apples, The Baby Seals, The Jumping Bears, The Australian Kangaroos, Tug-o-War (Tie-Break).

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd

 R • Rodenkirchen ● ●
 W • Wiehl

13
12

Rodenkirchen qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Nice, France:
staged on Wednesday 19th July 1972

The Host Town

Wiehl, Nordrhein-Westfalen

Wiehl is a town with approximately 26,000 inhabitants in the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen. It is located 42km (26 miles) east of Köln, 63km (39 miles) south of Dortmund, 66km (41 miles) north of Koblenz and 85km (53 miles) west of Marburg an der Lahn. The river of the same name flows through the town in an east-west direction.

Wiehl is first mentioned in a document in 1131 under the name Wila. On the Mercator map (a cylindrical map projection by Flemish geographer and cartographer Gerardus Mercator (1512-1594) in 1569, it is registered as a Wiell.

In 1815, it was contractually agreed at the Vienna Congress (1814-1815) that the Homburger Ländchen, which practically consisted only of the municipalities of Wiehl and Nümbrecht, would become incorporated into the Prussian province of Jülich-Kleve-Berg. At this time, Wiehl was still a farming village with a rural character. With the town connected to the railway network in 1897, and the founding of the Bergische Patentachsenfabrik Wiehl (BPW) - a global supplier to the commercial vehicle industry - in 1898, it created the basis for increased population growth.

Following the Second World War (1939-1945), Wiehl integrated an influx of bombed-out and displaced persons. Following municipality reforms on 1st July 1969, the town was merged with Bielstein and Denklingen to create a larger community. In 1971, 840 years after its inception, the new municipality received town rights. Since then, thanks to the influx of immigrants and a skilful industry policy, it has enjoyed solid and steady growth.

One of the most popular tourist attractions is the Wiehler Tropfsteinhöhle (Wiehler dripstone cave), an 868m (2,847ft) long cave which enjoys around 20,000 visitors per year. With the proclivities of the modern-age, it is often reserved by couples to have their wedding ceremonies performed there.

Other sights include Das Museum Achse, Rad und Wagen (The Museum of Axis, Wheel and Carriage) which opened in 1952 in Wiehl-Ohlerhammer and represents the 5,500-year history of vehicle construction on an exhibition space of more than 1,000m² (10,763ft²).

On the edge of the old town centre, the ‘Mühlenbrücke’ (Mill bridge), built in 1650 and renovated in 1980, crosses the river. The Bismarckturm, a lookout tower built from Grauwacke (grey-green sandstone) during the imperial era in 1909, stands 16.8m (55ft 2in) high and has a regular hexagonal ground plan.

The Visiting Town

Rodenkirchen is a city with a population of around 105,000 inhabitants in the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen and is located 40km (25 miles) west of Wiehl.

The Venue

Wiehltalstadion

The games were played at a multi-purpose sports stadium in the centre of the town, later to become known as Wiehltalstadion. At the time of transmission, the stadium was used by the local football team but following a contract between the council and FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association / International Federation of Association Football), signed on 4th August 2004, it was demolished and upgraded for use by national teams for practice during the 2006 World Cup.

In 2005, a new grandstand capable of holding up to 5,000 spectators and a clubhouse with three dressing rooms and two shower units were constructed. A new pitch, measuring 105m x 86m (344ft 6in x 282ft 2in), was laid. The complex was completely fenced and has been provided with a visual protection in the form of dense green vegetation. Furthermore, the facility has an adjacent artificial pitch measuring 43m x 35m (141ft x 114ft 10in) which is suitable for football, basketball and volleyball and football.

The Games in Detail

Game 1 - The Elephants and the Tree Trunks
(Die Elefanten und das Baumstämme)

The first game - ‘The Elephants and the Tree Trunks’ (Die Elefanten und das Baumstämme) - was played in unison over three minutes duration and featured ten large tree trunks and four male competitors from each team dressed in an elephant costume with elongated tusks. On the whistle, the competitors had to run to the end of the 25m (82ft) course and pick up the trunks from a podium using only the tusks. They then had to turn around and carry the trunks back to the start line and then repeat the game throughout. Although there was no stipulation as to the number of trunks that could be carried, it appeared that two would be the maximum that would balance well on the tusks without fear of loss during transportation. The team collecting the greater number of trunks would be declared the winners.

Both teams started well, reaching the podia together after just 12 seconds of elapsed time and whilst Wiehl picked up two trunks and began their return journey, Rodenkirchen appeared to be having some difficulty. Wiehl deposited the trunks over the start line after 34 seconds and began their second run. Contemporaneously, Rodenkirchen had recomposed themselves and began their first return journey, depositing the two trunks over the start line after 50 seconds. From this point onwards, there was to be only one winner. Wiehl maintained their lead and, after collecting another two trunks after 56 seconds, they successfully deposited them over the start line after 1 minute 13 seconds. The cameras immediately returned to the other end of the course to witness Rodenkirchen struggling with the trunks. This delay permitted Wiehl to increase their lead after picking up their next two trunks after 1 minute 36 seconds and returning to the start and depositing them over the line after 1 minute 55 seconds. It was at this point that it became apparent, that something had occurred with Rodenkirchen, as the team had stopped competing and were kneeling motionless on the ground facing the podium. The game was permitted to continue and Wiehl picked up another two trunks after 2 minutes 31 seconds and depositing them over the line in 2 minutes 48 seconds. The game ended and Wiehl were declared the victors by 8-2.

Game 2 - The Zebra and the Zookeepers
(Das Zebra und die Tierflegerin)

The second game - ‘The Zebra and the Zookeepers’ (Das Zebra und die Tierflegerin) - was played individually over two runs of one minute duration and featured four female competitors from each team standing inside two pairs of conjoined potato sacks and two opposition male team members in a zebra costume. On the whistle, the competitors had jump around the course in order to catch the zebra and bring it to the ground. The opposition would be able to move around the 15m x 10m (49ft 2½in x 32ft 9¾in) rectangular playing area to avoid being caught but would be deemed as caught if they exited the area. The team with the lesser overall time would be deemed the winners.

The first heat of this very straightforward, simple and quickly-executed game saw the participation of Wiehl with Rodenkirchen in opposition. On their first run, they brought the zebra to its knees after just 11 seconds of elapsed time and on their second run they did likewise in just 9 seconds. Wiehl were declared as having an overall time of 20 seconds.

The second heat featured Rodenkirchen with Wiehl in opposition and on their first run they brought the zebra to the ground after just 7 seconds. On their second run, although they never achieved their aim, the opposition exited the playing area and therefore they were deemed as having done so by default after 10 seconds. Rodenkirchen were declared as having an overall time of 17 seconds.

Game 3 - The Giant White Mice
(Die Riesigen Weißen Mäusen)

The third game - ‘The Giant White Mice’ (Die Riesigen Weißen Mäusen) - was played in unison over two minutes duration and featured a male competitor from each team dressed in a giant white mouse costume standing in a large exercise wheel. On the whistle, the competitor had to rotate the wheel up a 50m (164ft) course and then stop and turn around to face the opposite direction. He then had to rotate the wheel and return along the same course, but after reaching the 45m (147ft 7¾in) mark, he had to stop and turn around and face the outward direction for a second time. He then had to rotate the wheel back up the course and cross the finish line. The team completing the 130m (459ft 3½in) overall course in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was another straightforward game which had been costumed perfectly. From the outset, Wiehl got the better start which they maintained throughout the game. After reaching the first turnaround point after 23 seconds of elapsed time (Rodenkirchen after 27 seconds), they began the return journey and reached the second after 51 seconds (Rodenkirchen after 59 seconds). Although there was some delay before they started their final run, they picked up momentum and completed the course in 1 minute 23 seconds. Contemporaneously, Rodenkirchen suffered a mishap and tumbled in the wheel but their competitor got back on his feet and completed the game in 1 minute 38 seconds.

