Austrian Workers' Hockey (pre-1934)

Workers' sports evolved very rapidly in the 1920s. In 1928 the first ice hockey teams of workers were established. They belonged to the Arbeiterbund für Sport und Körperkultur in Österreich (ASKÖ; in English, Workers' Union of Sports and Physical Culture in Austria), which was founded in 1924. The middle classes took little notice of this activity.

The second SLSI Winter Olympiad was held in Mürzzuschlag, Austria. The Austrian selection won the tournament by defeating Germany and Latvia. In the SportTagblatt newpsaper, the results were briefly listed, which was an exception, as the daily games of the workers were never reported by the paper. The SportTagblatt later noted that the Austrian ice hockey team of the workers would be participating in the Latvian Workers' Winter Sports Festival on February 17 and 18, 1934, in Riga. At Engelmann-Platz on January 24, 1934, there was to be a selection of the best hockey players from the workers organizations.

The magazine of the Austrian Ice Hockey Federation, Der Eishockeysport, also reported once on the growth of workers ice hockey. By contrast, reported the Arberteirzeitung newspaper from Vienna regularity reported on the workers games.

With the ban on the Social Democratic Labour Party in Austria in February 1934, all connected social democratic umbrella organizations of sport, etc. were prohibited. So all workers hockey teams ceased to exist. Some of the workers clubs were later re-founded under different names.

1929-30
Northern Group:
 * Ottakring
 * Zentralverein der kaufm. Angestellten
 * Arbeiterbildungsverein Alsergrund
 * Hernals
 * Technische Union
 * Brigittenau
 * Währing
 * Floridsdorf

Southern Group:
 * Landstraße
 * Wieden
 * Mariahilf
 * Straßenbahnersportvereinigung
 * Margareten
 * Meidling
 * Wien West
 * Athletiksportverein Einheit XII.
 * Favoriten

As an increasing number of workers hockey teams were created, it was decided to carry out a Hockey Championship of the Workers. So many clubs signed up that a Northern Group with eight teams and a Southern Group with nine teams were created. Due to bad weather this season, the Natureisplätze could not be used often enough to handle all the necessary matches of the Championship. Therefore it was decided to complete the championship in the following season. Some teams later switched the groups they played in.

At the end of the season, Brigittenau finished first in the Northern Group with 13 points. Straßenbahner and Zentralverein tied for second with 11 points apiece. In the Southern Group, Landstraße finished first, followed by Einheit and Hernals.

1930-31
1. Klasse:
 * Brigittenau
 * Zentralverein der kaufm. Angestellten
 * Straßenbahn
 * Wieden
 * Arbeiterbildungsverein Alsergrund
 * Mariahilf
 * Favoriten
 * Ottakring
 * Wien-West

2. Klasse:
 * Hernals
 * Landstraße
 * Athletiksportverein Einheit 12
 * ASV Mödling
 * Straßenbahn II
 * Sportklub Meidling
 * Währing
 * Rote Elf
 * Meidling

The 1930-31 season was divided into the 1. Klasse and 2. Klasse competitions. The decisive match for the championship was held on March 7, 1931, at the Engelmann-Platz in Vienna, between Brigittenau and Straßenbahn. Brigittenau won by a score of 3:1 (1:0, 2:0, 0:1). On March 11, the playoff for second place between Straßenbahn and Zentralverein was staged. Zentralverein won 2:1 (0:0, 2:1, 0:0).

1931-32
1. Klasse, Group A:
 * Brigittenau
 * Meidling
 * ASV Mödling
 * Zentralverein
 * Arbeiterbildungsverein Alsergrund
 * Mariahilf

1. Klasse, Group B:
 * Technische Union
 * Straßenbahn
 * Wieden
 * Landstraße
 * Floridsdorf
 * Ottakring

2. Klasse:
 * Favoriten
 * Fünfhaus
 * Augarten
 * Hernals
 * Phönix 12
 * Währing

Reserve-Klasse:
 * Augarten
 * Technische Union
 * Brigittenau
 * Zentralverein
 * Wieden
 * Landstraße
 * Fünfhaus

The 1. Klasse was divided into A and B Groups this year, and the 2. Klasse and a new Reserve-Klasse were also contested. The final took place on March 5, 1932, at the Engelmann-Platz in Vienna, between Brigittenau and the Technische Union. Brigittenau won 3:2 (1:1, 1:1, 1:0), earning them their second straight Workers Championship.

