General Oscar
Kreuzer
Male
Germany
1887-06-14
Frankfurt am Main, Hessen, Germany
1968-05-03
Wiesbaden, West-Germany


About

The following piece originally appeared in the book entitled ‘Tennis in Deutschland. Von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart. Zum 100-jährigen Bestehen des Deutschen Tennis Bundes.’/‘Tennis in Germany. From Its Beginnings to the Present Day. On the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the founding of the German Tennis Federation’. The book in question was first published in 2002.

Oscar Kreuzer – The Number Two Man

By Ulrich Kaiser

[Translated from the German by Mark Ryan]

They were good, carefree and peaceful times back then, at the end of the nineteenth and the beginning of the twentieth century. The terrible term ‘world war’ had not yet been coined. ‘Jugendstil’, the German version of art nouveau, had come into existence, and those were the years of the great discoveries that are very much taken for granted nowadays. Clubs were founded, as were associations and federations; rules and regulations were drawn up. Those were also the years in which certain sports acquired the forms they still more or less have today.

Oscar Kreuzer was born into this beautiful world on 14 June 1887, in Frankfurt-am-Main. He died on 3 May 1968. He lived the life of a great sportsman in which world championships, Olympic honours and many other titles played a role. Nowadays one can certainly speak of that time as the infancy of lawn tennis. The source for the existence of this volume on the history of lawn tennis in Germany can also be traced back to this era.

As a member of the Frankfurter Sportclub, founded in 1880, Oscar Kreuzer won the German Rugby Championships and also played several international matches in this ‘rough game for gentlemen’. The Frankfurter Sportclub was, in fact, only seven years older than Kreuzer. Although lawn tennis is certainly a game for individualists, Oscar Kreuzer was a team player throughout his life, not only where rugby is concerned, but also in relation to lawn tennis. Perhaps that is the reason why he was always considered the number two behind Otto Froitzheim, who in those days was what one would call a ‘star’ one hundred years later.

However, one should not assume that Kreuzer suffered from this state of affairs. On the contrary, he probably even felt good to be in the shadow of the greater player. Together, Kreuzer and Froitzheim twice won the men’s doubles title at what was then the renowned World Hard Court Championships tournament, in 1912 and 1914. By 1914, when the peaceful years came to such a sudden end, he had taken part in the Olympic Games twice – in London in 1908; and in Stockholm in 1912, where he won the bronze medal in the men’s singles event. In 1913, he reached the semi-final of the men’s singles event at Wimbledon, where he also won the men’s plate event, in those days a highly-regarded consolation prize in the lawn tennis Mecca.

Together with his friend and doubles partner Otto Froitzheim, Kreuzer was intercepted by an Italian passenger ship in Gibraltar on their journey home from taking part in the Davis Cup in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in August 1914. They were subsequently taken to an internment camp in England, where they remained until 1918.

When Oscar Kreuzer – who was a left-hander – ended his long lawn tennis career in 1926, he had won a large number of national and international championships in Germany as well as titles in France, Denmark and Austria. The list of his victories includes wins over practically every world-class player of that time. With his spirited and sometimes risky game Kreuzer always had the chance to beat the best players.

As has already been said, those were good times in the final years of the German Empire. The men and women who spent almost the whole year travelling throughout Europe displaying their artful skills were certainly not from the poorest of families. They must have made a merry band. There was the rascal Tony Wilding from New Zealand, with his motorbike; the Australian wood dealer and future knight, Norman Brookes; the Munich-born brothers Robert and Heinrich Kleinschroth; the Russian Count Mikhail Sumarokov-Elston; Bela von Kehrling from Hungary; Countess Clara von der Schulenburg, future wife of Count Viktor Voss; Dora Köring, the first German woman to play at Wimbledon; and Mieken Rieck, who was also a national hockey player.

They played behind the tall green hedges of the elegant clubs, anywhere where it was beautiful: in Marienbad, Karlsbad, Nice, Cannes, Monte Carlo, Menton, Saint Moritz and Geneva, and at the tournaments held in the German spa resorts of Bad Homburg, Baden-Baden, Hanau, Wiesbaden, Sopot, Travemünde and Heringsdorf. In Berlin they played at the Rot-Weiss-Club and the Blau-Weiss Club, at the Rochusclub in Düsseldorf, at the Iphitos Club in Munich and at the Alster Club in Hamburg. Those were certainly wonderful, endless summer days. Oscar Kreuzer definitely enjoyed them as much as the other players.

Another important point must be mentioned: in those days the tournaments were open only to amateurs and, with the exception of the tennis coaches, no one was called a professional. Along with his friends, Oscar Kreuzer was regarded by the guests at the spa resorts more or less as artists providing entertainment. To this end they had their expenses reimbursed – the costs of their journey, their accommodation and the food in the hotels in which they stayed.