Game 4 - The Blue Whales
(Die Blauen Walfisch)

The fourth game - ‘The Blue Whales’ (Die Blauen Walfisch) - was played in unison over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured a male competitor from each team and a very heavy giant stuffed blue whale. On the whistle, the competitor had to roll the whale down a short 25m (82ft) course, traversing a small hillock along the way. If a team encroached into the lane of their rival, they would automatically be disqualified. The team completing the course in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Although this appeared at first glance to be a challenging and strength-sapping game, it was executed with great ease and saw the teams neck and neck over the first half of the course. Wiehl were the first to reach the hillock after 45 seconds of elapsed time with Rodenkirchen just one second behind in 46 seconds. It was at this point that Rodenkirchen took the lead and traversed the hillock after 55 seconds whilst Wiehl appeared to be having some difficulty doing likewise. However, they eventually achieved their goal after 1 minute and 4 seconds, but by this time Rodenkirchen were at least 2m (6ft 6¾in) ahead and they maintained this lead and crossed the finish line in 1 minute 28 seconds followed by Wiehl in 1 minute 38 seconds.

Game 5 - The Egyptian Camel Train
(Die Ägyptischen Kamelzug)

The fifth game - ‘The Egyptian Camel Train’ (Die Ägyptischen Kamelzug) - was played individually over 3 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured six male competitors from each team dressed in three camel costumes joined together by ropes, transporting water up a 50m (164ft) course. On the whistle, three male team-mates had to fill six buckets of water and place two of them over the back of each of the three camels. The competitors then had to traverse the course, walking or running, and after crossing a given line, another three team-mates (one male and two females) had to remove the buckets and empty the contents into a large Perspex container marked with centimetre graduations. The team collecting the greater volume of water would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this straightforward game saw the participation of Rodenkirchen and they completed three runs with eighteen buckets, collecting a total of 21.2cm (8¼in) of water

The second heat featured Wiehl and they also completed three runs with eighteen buckets and collected a total of 22.8cm (9in) of water.

The Coaches' Game (Das Trainerspiel) - The Big Unknown
(Das große Unbekannte)

The next game - ‘The Big Unknown’ (Das Große Unbekannte) - was the team coaches’ game (Das Trainerspiel) and was played in unison over one minute duration. After the choice of container had been made, the door was opened and the equipment, description and rules of the game to be played were revealed. Each competitor was handed a large potato sack with 10 various-sized balls inside. Before the start of the game, the competitor had to step inside the sack and get his feet into a comfortable position and then hold the top of the sack tight around his waist. On the whistle, it was a simple sack race down a straight 10m (32ft 9¾in) course. All the balls had to remain in the sack at all times. The team crossing the line in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This very simple game was over within seconds of the whistle, with Rodenkirchen crossing the line after just 10 seconds with Wiehl doing likewise just half a second later.

Game 6 - Feeding Time for the Lions
(Fütterungszeit für die Löwen)

The sixth game - ‘Feeding Time for the Lions’ (Fütterungszeit für die Löwen) - was played in unison over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured two male competitors from each team dressed in a lion costume lying on the ground behind a metal shutter. On the whistle, the shutter would start to rise at a steady rate and, when able to do so, the competitors had to squeeze under the shutter to release themselves. They then had run a short distance to pick up one of 10 fillets of beef with their mouth and then had to return and place it inside the cage. They then had to repeat the game throughout. However, after 1 minute 15 seconds of elapsed time, the shutter would be put in reverse and start to lower at the same rate. The team then had to decide at which point to stop collecting the fillets of meat in order for there to be enough of a gap for them to get underneath the shutter and back into the cage. The team completing the game with the greater number of fillets would be declared the winners.

This was another well-costumed and thought out game and saw Rodenkirchen ‘releasing’ themselves from the cage first after 20 seconds of elapsed time and Wiehl doing likewise after 24 seconds. Rodenkirchen deposited 7 fillets of beef after 29, 36, 47, 56, 68, 80 and 91 seconds, respectively, before deciding it was time to return inside their cage whilst Wiehl did likewise after depositing 6 fillets after 38, 53, 62, 81, 92 and 12 seconds, respectively. With both teams in their cages after 1 minute 54 seconds, the game was halted prematurely.

Game 7 - The Troublesome Apes and the Apples
(Die Lästigen Affen und die Äpfel)

The seventh game - ‘The Troublesome Apes and the Apples’ (Die Lästigen Affen und die Äpfel) - was played in unison over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured a male competitor from each team dressed as an ape and an opposing female attired as a zookeeper. The male was located in a metallic tree structure with ten branches, each of which had five apples attached whilst the female was standing on the ground, 15m (49ft 2½in) in front of the game and equipped with a power hose. Set between the zookeeper and the tree there was a large holding crate. On the whistle, the power hose would be turned on and the competitor had to start to remove apples one at a time from the branches and then throw them into the crate below. The female had to aim the jet of water at him and thus hinder his progress and prevent the apples from being collected. The team collecting the greater number of apples in the crate would be declared the winners.

Although this was a straightforward game, it was enjoyable to watch especially when the ape costumes became drenched with water but was difficult to judge the accuracy of the competitors. At the end of permitted time the results showed that Rodenkirchen had collected 12 apples whilst Wiehl had collected just 4 apples.

Game 8 - The Baby Seals
(Die Robbenjunges)

The eighth game - ‘The Baby Seals’ (Die Robbenjunges) - was played in unison over two minutes duration and witnessed Wiehl presenting their Joker for play. The game featured two male competitors from each team with their ankles tethered together and dressed in baby seal costumes at the start of a straight 30m (98ft 5¼in) course. On the whistle, the first competitor had to crawl down the course on his stomach (replicating the movement of a seal) and cross a finish line. A signal would then be given by the referees and the second competitor then had to repeat the course. The team completing both runs in the faster overall time would be declared the winners.

This was a very simple and uneventful game which saw Rodenkirchen complete the first run in 23 seconds with Wiehl trailing by just one second. However, the second run would see the positional order reversed following a trail-blazing run by the second competitor from Wiehl. Despite going off-course at a 30° angle, he crossed the finish line in just 20 seconds, giving Wiehl an overall time of 44 seconds (24 + 20), whilst Rodenkirchen finished the run in 24 seconds, giving them a time of 47 seconds (23 + 24).

Game 9 - The Jumping Bears
(Die Springenden Bären)

The ninth and penultimate game - ‘The Jumping Bears’ (Die Springenden Bären) - was an elimination game that would end in some controversy and mystery over the scoring. It featured two male competitors from each team dressed in brown bear costumes and a bridge spanning a large pool. However, the bridge comprised two halves with a 1.3m (4ft 3in) gap between the two. On the whistle, the competitors had to jump across the gap to the other side. The gap would then be widened by a further 40cm (1ft 3in) and the game had to be repeated. The gap would then be widened by the same distance on the next run but after this, the gap would only widen by 20cm (7½in) after each run. For each successful crossing on the first run, the teams would score 1pt, on the second run they would score 2pts and so on. Any competitor that touched the water whilst attempting to cross would be eliminated at that point. The team with the greater overall total would be declared the winners.