The teams fielded the following rosters in the final:


 * Brigittenau: Reiter, Samwald, Rezavdal1, Wolf, Christian, Hanek, Vitale, Brosch, Rezavdal2,
 * Technische Union: Schenner, Bachmann, Schinko1, Schonko3, Racek, Rirsch, Müller, Sedlar,

1932-33
1. Klasse:
 * Zentralverein
 * Brigittenau
 * Augarten
 * Straßenbahn
 * Wieden
 * Favoriten
 * Technische Union
 * Landstraße
 * Meidling
 * ASV Mödling
 * ASK

2. Klasse, Group A:
 * AVB
 * Stadlau
 * Buchdrucker
 * Floridsdorf
 * Stockerau
 * Rote Elf

2. Klasse, Group B:
 * Hauptwerkstätten
 * Margareten
 * Meidling
 * Mariahilf
 * Fünfhaus
 * Ottakring

Final table For the third consecutive season, Brigittenau won the Workers Championship. Postunion finished second. Six uncompleted games were to played next year. On March 13, 1933, a game was organized at Engelmann-Platz between Brigittenau and a combined team of the other best workers' players. Brigittenau won by a score of 1:0 (1:0, 0:0, 0:0).


 * Workers selection roster: Immervoll (Favoriten) Ballardini (Postunion), Schneider (Wieden), Schauer ASV Mödling), Milletsch (ASV Mödling), Idinger (Landstraße), Taxberger (Straßenbahn),

1933-34
For this season, the hockey clubs were encouraged to submit their reports for the championship to the federation by November 28, 1933. The Austrian government's ban on workers associations in February 1934 precluded the completion of the season.

On January 31, 1934, the a game was in Linz. It entered the Workers' Association of Steyr against from Waldegg. Steyr 6.0 wins. Other highlights included two games featuring a Viennese selection facing Steyr on Sunday, February 4, 1934, in Steyr at 10:00 and 14:00.


 * Vienna Selection: Immervoll (Favoriten), jander, Idinger (both from Wieden), Mühlbauer (Stadtlau), Schneider, Kirsch, Dachsberger, Mitterenger (all from Wieden)
 * Team Steyr: Hiller, Hörzig, Medisevez Hans, Scheer, Feichtelbauer, Brandstätter, Medisevez Karl, Praber

The Vienna Selection lost the game in the morning 3:4 (1:0, 2:1, 0:3) and in the early afternoon 1:3 (0:0, 0:0, 1:3). The games were well attended by the public, with attendance figures of 1800 and 1600, respectively.

In January 1934, the ASKÖ announced that a workers' ice hockey team was to participate in the Latvian Workers Sports Festival on February 17 and 18, 1934. A game to determine the composition of the roster was played on January 24, 1934 at 21:00 at the Kunsteisbahn in Engelmann.
 * Team A: Goaltender: Immervoll (Favoriten), Halbwittl (Straßenbahn), Defensemen: Peterlik (Zentralverein), Gabriel (Straßenbahn), Mitteregger (Wieden), Forwards: Schauer (ASV Mödling), Schinko2 (Straßenbahn), Amon (Altmannsdorf), Königsberger (Favoriten), Schneider (Wieden), Racek (Zentralverein)
 * Team B: Lazar, Samwald, Weigner, Wolf, Czeck, Hanel, Kleinschegg, Brusch and Vitale (all from Brigittenau)

1000 spectators come to the Engelmann, rinkto see the game between the two teams. The surprise A-Team recorded a surprising victory over the B-team of Brigittenau by a score of 3:1 (1:0, 1: 0, 1:1). Racek, Gabriel and Czech were the scorers for Team A.

Those in charge elected to arrange another warm-up game on January 27, 1934, at the Robert-Blum-Platz in Vienna. There were two teams, where the best players were represented.


 * Team A: Halbwittl (Straßenbahn), Mitteregger (Wieden), Gabriel (Straßenbahn), Wolf, Czech, Hanek (all from Brigittenau), Schauer (ASV Mödling), Schinko2 (Straßenbahn), Razek (Zentralverein)
 * Team B: Immervoll (Favoriten), Samwald (Brigittenau) Seilnacht (Altmannsdorf), Sturma (Zentralverein), Scheider (Wieden), Vitale (Brigittenau), Schinko3 (Straßenbahn), Latta (Favoriten), Amon (Altmannsdorf)

The game ended 7:2 for the B-Team. However, the organizers still has not enough information to select a team. So a third game was arranged for January 30, 1934, at 21:00 in Meidling. The rosters were basically the same as the previous game. The A-Team won the match by a 3:2 score in front of 700 spectators.

Six countries had signed up for the tournament Riga. Before the Austrian team's scheduled departure for Riga on February 13, 1934, a match featuring a Vienna selection against a selection from Lower Austria was scheduled February 10, 1934, by the ASKÖ. The game startsed at 21:00 on the Engelmann ice rink in Vienna. The Latvian Consul was present as a guest. The game ended 1:0 for the Vienna Team.


 * Vienna Team: Immervoll (Favoriten), Mitteregger (Wieden), Samwald, Wolf, Czech, Hanek, Vitale (all from Brigittenau), Schinko3, Schinko2 (both from Straßenbahn),
 * Lower Austrian Team: Zeilinger, Bohata (both from ASV Mödling), Mowak (Stockerau), Schauer, Kalla, Posovat, Maier, Geydoschek (all from ASV Mödling), Heinzl (Stockerau)

The participation of the Austrian worker's team in the Riga tournament was no longer possible due to the ban enacted on the Social Democratic Party, which extended to the workers sports organizations.