Baltzer Hansen
{{Short description|Danish motorcycle speedway rider}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2023}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2023}}
{{Infobox Speedway rider
| name = Baltzer Hansen
| image =
| nationality = Danish
| birth_date = 30 November 1908
| birth_place = Frederikssund, Denmark
| death_date = Unknown
| years1 = 1936
| career1 = Hackney Wick Wolves
| teamyear1 = 1936
| teamhonour1 = London Cup winner
}}
Alfred Hansen (30 November 1908 – date of death unknown), better known as Baltzer Hansen was a motorcycle speedway rider from Denmark, who rode in the first ever Speedway World Championship competition in 1936.Bamford, R. & Shailes, G. (2002). A History of the World Speedway Championship. Stroud: Tempus Publishing. {{ISBN|0-7524-2402-5}}{{cite web |url=https://britishspeedway.co.uk/docs/Ultimate_Index_1929-2022.pdf |title=ULTIMATE RIDER INDEX, 1929-2022 |website=British Speedway |access-date=28 July 2023}}
Career
Hansen was born in 1908, to Lars Christian and Rasmine and was one of three brothers who all went into dirt-track racing (later motorcycle speedway). He won the Danish Individual Speedway Championship (500cc special class) in 1937 and 1938, having previously won Danish Championships in other classes.{{cite web |url=http://speedwaylife.com/danish-tracks/frederikssund/ |title=Frederikssund long and grasstrack |website=Speedway Life |access-date=31 December 2023}}{{cite web |url=http://speedwaylife.com/trophies-and-champions/danish-champions-1930-1951-3/ |title=DANISH CHAMPIONS 1930 – 1951 |website=Speedway Life |access-date=31 December 2023}}
He followed his older brother Morian Hansen into the British speedway leagues in 1936.{{cite news |title=First Speedway League Match |work=Daily News (London) |date=21 April 1936 |access-date=31 December 2023 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003214/19360421/370/0019 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription }} West Ham Hammers attempted to sign him in May 1936, but the Speedway Control Board blocked the transfer.{{cite news |title=West Ham Speedway |work=Nottingham Evening Post |date=6 May 1936 |access-date=31 December 2023 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000321/19360506/049/0009 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription }}
However, later that year, he and another brother Kaj Hansen, also known as Kalle, were due to travel to London to compete in the inaugural 1936 World Championship.{{cite news |title=The Speedway Championship of the World |work=Coventry Evening Telegraph |date=4 June 1936 |access-date=31 December 2023 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000337/19360604/047/0003 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription }} Baltzer impressed in the qualifying round and progressed to the Championship round.{{cite news |title=Rider from Denmark |work=Daily News (London) |date=8 June 1936 |access-date=31 December 2023 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003214/19360608/310/0017 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription }}
To the annoyance of the other British teams (especially West Ham) the Hackney Wick Wolves were given permission to sign him in June 1936, because of their injury problems.{{cite news |title=Swedish riders at Wembley |work=Daily Herald |date=26 June 1936 |access-date=31 December 2023 |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0000681/19360626/292/0018 | via = British Newspaper Archive|url-access=subscription }} The transfer started a season long campaign by clubs to ban overseas riders and West Ham unsuccessfully applied to the Control Board to recall Baltzer's brother Morian (who was still on their retained list). Meanwhile, Baltzer and Morian helped Hackney win the 1936 London Cup.{{cite web |url=http://www.speedwaymuseumonline.co.uk/hackney%20details%20by%20robert%20rogers.html |title=Hackney Speedway |website=Speedway Museum Online |access-date=15 September 2023}}
In 1937, he returned to Denmark to race, following an initial ban on overseas riders and did not return to race in Britain,{{cite web|url=https://www.speedwayresearcher.org.uk/specialfeaturesrideraverages.pdf |title=Rider averages 1929 to 2009 |website=Speedway Researcher |access-date=31 December 2023}}{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0003191/19370417/169/0009 |title=Fred Strecker for Hackney |website=East London Observer |date=17 April 1937 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=10 October 2024 }} despite attempts by Hackney to bring him into the team again that season.{{cite news |url=https://www.britishnewspaperarchive.co.uk/viewer/bl/0001035/19370606/233/0017 |title=Max Grosskreutz planning a speedway test return |website=Reynolds's Newspaper |date=6 June 1937 |via=British Newspaper Archive |url-access=subscription |access-date=26 October 2024 }}