This game was somewhat laborious to watch during the early stages, with all the competitors making successful crossings on each of their first eight runs. At this point, both teams had scored a total of 72pts (1 + 2 + 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 + 7 + 8 x 2) and, with the distance between the two halves of the bridge now at 3.3m (10ft 10in), the competitors were beginning to show signs of fatigue and that the gap was becoming a little difficult to the leap across. Despite this, all the competitors made it across on their next run (ninth) and were both standing on 90pts each (72 + 9 + 9).

The gap was now widened a further 20cm to 3.5m (11ft 6in) and Rodenkirchen, who had participated first throughout, began the tenth run. Unfortunately, although their first competitor jumped the gap, his trailing leg dangled into the water and therefore was eliminated. However, the second competitor cleared the gap and the two Wiehl competitors did likewise. The scores were now standing at Rodenkirchen 100pts (90 + 0 + 10) and Wiehl 110pts (90 + 10 + 10). The game now began to get interesting with the gap widened to 3.7m (12ft 3in) and it being a 2 versus 1 contest.

Although the sole Rodenkirchen competitor failed to make a clean jump and had to cling to the bridge by his hands, his feet were not deemed to have touched the water and he pulled himself up onto the bridge. Unfortunately, both of the competitors from Wiehl failed in their essays and were both eliminated. Rodenkirchen had boosted their score to 111pts (100 + 11) whilst the score for Wiehl remained at 110pts. It was clear by all that Rodenkirchen had been victorious by just 1pt and therefore their competitor began celebrating and jumped into the pool. He then exited the water and disrobed from the costume and the team repositioned itself and prepared for the final game.

However, the result was not forthcoming in a timely manner and the referees could be seen in deep conversation. After a wait of over three minutes, referee Werner Treichel surprised everybody by stating that Rodenkirchen would have to make one more jump to complete the game. The team could then be seen in the background assisting their competitor back into a new dry costume whilst the gap was widened to 3.9m (12ft 9½in). Unfortunately, the distance proved too great and the competitor dropped into the water. The team captain of Rodenkirchen could then be seen lodging a protest and pointing out the rules and scoring of the game to the referees and it appeared that his protests were upheld and the original ‘already known’ outcome of the game was confirmed. Rodenkirchen were declared the winners by 111-110!

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Rodenkirchen (2pts awarded / 12pts total) 2nd Wiehl (0pts / 10pts) ▼

Game 10 - The Australian Kangaroos
(Die Australischen Kängurus)

The tenth and final game - ‘The Australian Kangaroos’ (Die Australischen Kängurus) - was played in unison over three minutes duration and witnessed Rodenkirchen presenting their Joker for play. The game featured two male competitors from each team dressed in kangaroo costumes with their hands tied together with a cord hanging around their necks and a 25m (82ft) obstacle course, comprising a set of steps leading to a rectangular platform with an incline, two small hillocks and two lines of sixteen apples laid out on the ground and interspersed between them. On the whistle, the competitors had to run to the end of the course and then circumnavigate a ski pole. They then had to return down the course traversing the obstacles and en route pick the apples from their respective line and place them inside the pouch of the costume. Once achieved, they then had to circumnavigate a second ski pole and return to the far end of the course to cross the finish line. The team completing the game with all the required number of apples in the pouches would be declared the winners.

From the outset, Wiehl got the better start and, although both teams reached the first turnaround point together after 21 seconds of elapsed time, they had the slight edge on Rodenkirchen and they maintained the lead (albeit slight) from this point on. After circumnavigating the second pole after 1 minute 34 seconds, they had opened up an eleven-second gap on their rivals. Disaster almost struck when the second of their competitors permitted an apple to fall from the pouch after 1 minute 45 seconds and whilst stopping to pick it up, the lead competitor from Rodenkirchen used the opportunity to overtake him. With the lead competitor from Wiehl crossing the finish line after 1 minute 57 seconds, it was a frantic race to the line by the other three competitors. However, the second Wiehl competitor held his nerve and crossed the finish line in 2 minutes 2 seconds, the exact same time as the lead competitor of Rodenkirchen, with their second crossing the line in 2 minutes 6 seconds.

Running Scores and Positions: =1st Rodenkirchen (0pts awarded / Joker / 12pts total) =1st Wiehl (2pts / 12pts) ▲

Comments: The costumes utilised in this game had originally been used during the 1968 series of Spiel Ohne Grenzen and Jeux Sans Frontières when the programmes were staged at Troisdorf and Siegen, respectively. However, on those occasions, and with colour television still in its infancy, they could only be viewed in monochrome, but at this event they were seen in full glorious colour.

Tie-Break Game - Tug-o-War
(Tauziehen)

The tie-break game ‘Tug-o-War’ (Tauziehen) - was played over the best of three rounds and featured four male competitors from each team in a simple tug-o-war contest.

The first round was easily won by Rodenkirchen after the two lead competitors from Wiehl lost their footing. With the score at 1-0 for Rodenkirchen, the teams changed ends for parity. However, this did not assist Wiehl and they lost a second pull to Rodenkirchen in virtually the same manner. The final score was declared as a 2-0 victory to Rodenkirchen.

Final Scores and Positions: 1st Rodenkirchen (1pt awarded / 13pts total) 2nd Wiehl (0pts / 12pts) ▼

Presenters, Officials and Production Team

This programme would prove to be the last Spiel Ohne Grenzen Domestic heat in which the main referee was supported by two assistants. In Heat 6 of the 1972 series and subsequently, all three referees would alternate in declaring the results and the awarding of points.

Records and Statistics

Rodenkirchen became the third of only three teams in the Spiel Ohne Grenzen Domestic series to lose their Joker game but still win through to participate in Jeux Sans Frontières. The other two teams were Straubing during the 1967 series and Lauingen an der Donau in 1969.

Additional Information

This programme opened and closed to the strains of Ne Besuch im Zoo (A Visit to the Zoo), a popular children’s German sing-along song. The version played at this Spiel Ohne Grenzen event was a recording sung by Horst Muys (1925-1970), a famous singer well known for his appearances at Köln’s carnivals.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in German archives

D

Spiel Ohne Grenzen 1972

Heat 6

Event Staged: Saturday 13th May 1972
Venue: Stimbergstadion (Stimberg Stadium), Klein-Erkenschwick
Oer-Erkenschwick, Nordrhein-Westfalen, West Germany

Transmission:
WDR 1 (D): Saturday 13th May 1972, 2.30-3.45pm (Live)

Referees on Duty:
Hans Ebersberger, Helmut Konrad and Gerd Siepe

Weather Conditions:
Cold and Overcast with Light Rain

Theme: China: Land des Drachen (China: Land of the Dragon)

Teams: Bad Münstereifel v. Oer-Erkenschwick

Team Members included:
Bad Münstereifel - Horst Krumpholz (Team Manager), Apollo Zweifal (Team Coach), Volker Schwinn (Team Captain), Christoph Berter, Reinhard Krieger, Eduard Künte, Dieter Malberg, Arnold Schilling, Annamarie Schitzer;
Oer-Erkenschwick - Jürgen Langer (Team Coach), Manfred Kaufman.

