Walther Bensemann
{{Short description|German footballer (1873–1934)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}
{{more references|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox football biography
|name = Walther Bensemann
|image = Walther Bensemann 1896.jpg
|alt =
|caption = Bensemann in 1896
|birth_date = {{birth date|1873|01|13|df=yes}}
|birth_place = Berlin, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire
|death_date = {{death date and age|1934|11|12|1873|01|13|df=yes}}
|death_place = Montreux, Switzerland
|height =
|position =
|years1 = 1889-?
|clubs1 = International Football Club
|years2 = 1891-?
|clubs2 = Karlsruher FV
}}
Walther Bensemann (13 January 1873 – 12 November 1934) was a German pioneer of football and founder of the country's major sports publication, Kicker.{{cite web |title=Walther Bensemann: The Freedom of Hearts |url=https://www.kicker.de/walther-bensemann-die-freiheit-der-herzen-1066890/artikel |author=David Bernreuther |website=Kicker |language=de |date=2024-11-11 |access-date=2025-02-23}}
Biography
Bensemann was born in Berlin, Brandenburg, as the son of a Jewish banker. During his time at private school in Montreux, Switzerland, he learned about the new sport of football. When he moved to Karlsruhe in order to complete his school-leavers' exam, he began to spread the sport around the German Empire.{{cite web |title=Karlsruhe Football Pioneer and Jew: The Story of Walther Bensemann |url=https://www.ka-news.de/region/karlsruhe/die-geschichte-von-walther-bensemann-karlsruher-fussballvisionaer-und-gruender-des-kicker-magazins-art-3177915 |author=Katherine Quinlan-Flatter |website=KA-News |language=de |date=2024-06-17 |access-date=2025-02-23}}
There, in September 1889, he founded the International Football Club, the first football club in southern Germany, and two years later he was instrumental in the founding of Karlsruher FV, one of the first champion clubs in Germany. He was also involved in the creation of Frankfurter Kickers,{{cite book | title=Tor! The story of German football | first=Ulrich | last=Hesse-Lichtenberger| year=2003}} who would later become Eintracht Frankfurt. In 1900 he belonged to the founding-fathers of the German Football Association.
Bensemann thought of football as a means of international understanding, so he started to organize international matches such as the ones between selections of Lausanne and southern Germany in 1893. Consequently, this also led to the five historical matches between selections from Germany and England between 1899 and 1901, which albeit not having any official status, are considered the historically first international matches of any Germany national side.{{cn|date=July 2024}}
In 1920, Bensemann founded Kicker, which evolved soon into Germany's leading football magazine, a status which it retains today.{{cn|date=July 2024}}
In 1933, the Nazi Machtergreifung in Germany compelled Benseman to move to Montreux where he died soon, relatively unnoticed and without means.{{cn|date=July 2024}}
He also taught German at Birkenhead School in the Wirral.{{cite web |title=Walther Bensemann |url=https://stadtlexikon.karlsruhe.de/index.php/De:Lexikon:bio-0498 |website=Stadtlexikon Karlsruhe |language=de |access-date=2025-02-23}}
Walther Bensemann Prize
The German academy for football culture gives the Walther Bensemann prize[http://www.fussball-kultur.org/fussball-kulturpreis/walther-bensemann-preis/ Walther Bensemann Preis] every year to a person for extraordinary dedication with courage and a pioneering spirit, for social responsibility, fairplay, intercultural understanding in and around football. The prize comes with a monetary reward of €10,000.{{cite web |title=The clearest voice in football: Christian Streich follows in the footsteps of Franz Beckenbauer and Sir Alex Ferguson |url=https://www.footboom1.com/en/news/football/1934899-the-clearest-voice-in-football-christian-streich-follows-in-the-footsteps-of-franz-beckenbauer-and-sir-alex-ferguson |author= |website=Footboom |date=2024-10-14 |language=en |access-date=2025-02-23}} It was given amongst others to Franz Beckenbauer,{{cite web |title=Franz Beckenbauer: All Information on Life, Titles, Documentary, and Family |url=https://www.sportsillustrated.de/fussball/franz-beckenbauer-alle-infos-zu-leben-titel-doku-und-familie |author= |website=Sports Illustrated |language=de |access-date=2025-02-23 |date=2024-01-10}} Bobby Charlton,{{cite web |last=Bär |first=Andi |title=Academy honors Sir "Bobby" Charlton: Bensemann Prize for the old veteran |url=https://www.fussballn.de/sites/cms/artikel.aspx?SK=4&Btr=15464 |website=Fußballn |language=de |date=2011-11-07 |access-date=2025-02-23}} Marcello Lippi, Alex Ferguson.{{cite web |title=Sir Alex Ferguson Wins Walther Bensemann Prize |url=https://www.besoccer.com/new/sir-alex-ferguson-wins-walther-bensemann-prize |author=Liam Hanna |website=BeSoccer |language=en |access-date=2025-02-23}}{{cite web |title=Beckenbauer was the first: All recipients of the Bensemann Prize |url=https://www.kicker.de/loew-und-seine-vorgaenger-alle-traeger-des-bensemann-preises-875699/slideshow |website=Kicker |date=2024-10-14 |access-date=2025-02-23 |language=de}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{WorldFootball.net|walther-bensemann}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bensemann, Walter}}
Category:Sportspeople from the Province of Brandenburg
Category:German men's footballers
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Karlsruher FV players
Category:Eintracht Frankfurt players
Category:Footballers from Berlin
Category:Jewish emigrants from Nazi Germany to France
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