Footballers and the Holocaust

[He's here!]

Listening on the car radio yesterday to some of the harrowing stories from concentration camp survivors on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz was extremely moving. Not Hibs-related, but from a football point of view, there was mention of a relative of Josef Klotz, one of the many Jewish footballers who were killed. I looked into his story and found the following article:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2019/may/06/remembering-the-cream-of-jewish-footballing-talent-killed-in-the-holocaust

Apparently more than 300 Jewish footballers disappeared during the Nazi era. There's a lot written and said about the ultimate sacrifice many footballers made when fighting for their country, but not so much about those who lost their lives simply for being Jewish.

[MKHIBEE]

Listening on the car radio yesterday to some of the harrowing stories from concentration camp survivors on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz was extremely moving. Not Hibs-related, but from a football point of view, there was mention of a relative of Josef Klotz, one of the many Jewish footballers who were killed. I looked into his story and found the following article:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2019/may/06/remembering-the-cream-of-jewish-footballing-talent-killed-in-the-holocaust

Apparently more than 300 Jewish footballers disappeared during the Nazi era. There's a lot written and said about the ultimate sacrifice many footballers made when fighting for their country, but not so much about those who lost their lives simply for being Jewish.

That is a harrowing story, thank you for posting it.

[He's here!]

That is a harrowing story, thank you for posting it.

I can recall former Spurs and Luton boss David Pleat alluding to this in an interview a good few years ago and revealing that he'd kept his Jewish heritage secret for much of his life. The family name was Plotz but had been changed after they fled to London. Ironically for a team commonly associated with having a large Jewish following, Spurs' stadium once flew the Swastika during a friendly between England and Germany in 1935:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/jun/11/nazi-germany-played-england-tottenham-white-hart-lane

[GloryGlory]

Listening on the car radio yesterday to some of the harrowing stories from concentration camp survivors on the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz was extremely moving. Not Hibs-related, but from a football point of view, there was mention of a relative of Josef Klotz, one of the many Jewish footballers who were killed. I looked into his story and found the following article:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2019/may/06/remembering-the-cream-of-jewish-footballing-talent-killed-in-the-holocaust

Apparently more than 300 Jewish footballers disappeared during the Nazi era. There's a lot written and said about the ultimate sacrifice many footballers made when fighting for their country, but not so much about those who lost their lives simply for being Jewish.

There was the story of the Dynamo Kyiv players, playing as FC Start, who played German teams in WW2 after working as slave labourers.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/18609772

[FilipinoHibs]

My mother kept our Jewish heritage from us from fear of percussion. She would go to London and hand in the census herself. Her father was murdered by Franco. We have many relations who went to Germany, Austria and the Netherlands to escape the Spanish inquisition. Many died in the holocaust. She loved Scotland because it was first place she felt safe. We are Sephardic Jews with a Latin surname changed from our Hebrew one.So we got a lot of sectarian abuse. She loved her football but was a Celtic fan. We are descended from ancient Israelites- I have two of the three halogroups found in Israelite skeletons.Our DNA is closer to Palestenians than most Israelis who are mainly descended from European mothers. She never thought the solution to anti-semitism was taking the Palestinians' Land. She always said we are Palestenian Arab Jews which drove the Zionists crazy. She started my love of football with Eusebio.

[Hibspur]

There was the story of the Dynamo Kyiv players, playing as FC Start, who played German teams in WW2 after working as slave labourers.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/18609772

Being aware of the true story around that match I think it's fair to say Escape to Victory was only very loosely based around it. I haven't watched it for many years however.

[Hibspur]

My mother kept our Jewish heritage from us from fear of percussion. She would go to London and hand in the census herself. Her father was murdered by Franco. We have many relations who went to Germany, Austria and the Netherlands to escape the Spanish inquisition. Many died in the holocaust. She loved Scotland because it was first place she felt safe. We are Sephardic Jews with a Latin surname changed from our Hebrew one.So we got a lot of sectarian abuse. She loved her football but was a Celtic fan. We are descended from ancient Israelites- I have two of the three halogroups found in Israelite skeletons.Our DNA is closer to Palestenians than most Israelis who are mainly descended from European mothers. She never thought the solution to anti-semitism was taking the Palestinians' Land. She always said we are Palestenian Arab Jews which drove the Zionists crazy. She started my love of football with Eusebio.

To be able to trace your background back to ancient Israel must be fascinating. I know that biblical Israel actually occupied a far greater land mass than the modern day version, but I've read that post WW1 the Sephardis saw the historical necessity of peaceful co-existence in the Holy Land and had their voices been heard the Balfour Declaration might have redrawn the map to better reflect that.

Did your mother see Eusebio play?

[JimBHibees]

I can recall former Spurs and Luton boss David Pleat alluding to this in an interview a good few years ago and revealing that he'd kept his Jewish heritage secret for much of his life. The family name was Plotz but had been changed after they fled to London. Ironically for a team commonly associated with having a large Jewish following, Spurs' stadium once flew the Swastika during a friendly between England and Germany in 1935:

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/jun/11/nazi-germany-played-england-tottenham-white-hart-lane

Read both articles thanks for sharing both really interesting