Games: The Rickshaw Race, The Plate Spinners, The Chinese Vases, Tug-o-War in Mud, The Mahjong Tiles, The Big Unknown (Das Trainerspiel), The Conclusion, The Rice Mountain, The Crate Pyramid, The Giant Chopsticks, The Dragons.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd

 M • Bad Münstereifel ● ●
 OE • Oer-Erkenschwick

17
7

Bad Münstereifel qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Sheffield, Great Britain:
staged on Wednesday 2nd August 1972

The Host Town

Oer-Erkenschwick, Nordrhein-Westfalen

Oer-Erkenschwick is a town with a population of around 32,000 inhabitants in the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen. It is located in the industrialised Ruhr district, 19km (12 miles) north of Bockum, 38km (24 miles) west of Hamm, 44km (27 miles) east of Wesel and 74km (46 miles) south of Bentheim.

The town is divided into the districts of Honermann in the far west, Oer in the west, Klein Erkenschwick in the north of the centre, Groß-Erkenschwick in the south of the centre, Rapen in the east and the large but least-populated district of Haard in the north. The two parts of Erkenschwick together occupy a smaller area than the two adjacent outer districts of Oer and Rapen, but have more inhabitants than the two put together. Finally, the district of Honermann is used as the main agricultural area.

The earliest mention of the Rapen district in writing dates back to around 1140, whilst Oer is documented in a certificate of 1144, as having the only parish church in the town until the beginning of the coal-mining industry. On 1st April 1926, the municipality of Oer-Erkenschwick was newly-formed from parts of the communities of Datteln, Oer and Recklinghausen-Land. On 2nd March 1953, it received town rights, making it one of the most recently established cities in the Ruhr area.

From 1899 to 1997, it had an important coal industry. Parts of the former mining facilities of the Ewald coal mine can still be seen in the urban area. The large population growth at the beginning of the 20th century resulted from massive immigration through coal mining. After the local Ewald mine was shut down, the economic focus of the town turned to meat processing in 2005.

Today, years after the decline of the mining industry which determined its economic development, the town still suffers from high unemployment as a result. The predominant trade is still meat-processing with the town’s largest employer being meat and sausage factory Gustoland (now a subsidiary company of Westfleisch). Industry is no longer the defining factor as the majority of Oer-Erkenschwickers work outside the town. Oer-Erkenschwick can therefore rightly now be described as a residential and leisure town.

The Visiting Town

Bad Münstereifel is a town with a population of around 18,000 inhabitants in the state of Nordrhein-Westfalen and is located 125km (78 miles) south of Oer-Erkenschwick.

The Venue

Stimbergstadion

The games were played at the Stimbergstadion, an athletics and football stadium used by the football club SpVgg (Spielvereinigung) Erkenschwick and the TuS 09 Erkenschwick. It is located in centre of the town within the boundaries of Klein-Erkenschwick.

The first groundbreaking occurred in 1929 near the Ewald coal-mine. Most of the construction was done by unemployed workers. On 10th September 1934, after five years of construction, the inauguration took place by German sports official Hans von Tschammer und Osten (1887-1943). At the time, the stadium had a capacity of 25,000 spectators and it bore the name Hindenburg-Kampfbahn in honour of President Paul von Hindenburg (1847-1934). From 1943 to 1953, the team played first class football, initially in the Gauliga, and from 1946, in the Oberliga West.

The stadium was modernised and renamed during the 1970s by the DFB - Deutsches Fußball Bund (German Football Association) - when a covered grandstand was added to the stadium. However, the refurbishment, which was inaugurated in 1976 and included seating for 1,500 spectators and standing-room for 4,000, effectively reduced the total capacity to about 22,000. Due to new safety regulations and smaller conversions in February 2011, the permitted capacity decreased to an official 14,380 spectators (880 covered seats and 13,500 standing places). The Tartan Track® was renovated in 2012.

The attendance record at the Stimbergstadion stands at 22,000 spectators. It was achieved in 1950 with a Oberliga game against FC Schalke 04 and again in 1967 in the DFB-Pokal - The German Cup (equivalent to England’s FA Cup) - round of 16 against FC Bayern Munich.

The Games in Detail

Game 1 - The Rickshaw Race
(Die Ricksha-Fahrt)

The first game - ‘The Rickshaw Race’ (Die Ricksa-Fahrt) - was played in unison over two minutes duration and featured three competitors (two males and one female) from each team and a specially-constructed large rickshaw with an extended overhang at its rear and 5m (16ft 5in) long handles. Along the 50m (164ft) straight course, there were 10 balloons laid out on the ground. On the whistle, one of the males had to pull the rickshaw up the course whilst the other two competitors sat inside. The rickshaw then had to be lined up so that its wheels passed either side of the balloon and then it had to be tilted backwards so that the overhang lowered to the ground and burst the balloon. This process then had to be repeated until all 10 balloons had been burst. The rickshaw then had to be pulled a further 10m (32ft 9¾in) to circumnavigate a ski gate. It then had to be turned around and pulled back directly to the start line. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

It was clear from the outset of this straightforward game that there would be only one winner. This was confirmed after Oer-Erkenschwick failed to burst the second balloon after overrunning their target. This mishap permitted Bad Münstereifel to storm further ahead and by the time they had burst the balloon, their rivals were already bursting their fifth. Bad Münstereifel reached the turnaround point after 1 minute 9 seconds of elapsed time and raced back to the start whilst Oer-Erkenschwick were still attempting to burst their final balloon. Bad Münstereifel completed the game in 1 minute 38 seconds with Oer-Erkenschwick doing likewise in 2 minutes 3 seconds.

Game 2 - The Plate Spinners
(Die Plattenspinner)

The second game - ‘The Plate Spinners’ (Die Plattenspinnen) - was played in unison over 3 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured a male competitor from each team, equipped with a large bamboo cane, and a 20m (65ft 7½in) course comprising six small hurdles. On the whistle, the competitor had to pick up one of ten plates from a podium adjacent to the game and place it onto the end of the cane and then rotate it. He then had to keep the plate spinning by vibrating the cane whilst moving along the course and traversing the hurdles. At the end of the course there was a large bowl into which he had to drop the plate. Once accomplished, he then had to run back to the start and repeat the game throughout. If any plate dropped to the ground whilst moving along the course, the competitor would have to retrieve it and recommence the run from the previous hurdle. The team collecting the greater number of plates would be declared the winners.

Although the first run of the game was neck and neck, Oer-Erkenschwick permitted their plate to stop spinning after passing the sixth hurdle and it fell to the ground. Whilst their competitor retrieved the plate and restarted his run from in front of the final hurdle, Bad Münstereifel took the lead after 12 seconds of elapsed time with Oer-Erkenschwick doing likewise after 21 seconds. Further successes for Bad Münstereifel occurred after 39 seconds, 1 minute 21 seconds, 2 minutes 5 seconds, 2 minutes 40 seconds and 3 minutes 20 seconds, respectively, and Oer-Erkenschwick after 42 seconds, 1 minute 23 seconds, 2 minutes 3 seconds and 3 minutes 18 seconds, respectively. Bad Münstereifel were declared the winners by 6-5.

Game 3 - The Chinese Vases
(Die Chinesischen Vasen)

The third game - ‘The Chinese Vases’ (Die Chinesischen Vasen) - was played individually over two minutes duration and featured two male competitors from each team, joined around the waist by a short rope, and two vertical rows of 15 Chinese vases of varying size. On the whistle, the team had to coordinate their speed and leapfrog over the vases and then repeat the course in the reverse direction. All leaps had to be clean and any vase that was knocked down had to be repositioned and attempted for a second time before continuing. The team completing the two runs in the faster time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this straightforward game saw the participation of Oer-Erkenschwick and they completed the outward journey without mishap in 21 seconds. On the return journey, they suffered one single mishap at the eighth vase but they recomposed themselves and completed the game in 1 minute 5 seconds.

