S.C. Blücher Stettin sports club cup

Athletes from Szczecin in the early decades of the 20th century achieved many successes in various sports disciplines, both nationally and across Europe. People used to say that Pomeranians had healthy lungs and thus good fitness, as the region was not heavily industrialised. This was confirmed by the achievements of Dr Otto Peltzer (1900–1970), who in 1926 set the world record for the 800-metre race in London. In addition to athletics, football became very popular at that time. The first sports and football clubs in Szczecin were established at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries: TSV 1894 Stettin (1894–1945), SC Preußen Stettin (1901–1937), and Stettiner FC Titania (1902–1930). Among the oldest sports associations was also S.C. Blücher 04 Stettin, founded in 1904 as Fussball Club 04 Stettin, initially a football-only club. Later, the club expanded its activities to include athletics and boxing sections. At its peak, the club had 155 members, mainly secondary school graduates from Szczecin’s gymnasiums. From its inception, Blücher footballers competed in the first league, and in 1910 they won the Pomeranian League Championship. These competitions, organised by the Szczecin-based Verband Pommerscher Ballspiel-Vereine (VPBV), were part of the national German competitions under the Verband Berliner Ballspielvereine, where VPBV oversaw the matches of the Szczecin Local Group. The presented cup is the trophy won in 1910. On its chalice, adorned with Art Nouveau ornaments, an engraving commemorates one of S.C. Blücher’s greatest achievements. It is displayed among other Szczecin sports awards at the permanent exhibition of the National Museum in Szczecin: Hans Stettiner – Jan Szczeciński. Everyday Life in Szczecin in the 20th Century, housed in the Museum of the History of Szczecin. Małgorzata Peszko