The guests at the spa resorts were spoilt because very often what were known as handicap tournaments were held in which, in accordance with a very complicated handicapping system, they could play against the stars, or with them in doubles events. A high council member forbade some of Kreuzer’s friends from taking part in this ‘circus’, so they entered under a different name. The Zemla brothers Ladislav and Zdenek, who were from Bohemia, enjoyed a great deal of success at the tournaments held in the Bohemian spa resorts using the pseudonyms ‘Razny’ and ‘Jansky’, respectively. At that time there was no television to help identify the players.

After the end of his career as a sportsman Oscar Kreuzer settled in Wiesbaden, close to where his former doubles partner Otto Froitzheim lived. Kreuzer always found a lot of people willing to listen to his stories from a time that will never return. He was 80 years old at the time of his death in 1968.
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Media


Archive statistics 1904 - 1930
63
365
245


Tournament wins 1926 - Kassel (Open)
1924 - Wiesbaden Cup (Amateur)
1924 - Wiesbaden Championships (Amateur)
1923 - Championships of Breslau (Amateur)
1923 - Austrian International Championships (Grand Prix Circuit)
1923 - Netherlands International Championships (Open)
1922 - Championships of Frankfurt am Main (Amateur)
1922 - Bad Ems (Amateur)
1922 - Hanover International (Amateur)
1922 - Danish Covered Courts (Amateur)
1921 - Copenhagen (Amateur)
1921 - Homburg Cup (Amateur)
1921 - Noordwijk (Amateur)
1921 - Championships of Saxony (Amateur)
1921 - Championships of Bad Pyrmont (Amateur)
1921 - Championships of Heringsdorf (Amateur)
1921 - Bad Nauheim (Amateur)
1921 - Wiesbaden Cup (Amateur)
1921 - Netherlands International Championships (Open)
1921 - Bad Kissingen (Amateur)
1920 - German International Championships ()
1920 - Championships of Heringsdorf (Amateur)
1920 - Bad Nauheim (Amateur)
1920 - Schierke (Amateur)
1920 - Championships of Berlin (Amateur)
1919 - Bad Nauheim (Amateur)
1919 - Baden-Baden (Amateur)
1914 - Köln International (Amateur)
1914 - Championships of Bonn (Amateur)
1914 - Austrian International Championships (Grand Prix Circuit)
1913 - Wiesbaden Championships (Amateur)
1913 - Bad Nauheim (Amateur)
1913 - Austrian International Championships (Grand Prix Circuit)
1913 - German National Championships (Amateur)
1913 - German International Covered Court Championships ()
1912 - Championships of Southern Germany (Amateur)
1912 - Homburg Cup (Amateur)
1912 - Championships of Bonn (Amateur)
1912 - Championships of Berlin (Amateur)
1911 - Sopot (Amateur)
1911 - City of Danzig Championships (Amateur)
1911 - Wien (Vienna) (Amateur)
1911 - Bad Kissingen (Amateur)
1911 - Hesse Cup (Amateur)
1911 - Darmstadt (Amateur)
1910 - Championships of the North Germans (Amateur)
1910 - Baden-Baden (Amateur)
1909 - Championships of Freiburg (Amateur)
1909 - Championships of Thüringen (Amateur)
1909 - Championships of Breslau (Amateur)
1909 - Championships of Silesia (Amateur)
1909 - Championships of Frankfurt am Main (Amateur)
1909 - Sopot (Amateur)
1909 - Wien (Vienna) (Amateur)
1908 - Wimbledon Plate (Consolation) (Open)
1908 - Championships of Berlin (Amateur)
1908 - Bad Kissingen (Amateur)
1908 - Championships of Heringsdorf (Amateur)
1908 - Championships of Upper Austria (Amateur)
1907 - Championships of Bonn (Amateur)
1907 - Championships of Berlin (Amateur)
1906 - German National Championships (Amateur)
1904 - Championships of Württemberg (Amateur)