The second heat featured Bad Münstereifel and they did not fare as well as Oer-Erkenschwick and knocked down the ninth vase on the outward journey. After recomposing themselves, they completed the journey in 32 seconds. The return journey was not good for them either as they also suffered a mishap at the eighth vase. With the clock now against them, they restarted their journey but suffered a second mishap after jumping the tenth vase and saw it topple to ground after the dismount. At this point, the game was already out of their reach, with elapsed time having passed their target. After restarting their journey for a second time, they eventually completed the game in 1 minute 19 seconds.

Game 4 - Tug-o-War in Mud
(Tauziehen im Schlamm)

The fourth game - ‘Tug-o-War in Mud’ (Tauziehen im Schlamm) - was played in unison over three rounds and witnessed Oer-Erkenschwick presenting their Joker for play. The game featured four male competitors from each team standing in two long cordoned-off passages which faced each other and were filled with mud, with a long rope running the length of the two. At the front end of each passage, there were two columns with large needles protruding downwards and away from the competitors and between the two sets of columns attached to the middle of the rope, there was a very large inflated balloon. On the whistle, the teams had to compete in a tug-o-war contest and pull the balloon towards their columns to burst the balloon. The team winning the greater number of rounds would be declared the winners.

The first round of this basic game saw a real battle taking place but ended with Bad Münstereifel victorious after 59 seconds.

The second and scheduled penultimate round was not as exciting and was almost over before it had begun with Bad Münstereifel victorious after just 4 seconds. With two victories already under their belt, there was no necessity to contest the third and final heat and Bad Münstereifel were declared the winners by 2-0.

Game 5 - The Mahjong Tiles
(Die Mah-Jongg Fliesen)

The fifth game - ‘The Mahjong Tiles’ (Die Mah-Jongg Fliesen) - was played in unison over four minutes duration and witnessed Bad Münstereifel presenting their Joker for play. The game featured four competitors (two males and two females) from each team and a pile of 220 ‘westernised’ Mahjong tiles. Each tile had two different numbers (between 1 and 9) printed at each end. On the whistle, the team had to lay the tiles end to end on the ground and ensure that the number at the end of one tile matched with a similar number on the next (similar to the game of dominos). The team with the greater number of matched tiles would be declared the winners.

This was a very simple and straightforward game and it was apparent from the outset that Bad Münstereifel had chosen wisely for their Joker game. At the end of the game, Bad Münstereifel was declared as having laid 49 tiles correctly and Oer-Erkenschwick had laid 38.

The Coaches' Game (Das Trainerspiel) - The Big Unknown
(Das große Unbekannte)

The next game - ‘The Big Unknown’ (Das Große Unbekannte) - was the team coaches’ game (Das Trainerspiel) and was played in unison over three minutes duration. After the choice of container had been made, the door was opened and the equipment, description and rules of the game to be played were revealed. Each competitor was handed a set of overalls, a small paint brush and a large container of paint, whilst a large pennant imprinted with Chinese characters was laid out on the ground in front of them. On the whistle, the competitor had to use the brush to completely cover his pennant with paint so that no white spaces could be seen. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Although this was a straightforward and uneventful game, it would succumb to the effects of the severe wet weather conditions experienced at the venue earlier in the day. After 2 minutes 54 seconds of elapsed time, the game was stopped and it appeared that Oer-Erkenschwick would be declared the winners. However, referee Hans Ebersberger stated that due to the rain earlier, the pennants had become soaked and the paint had diluted to such a degree that it was not sticking as planned. With the agreement of both team coaches they had therefore decided to declare the game a draw.

Game 6 - The Conclusion
(Die Folger Halt)

The sixth game - ‘The Conclusion’ (Die Folger Halt) - was played in unison over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured nine male competitors from each team, standing on large square podia of diminishing height, and fourteen large vases. On the whistle, the first competitor, standing on the highest podium, had to pass a vase to the second competitor, standing on the second-highest podium, who in turn had to pass it to the third and so on. After the vase reached the ninth competitor, standing on the lowest podium, he had to place it on the ground adjacent to the game. Contemporaneously, the second vase had to be passed down the line followed by the third and subsequent vases. Any vase that was not passed cleanly and touched the ground had to be returned to the start of the game before the team could continue. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

From the outset Bad Münstereifel got the better start and they had placed their first vase on the ground after just 12 seconds of elapsed time. At the same exact moment, Oer-Erkenschwick, having only passed their vase halfway down the line, permitted it to tumble to the ground and their competitor had to return it to the start and then run back to his podium before they could continue with the game. This delay saw Bad Münstereifel build on their lead and they had placed four vases before Oer-Erkenschwick had placed their first. With Bad Münstereifel in full flow and suffering no mishap throughout, they passed all fourteen vases and completed the game in 1 minute 20 seconds whilst their rivals were just in the process of placing their tenth.

Game 7 - The Rice Mountain
(Die Reisberg)

The seventh game - ‘The Rice Mountain’ (Die Reisberg) - was played in unison over four minutes duration and featured two male competitors from each team and a very large bowl filled with hundreds of pieces of foam-rubber ‘rice’ of varying shape and size and fifty 4cm (1½in) pearls that had been hidden within. On the whistle, the two competitors had to climb into the bowl and search for the pearls and place them in a bowl on a podium located outside the bowl. The team collecting the greater number of pearls would be declared the winners.

This was one of those games where it was just a matter of waiting until the teams found a pearl. The first was located by Bad Münstereifel after 58 seconds of elapsed time with further finds after 1 minute 21 seconds and 1 minute 24 seconds. With the score standing at 3-0, Oer-Erkenschwick lessened the deficit after locating their first pearl after 2 minutes 28 seconds. However not to be outdone, Bad Münstereifel located their fourth pearl after 3 minutes 22 seconds and their fifth after 3 minutes 28 seconds and brought the scores to 5-1. As the final seconds of the game approached, it appeared that no further pearls would be found, but Oer-Erkenschwick located their second pearl after 3 minutes 59 seconds. Bad Münstereifel were declared the winners by 5-2.

Game 8 - The Crate Pyramid
(Die Kiste Pyramide)

The eighth game - ‘The Crate Pyramid’ (Die Kiste Pyramide) - was played in unison over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured four male competitors from each team and the ten large square podia of varying height (nine of which had been utilised in the sixth game) stacked inside each other, in a manner akin to the famous Russian dolls. On the whistle, the team had to remove the largest of the podia and place it on the ground and then remove the second-largest and, after rotating it 90°, place it on top of the largest. This then had to be repeated with the remaining eight podia so that a pyramid was constructed. The team then had to climb to the top of the pyramid utilising the protruding corners of each podium and place a flag into a hole in the centre of the smallest. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a straightforward game which saw Oer-Erkenschwick get the better start, but by the time the teams had stacked their ninth crate, they were both neck and neck. This continued with both teams placing their final crates on top of their respective pyramids at the exact same time. The game now hinged on which of the two teams could better hold their nerve and be the first to place the flag in the hole. Oer-Erkenschwick completed the game in 1 minute 24 seconds, with Bad Münstereifel finishing in 1 minute 25 seconds.

