Overview Gauliga Südwest/Mainhessen

1 overview

1.1 gauliga südwest/mainhessen
1.2 gauligas hessen-nassau
1.3 gauliga westmark
1.4 aftermath

overview
gauliga südwest/mainhessen

the league introduced nazi sports office in 1933, after nazi take on of power in germany. replaced bezirksliga highest level of play in german football competitions.

the gauliga südwest/mainhessen established twelve clubs states of prussia, bavaria, hesse , saarland. @ time of leagues establishment, saarland not yet part of germany again.

the gauliga replaced such bezirksliga rhein-saar , bezirksliga main-hessen, had been highest leagues in region until then. clubs mannheim in bezirksliga rhein-saar joined gauliga baden, while clubs bezirksliga main-hessen joined gauliga hessen.

in first season, league had twelve clubs, playing each other once @ home , once away. league winner qualified german championship while bottom 3 teams relegated. next season, league reduced eleven teams. in 1935-36 season, played ten clubs , 2 relegated teams. system remained in place until 1939.

in 1939-40, league played in 2 regional groups of seven, saarpfalz group , mainhessen group. 2 league winners played out home-and-away final. 1940-41 season saw 1 change in set up, groups expanded 8 teams.

at end of 1940-41 season, gauliga split 2 separate leagues, forming gauligas hessen-nassau , gauliga westmark. followed thereby political borders of reichsgaue.

gauligas hessen-nassau

the league formed clubs gauliga südwest/mainhessen (mainhessen division) , clubs south of gauliga hessen.

in first season, 1941–42, consisted of 13 clubs in 2 groups home-and-away final 2 league winners. in next 2 seasons, operated single division ten teams , 2 relegation spots.

the imminent collapse of nazi germany in 1945 gravely affected gauligas , football in hesse @ stage had low priority. 1944-45 season, if started @ not finished.

gauliga westmark

the new league, apart clubs saarpfalz division of gauliga westmark, included 2 clubs lorraine, metz, , sarreguemines (german: saargemünd).

the league operated 9 clubs since fk pirmasens withdrew , 2 relegated team. archived desired strength of ten clubs year after, in 1942-43 season. remained unchanged 1943-44 season.

the last season in 1944-45 not started @ of lorraine had been reoccupied allied forces , rest of reichsgau westmnark front line zone.

aftermath

with end of nazi era, gauligas ceased exist , while become state of hesse found predominantly in occupation zone, territories of original gauliga südwest/mainhessen west of river rhine part of french zone.

in zone, football resumed , oberliga süd formed in late 1945 replacement gauligas in south of germany. similar, in french zone, oberliga südwest formed.