Tournaments Stuttgart Covered Court Tournament - 1930 German International Covered Court Championships - 1929 Wimbledon - 1927 German International Covered Court Championships - 1927 German International Championships - 1927 Villa d'Este - 1926 Blau-Weiss Club - 1926 Kassel - 1926 Austrian International Championships - 1925 German International Championships - 1925 French Switzerland Championships - 1925 Aachen International - 1925 Prater Preis - 1925 Austrian International Championships - 1924 German International Championships - 1924 Prussian Championships - 1924 Championships of Berlin - 1924 Wiesbaden Cup - 1924 Merano - 1924 Homburg Cup - 1924 Baden-Baden - 1924 Championships of Hamburg - 1924 Wiesbaden Championships - 1924 Düsseldorf International - 1924 Marienbad Cup - 1924 Marienbad Championships - 1924 Karlsbad Cup - 1924 Championships of Mannheim - 1924 Championships of Breslau - 1924 Bad Nauheim - 1924 Barcelona Fall - Real Turo - 1924 Noordwijk - 1924 Championships of the Pfalz (Palatinate) - 1924 Curt-von –Wessely-Memorial Trophy - 1924 Berlin Autumn Tournament - 1924 Austrian International Championships - 1923 Netherlands International Championships - 1923 Köln International - 1923 Championships of Saxony - 1923 Championships of Breslau - 1923 Rot-Weiss Autumn Tournament - 1923 The Götheborg Games - 1923 German International Championships - 1922 Hungarian International Championships - 1922 Homburg Cup - 1922 German National Championships - 1922 Köln International - 1922 Championships of Frankfurt am Main - 1922 Hanover International - 1922 Bad Nauheim - 1922 Bad Ems - 1922 Copenhagen - 1921 Netherlands International Championships - 1921 German International Championships - 1921 Wiesbaden Cup - 1921 Homburg Cup - 1921 Wiesbaden Championships - 1921 Championships of Saxony - 1921 Championships of Bad Pyrmont - 1921 Championships of Heringsdorf - 1921 Bad Nauheim - 1921 Bad Kissingen - 1921 Noordwijk - 1921 Rot-Weiss Autumn Tournament - 1921 Berliner Schlittschuh-Club - 1921 Netherlands International Championships - 1920 German International Championships - 1920 Prussian Championships - 1920 Championships of Berlin - 1920 Wiesbaden Cup - 1920 Homburg Cup - 1920 Baden-Baden - 1920 Wiesbaden Championships - 1920 Blau-Weiss Club - 1920 Championships of Heringsdorf - 1920 Bad Nauheim - 1920 Noordwijk - 1920 Schierke - 1920 Netherlands International Championships - 1919 Homburg Cup - 1919 Baden-Baden - 1919 Blau-Weiss Club - 1919 Bad Nauheim - 1919 Championships of Southern Germany - 1919 Davis Cup - Semi-Finals - 1914-b Monte Carlo - 1914 Austrian International Championships - 1914 Riviera Championships - 1914 Wien (Vienna) - 1914 Köln International - 1914 Championships of Bonn - 1914 Davis Cup - Semi-Finals - 1913-b Davis Cup - Quarter-Finals - 1913-a Wimbledon - 1913 Austrian International Championships - 1913 German International Covered Court Championships - 1913 Championships of Berlin - 1913 Homburg Cup - 1913 Wiesbaden Championships - 1913 Hanover International - 1913 Bad Nauheim - 1913 Austrian International Championships - 1912 Olympics, Olympic Games - 1912 German International Covered Court Championships - 1912 Prussian Championships - 1912 Championships of Berlin - 1912 World Hardcourt Championships - 1912 Wiesbaden Cup - 1912 Homburg Cup - 1912 Wiesbaden Championships - 1912 Championships of Alsace-Lorraine - 1912 Marienbad Cup - 1912 Championships of Bonn - 1912 Championships of Southern Germany - 1912 Wien (Vienna) - 1911 Wiesbaden Cup - 1911 Championships of Frankfurt am Main - 1911 Sopot - 1911 Bad Kissingen - 1911 Darmstadt - 1911 City of Danzig Championships - 1911 Hesse Cup - 1911 Wimbledon - 1910 Homburg Cup - 1910 Baden-Baden - 1910 Brussel International Matches - 1910 Wimbledon Plate (Consolation) - 1910 Championships of the North Germans - 1910 Championships of Berlin - 1909 Wien (Vienna) - 1909 Championships of Frankfurt am Main - 1909 Sopot - 1909 Championships of Thüringen - 1909 Championships of Breslau - 1909 Championships of Freiburg - 1909 Championships of Silesia - 1909 Wimbledon - 1908 Olympics, Olympic Games - 1908 Queens Club Tournament - 1908 Championships of Berlin - 1908 Wiesbaden Cup - 1908 European Championship - 1908 Homburg Cup - 1908 Baden-Baden - 1908 Wiesbaden Championships - 1908 Wimbledon Plate (Consolation) - 1908 Championships of Frankfurt am Main - 1908 Championships of Upper Austria - 1908 Franzensbad Cup - 1908 Marienbad Cup - 1908 Championships of Heringsdorf - 1908 Bad Kissingen - 1908 Wimbledon - 1907 Austrian International Championships - 1907 Queens Club Tournament - 1907 German International Championships - 1907 Championships of Berlin - 1907 Wiesbaden Cup - 1907 Homburg Cup - 1907 Baden-Baden - 1907 Championships of Hamburg - 1907 Wiesbaden Championships - 1907 Pöseldorf Prize - 1907 Franzensbad Cup - 1907 Karlsbad Cup - 1907 Championships of Bonn - 1907 German International Championships - 1906 Wiesbaden Cup - 1906 Homburg Cup - 1906 Championships of Hamburg - 1906 Wiesbaden Championships - 1906 Pöseldorf Prize - 1906 London Covered Court Championships - 1906 German National Championships - 1906 Championships of Frankfurt am Main - 1906 European Championship - 1905 Homburg Cup - 1905 Wiesbaden Championships - 1905 Championships of Frankfurt am Main - 1905 Championships of the Pfalz (Palatinate) - 1905 Championships of Württemberg - 1904

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