Game 9 - The Giant Chopsticks
(Die Riesigen Stäbchen)

The ninth and penultimate game - ‘The Giant Chopsticks’ (Die Riesigen Stäbchen) - was played individually over three minutes duration and featured a male competitor from each team, kneeling down on a podium, and equipped with a 5m (16ft 5in) long pair of bamboo canes and a large plate of ‘Chinese delicacies’ comprising mushrooms and seaweed. On the whistle, the competitor had to use the canes as chopsticks to pick up the items on the plate. He then had to turn 180° and drop them into a similar-sized plate being held by a female team-mate. Any items that dropped out of the plate or onto the ground could be picked up with the chopsticks without penalty. The team collecting the greater number of items within the permitted time would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this simple game saw the participation of Oer-Erkenschwick and they made six successful drops after 9 seconds, 19 seconds, 34 seconds, 47 seconds, 1 minute 32 seconds and 1 minute 59 seconds, respectively.

The second heat featured Bad Münstereifel and it appeared that their competitor had perfected the game during rehearsals earlier in the day as he made eight successful drops after 9 seconds, 25 seconds, 37 seconds, 52 seconds, 1 minute 6 seconds, 1 minute 17 seconds, 1 minute 38 seconds and 2 minutes 29 seconds, respectively.

Running Scores and Positions: 1st Bad Münstereifel (2pts awarded / 17pts total) 2nd Oer-Erkenschwick (0pts / 5pts)

Game 10 - The Dragons
(Die Drachen)

The tenth and final game - ‘The Dragons’ (Die Drachen) - was played in unison over two rounds and featured five male competitors from each team inside the head of a 15m (49ft 2½in) long dragon constructed on wheels and weighing around 900kg (1,984lb 2oz or 141st 10lb 2oz) in total. It was played on two similar-shaped courses which traversed the outer edges of the football pitch - the outer course measuring 334m (1,095ft 10in) and the inner measuring 310m (1,017ft). On the whistle, the team had to raise the head and pull the dragon forward and follow a straight line marked out on the grass. After about 25m (82ft), the team had to turn left and circumnavigate a ‘roundabout’ which would ultimately bring them back to the straight line and then they had to continue forward and circumnavigate a second after a further 25m. Once back on the straight line, the team then had to continue along the western edge of the pitch to the far end and then turn left and traverse the whole southern width. The final stage of the game required the team to turn left again and traverse the eastern length of the pitch and then cross a finish line. The team completing the two courses in the faster aggregate time would be declared the winners.

The first round saw Oer-Erkenschwick participating in the inner lane and shorter course and Bad Münstereifel in the outer lane and longer course. With no mishap suffered by either team, Oer-Erkenschwick had completed the course in 1 minute 33 seconds and Bad Münstereifel in 2 minutes 17 seconds.

For parity, the teams swapped lanes for the second round and featured Bad Münstereifel in the inner lane and Oer-Erkenschwick in the outer lane. It was again executed without mishap by both teams and saw Bad Münstereifel complete the course in 1 minute 50 seconds and Oer-Erkenschwick complete the course in 2 minutes 8 seconds. The aggregated times revealed that Oer-Erkenschwick had a total of 3 minutes 41 seconds and Bad Münstereifel a total of 4 minutes 7 seconds.

Final Scores and Positions: 1st Bad Münstereifel (0pts awarded / 17pts total) 2nd Oer-Erkenschwick (2pts / 7pts)

Comments: This was another classic costumed game from designer Willi Steinberg. Unfortunately, with the overall result already decided before the game commenced, it failed to live up to its potential as an exciting ‘deciding’ game.

Presenters, Officials and Production Team

This programme was the first to see all three referees officiating in the main role. Since its inception in 1967, the Domestic series of Spiel Ohne Grenzen would have three officials on-site - one in the main role of referee and the other two as assistants. In this programme, all three referees alternated in declaring the result and the awarding of the points. This format would continue for the remainder of this series.

Additional Information

This programme exists incomplete in German archives with the opening 2 minutes 30 seconds of titles and picture postcards missing. The surviving footage opens exactly as the teams enter the arena.

Made in Colour • This programme exists in German archives

D

Spiel Ohne Grenzen 1972

Heat 7

Event Staged: Saturday 20th May 1972
Venue: Freibad (Open-Air Swimming Pool), Ahrensburg,
Schleswig-Holstein, West Germany

Transmission:
WDR 1 (D): Saturday 20th May 1972, 2.30-3.45pm (Live)

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

Weather Conditions:
Warm and Sunny

Theme: Der Zirkus auf dem Wasser (The Circus on the Water)

Teams: Ahrensburg v. Nordhorn

Team Members included:
Ahrensburg - Rolf Stanisław (Team Coach), Dieter Tringel (Team Captain), Michael Anfeld, Heide Becker, Peter Breit, Ozil Dietrich, Kirsten Diets, Hans-Weiter Fischer, Hans Heinrich, Erika Köln, Mathias Mitterbei, Ulrich Schadt, Peter Springer, Peter Teppe, Lottar Winst, Harald Zelig, Peter Zollbricht;
Nordhorn - Karlheinz Müller (Team Coach), Georg Hornbrin, Reinhard Meindes, Dietmar Schultz, Hans Weitermunck.

Games: The Trapeze Artiste, The Ape Family, The Cubes, The Yarn Bobbins, The Hanging Bridge, The Big Unknown (Das Trainerspiel), The Water Paddle Wheels, The Dolphins, The Island of Islands, The High Tower, The Acrobatic Clowns.

Game Results and Standings

Result

 Team

Points

Final Scoreboard

1st
2nd

 A • Ahrensburg ● ●
 N • Nordhorn

13
11

Ahrensburg qualified for Jeux Sans Frontières at Delft, Netherlands:
staged on Wednesday 16th August 1972

The Host Town

Ahrensburg, Schleswig-Holstein

Ahrensburg is a town with a population of around 33,000 inhabitants in the state of Schleswig-Holstein. It is located 21km (13 miles) north-east of Hamburg city centre, 72km (45 miles) south of Kiel, 77km (48 miles) west of Schwerin and 109km (68 miles) east of Bremerhaven.

The town dates back to the 13th century, when the Counts of Schauenburg founded the village of Woldenhorn (which later became the town of Ahrensburg) and the neighbouring villages of Ahrensfelde, Meilsdorf and Beimoor. The first mention in writing of Woldenhorn dates back to the year 1314. The village came into the possession of the Cistercian Reinfeld Abbey in 1327, and Woldenhorn became the seat of the monastery reeve until the middle of the 16th century. The Arnesvelde castle was built around the year 1200 and ruins of the castle are still visible in the Hagen forest to the south of the town. The town’s coat of arms shows the castle in the upper field. There are records of reeves based in the castle in 1295 and 1304. In 1326, Count John III of Schauenburg (1297-1359) had his reeve relocated to Trittau and abandoned the castle.

After the dissolution of the monasteries due to the Reformation, the whole area came into the possession of the king of Denmark. In 1567, he rewarded his general Daniel Rantzau (1529-1569) with lordship over these villages. His brother and heir Peter Rantzau built the Renaissance Schloß Ahrensburg complete with moat around 1595 and it now stands as the symbol of the city.

The Rantzaus' estate was heavily indebted by the middle of the 18th century and, in 1759, was acquired by the businessman Heinrich Carl von Schimmelmann (1724-1782). Schimmelmann remodelled the castle and village in the baroque style and the current layout of the town reflects these plans.

