Gauliga Elsaß


The Gauliga Elsaß was the highest football league in the region of Alsace from 1940 to 1945. The Nazis reorganised the administrative region and the Alsace became part of the Gau Baden-Elsaß.

Overview

The league was introduced by the Nazi Sports Office in 1940, after the French defeat and the German annexation of the Alsace region. The Alsace region was traditionally disputed between the two countries and had been part of the German Empire from 1871 to 1918, with its football clubs playing in the German league system then.
The Gauliga Elsaß was established with sixteen clubs in two groups of eight, all from the Alsace region. The two group winners then played a home-and-away final to determine the Alsace champion and the team entering the German championship.
The league was reduced to one single group of twelve teams in the 1941–42 season with the bottom four teams relegated. The season after, it operated with ten clubs and two relegated teams. This modus remained in place for the 1943–44 season.
In late 1944, the Alsace region became part of the frontline and it was doubtful whether the 1944–45 season was even able to get underway. The league was scheduled to have two groups, a northern one with five and a southern one with six clubs.
After the region had been completely liberated by allied forces, Strasbourg being retaken on 22 November 1944, the Alsace and its football clubs returned to France with the top club, the RC Strasbourg, reentering the French first division in 1945.

Founding members of the league

The sixteen founding members in 1940 were split into two groups. All clubs came from the French league system and are still active as of 2008, unless stated otherwise:
The winners and runners-up of the league:
SeasonWinnerRunner-Up
1940–41FC Mülhausen 93Rasen SC Straßburg
1941–42SG SS StraßburgRasen SC Straßburg
1942–43FC Mülhausen 93Rasen SC Straßburg
1943–44FC Mülhausen 93SG SS Straßburg

Placings in the league 1940-44

The complete list of clubs competing in the league:
Club1941194219431944
FC Mühlhausen 931411
SpVgg Kolmar2344
FC Wittenheim312
FC Kolmar4887
ASV Mühlhausen5
SpVgg Mühlhausen-Dornach611
SV Wittelsheim7
FC St. Ludwig8
Rasen SC Straßburg1226
SC Schiltigheim2558
SG SS Straßburg3132
FC Hagenau4765
Mars Bischheim5610
SV 06 Schlettstadt6710
SV Straßburg7
FC Bischweiler8
TSV Schweighausen99
Stern Mühlhausen10
FV Walk9
FC Hüningen3