On 7th June 1867, the estate village Woldenhorn became an independent Prussian country community and renamed itself Ahrensburg after a decision by the community council. Following the construction of the railway between Hamburg and Lübeck in 1865, Ahrensburg became a popular destination for outings outside Hamburg and the number of inhabitants increased. By 1910, the population had reached 2,750.

When Ahrensburg received town rights in 1949, the town had some 17,775 inhabitants - around half of which were refugees from the former eastern German regions.

One interesting point is that Erica Keck (1900-1990), who was elected mayor of Ahrensburg in 1950, was the first female to be elected mayor in Germany (West or East).

The Visiting Town

Nordhorn is a town with a population of around 54,000 inhabitants in the state of Niedersachsen and is located 254km (158 miles) south-west of Ahrensburg.

The Venue

Freibad

The games were played at the original open-air swimming pool located to the north of the town but unfortunately, not a great deal of material is available for research on the complex.

However, what is known is that in the past two decades it has undergone major renovation and received major investment.

It is now called the Badlantic Ahrensburg, offering both indoor and outdoor pools, water slides, water fountains and recreational areas for families to relax and enjoy.

The Games in Detail

Game 1 - The Trapeze Artiste
(Die Trapezkünstler)

The first game - ‘The Trapeze Artiste’ (Die Trapezkünstler) - was played individually over two minutes duration and featured a male competitor from each team holding a trapeze bar above his head and standing on a high podium located on the poolside. In the pool, there was a triangular podium with a hole cut out of the hypotenuse which protruded out of the water. On the whistle, a male team-mate had to place a football between his feet and then he had swing out towards the pool and release it into the hole to score a goal. He then had to repeat the game throughout. Any ball that entered the hole and subsequently bounced out would not be counted. The team scoring the greater number of goals would be declared the winners.

The first heat of this straightforward game saw the participation of Nordhorn and they made 14 swings and scored a total of 2 goals on the 3rd and 12th swings, respectively.

The second heat featured Ahrensburg and they made a total of 19 swings and scored 3 goals on the 2nd, 12th and 15th swings, respectively. However, the second goal was not counted as it bounced out of the hole and they were also declared as having scored a total of 2 goals.

Game 2 - The Ape Family
(Die Familie der Affen)

The second game - ‘The Ape Family’ (Die Familie der Affen) - was played in unison over one minute duration and featured two competitors (one male and one female) from each team dressed in ape costumes and equipped with a small bicycle. Spanning the width of the pool, there was a 25m (82ft) long floating bridge comprising 10 wooden boards connected to eleven floating podia. On the whistle, the male competitor (the father ape) had to cycle from the poolside across the bridge to reach the other side. Once accomplished, a signal would be given and then the female (dressed as the mother ape) had to run across the bridge whilst carrying a stuffed toy baby ape. The team completing the course in the faster time would be declared the winners.

Following a false start, the game appeared that it would be a one-sided contest after Nordhorn stormed across the bridge whilst Ahrensburg cycled at a more liberal speed. However, disaster struck Nordhorn whilst crossing between the ninth and tenth podia and their 'father ape' tumbled into the pool. Whilst their competitor recomposed himself, Ahrensburg closed the deficit and completed the crossing in 12 seconds. The female was given the signal to start and she crossed without mishap and completed the game in 23 seconds. Contemporaneously, the Nordhorn female began her crossing but just before reaching the final podium, she missed her footing and tumbled into the pool after 34 seconds of elapsed time. With the outcome already decided, the referees ended the game.

Game 3 - The Cubes
(Die Würfel)

The third game - ‘The Cubes’ (Die Würfel) - was played in unison over 2 minutes 30 seconds duration and featured a male competitor from each team, standing on a stable podium in the pool, and a pile of 20 polystyrene cubes. On the whistle, a team-mate on the poolside had to toss a cube to him and he had to place it on the podium. A second cube then had to be passed in the same manner and then placed on the podium adjacent to the first. The competitor then had to stand on top of the row of two cubes and the process repeated throughout with each additional two cubes being stacked in rows on top of each other. Only cubes that were caught cleanly could be used to build the rows. The team standing on top of the highest number of cubes would be declared the winners.

This was a somewhat straightforward and uneventful game with neither team suffering any mishap. At the end of permitted time, Nordhorn finished the game standing aloft 10 cubes (five rows) and Ahrensburg standing aloft 8 cubes (four rows).

Game 4 - The Yarn Bobbins
(Die Garnrollen)

The fourth game - ‘The Yarn Bobbins’ (Die Garnrollen) - was played in unison over three minutes duration and featured three male competitors from each team standing inside a giant bobbin on a floating podium in the pool. One end of a rope was attached to the far end of the 50m (164ft) course whilst the other had been threaded through a large needle (attached to the front of the podium) and around the bobbin. On the whistle, the team had to turn the bobbin in order to wind the rope in and pull the podium up the pool. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a straightforward but closely run game which saw Ahrensburg leading throughout. However, as the teams were 2m (6ft 6¾in) from the finish line, Nordhorn picked up momentum and closed the deficit and actually overtook Ahrensburg. With less than 1m (3ft 3¼in) left between them and the finishing line, the Nordhorn competitors lost their footing and tumbled into the pool and thus permitted Ahrensburg to win the game in 1 minute 59 seconds.

Game 5 - The Hanging Bridge
(Die Hängende Brücke)

The fifth game - ‘The Hanging Bridge’ (Die Hängende Brücke) - was played individually over three rounds of 1 minute 30 seconds duration and witnessed Nordhorn presenting their Joker for play. The game featured three male competitors from each team and a flexible 21m (68ft 11in) long wire bridge stretched out above the length of the pool. The bridge was marked out in 1m (3ft 3¼in) sections and was attached to a rope halfway along its length. At the end of the bridge there was a wire ladder leading down to a floating podium. On the whistle, the competitor had to hold on to two parallel ropes above and make his way across the bridge and down onto the podium. Contemporaneously, one of the opposing competitors, standing on the poolside, had pull on the rope attached to the bridge and cause it to rock from side to side. In order for parity to prevail and to restrict his movement, the opposition had to keep one foot on a small podium at all times. A bonus distance of 5m (16ft 5in) would be added to a team’s score if they traversed the complete length and made it safely onto the podium. The team with the greater aggregate distance (maximum attainable = 78m [3 x 21m + 3 x 5m bonuses]) covered would be declared the winners.

The first team to participate in this potential nine-minute long game was Nordhorn and although all three of their competitors remained on the ladder throughout each of their essays, the total length covered was 30m (12m + 9m + 9m) in 4 minutes 30 seconds.

The second team to participate was Ahrensburg but theirs was a completely different story to that of their rivals. The opposition pullers appeared to have perfected a style in order to create the maximum disruption to their travel and this resulted in none of the three competitors being able to remain on the bridge throughout their runs. The first competitor had only traversed 3m after 1 minute 6 seconds of elapsed time before he tumbled into the pool below. The second competitor also traversed 3m but after 1 minute 20 seconds (despite the on-screen clock stopping after just 18 seconds) and the third traversed 7m after 1 minute 14 seconds (the on-screen clock displaying 1 minute 9 seconds - having been started 5 seconds after the game had begun). Ahrensburg were declared as having covered a total length of 13m (3m + 3m + 7m) in 3 minutes 40 seconds.

The Coaches' Game (Das Trainerspiel) - The Big Unknown
(Das große Unbekannte)

The next game - ‘The Big Unknown’ (Das Große Unbekannte) - was the team coaches’ game (Das Trainerspiel) and was played in unison over one minute duration on one of the grassed areas of the complex. After the choice of container had been made, the door was opened and the equipment, description and rules of the game to be played were revealed. Each competitor was handed a large net (in the style of those used on trawlers) which they had to climb into and then the open end was sealed with a rope. On the whistle, the competitor had to simply traverse a 10m (32ft 9¾in) long course by using a forward roll movement. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a very simple and quickly executed game with Ahrensburg crossing the line in just 16 seconds and Nordhorn in 17 seconds.

Game 6 - The Water Paddle Wheels
(Die Wasserschaulfel Räder)

The sixth game - ‘The Water Paddle Wheels’ (Die Wasserschaulfel Räder) - was played in unison over three minutes duration and featured four female competitors from each team and a large cylindrical paddle wheel located at one side of the pool. On the whistle, the first two competitors, already standing inside the wheel, had to rotate and steer it along the 25m (82ft) course to the other side of the pool where they would then be joined by the other two competitors. The foursome then had to repeat the journey in reverse and then ensure that one of the paddle blades was resting on the edge of the pool to finish the game. The team completing the two runs in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was another straightforward game which saw Ahrensburg take the lead from the outset and reach the turnaround point after 55 seconds of elapsed time with Nordhorn doing likewise after 59 seconds. However, the return journey was not so successful for Ahrensburg and saw them steering the wheel off course and heading towards the side of the pool. This unplanned deviation permitted Nordhorn to close the deficit and, whilst maintaining a straighter course, they overtook Ahrensburg and completed the game in 2 minutes 5 seconds.

Game 7 - The Dolphins
(Die Delfin)

The seventh game - ‘The Dolphins’ (Die Delfin) - was played in unison over two minutes duration and witnessed Ahrensburg presenting their Joker for play.

The game featured a male competitor from each team wearing a large dolphin head with a big spike protruding from its nose and above the small course was a series of 10 balloons (one of one colour and nine of another). On the whistle, the competitor had to move along the course and, in strict order, burst each of the second to tenth balloons by raising the nose of the dolphin from the water. Once accomplished, he then had to turn around and return to the start of the course and, after bursting the final (or first) balloon, swim to the edge of the pool to complete the game. The team bursting all the balloons in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a very simple game which saw Ahrensburg leading throughout and completing the outward journey and bursting their nine red balloons after 33 seconds of elapsed time. After returning to the beginning of the course, they burst the final balloon (blue in colour) and touched the edge of the pool and completed the game in 1 minute 5 seconds. Contemporaneously, Nordhorn had suffered a mishap after failing to burst the fifth of their nine yellow balloons and lost time whilst returning to retry. However, despite this delay and the fact that the result had already been determined, this did not deter them from continuing. Out of camera shot, Nordhorn burst their tenth balloon (green in colour) and finished the game in exactly two minutes.

Game 8 - The Island of Islands
(Die Insel der Inseln)

The eighth game - ‘The Island of Islands’ (Die Insel der Inseln) - was played in unison over five minutes duration and featured three male competitors from each team and eight round polystyrene islands on their edges floating in a row next to each other at the pool’s edge. On the whistle, whilst one of the competitors climbed on top of the eight islands, the other two competitors in the water had to put pressure on each end of the row and ensure that they stayed together whilst they moved across the 25m (82ft) course to the other side. Once accomplished, they then had to repeat the course in the reverse direction. If the team lost their grip on the islands and the competitor on top tumbled into the water, they had to return to the start of the game and restart from the beginning. The team completing the two runs in the faster time would be declared the winners.

At first glance, it appeared that this would be a simple and straightforward game to complete, but with it having such a long duration, there had to be an obvious reason for this. This soon became apparent after the teams reached the middle of the pool and the depth of the water began to lower. This had the effect of reducing the competitors' grip and pressure on the islands and disaster began to strike both teams as the individual islands began to separate. The first to succumb to this were Nordhorn after 42 seconds of elapsed time and whilst they made their way back to the start, Ahrensburg slowly moved towards the other side. However, disaster was also to strike them before doing so and their competitor tumbled into the pool after 1 minute 2 seconds and they also had to return to the restart. Nordhorn recomposed themselves and restarted the game after 1 minute 38 seconds with Ahrensburg doing likewise after 2 minutes 16 seconds. Another disaster for Nordhorn after 2 minutes 20 seconds saw them having to return to the start for a second time and whilst they were doing so, Ahrensburg had been able to reach the other side of the pool without mishap after 3 minutes 28 seconds. Back at the start point in the pool, Nordhorn set off for their third attempt after 3 minutes 45 seconds but another fall into the pool after 4 minutes 19 seconds would prove to be their swansong. Following a 1 minute and 10 seconds delay whilst they steadied themselves, Ahrensburg started their return journey after 4 minutes 38 seconds and, although time was now against them, they battled on only to be met with disaster once more after 4 minutes 53 seconds. With both teams now in the water, the clock ticked on to five minutes and the whistle was blown.

Game 9 - The High Tower
(Die Hohe Turm)

The ninth and penultimate game - ‘The High Tower’ (Die Hohe Turm) - was played individually over two heats of four runs and featured four male competitors from each team standing at the top of a high scaffold. Descending from the tower was a zip wire and in the pool below there were four individual islands. On the whistle, the first competitor had to descend the wire and drop onto one of the islands and then the second had to do likewise onto one of the remaining three islands. The third competitor then had to drop onto one of the two empty islands, with the fourth and final competitor having to drop onto the remaining island. Competitors had to drop onto the island with their feet for the run to be counted. The team with the greater number of competitors on islands would be declared the winners.

The first run saw the participation of Nordhorn and they played a perfect game with all competitors landing on individual islands.

The second run featured Ahrensburg and although their first competitor dropped to the island with his feet first, he failed to keep hold and slipped into the water and his run was declared as void. With the game already decided in theory, the referees permitted the game to continue to its conclusion. The second competitor failed to land on his feet and, although he held on and climbed onto the island, his run was also declared as void. Following these two errors, the third and fourth competitors were able to maintain their composure and landed safely onto the islands and the game was declared as a 4-2 win for Nordhorn.

Running Scores and Positions: =1st Ahrensburg (0pts awarded / 11pts total) =1st Nordhorn (2pts / 11pts) ▲

Game 10 - The Acrobatic Clowns
(Die Acrobatischen Clowns)

The tenth and final game - ‘The Acrobatic Clowns’ (Die Acrobatischen Clowns) - was played in unison and featured two male competitors from each team, dressed as clowns, and a pontoon bridge spanning the width of the pool. On the whistle, whilst one of the competitors lay down on the ground, the other had to climb over him so that each was able to grab hold of the other’s ankles. They then had to traverse the bridge with a forward roll movement and then return back to the start in the same manner. The team completing the game in the faster time would be declared the winners.

This was a very straightforward and simple game which saw Ahrensburg lead from the outset and complete the outward journey in just 21 seconds with Nordhorn doing likewise in 26 seconds. With both teams having flawless return journeys, Ahrensburg completed the game in 51 seconds with Nordhorn finishing in 1 minute 6 seconds.

Final Scores and Positions: 1st Ahrensburg (2pts awarded / 13pts total) 2nd Nordhorn (0pts / 11pts) ▼

Made in Colour • This programme exists in German archives