Hockey Club Hannover eV

Established in the heart of Hanover, the Hockey Club Hannover eV (DHC) boasts a rich history. Founded on December 22, 1910, at the Hotel “Zu den Vier Jahreszeiten,” the DHC began with 17 members. These founding members, including medical student Friedrich Fiedler, left the DSV 1878 to form their own club, adopting black and red as their colors. By the spring of 1911, the club was active, playing hockey on a rented field at the velodrome. Tennis players used the courts of the Deutscher Tennis Verein. In 1913, the DHC opened its own facility in Georgengarten, featuring two hockey fields, four tennis courts, and a clubhouse. The club expanded in 1924 with a larger clubhouse, more tennis courts, and a running track. The DHC’s athletics department excelled in the 1920s, winning the “Hildesheim-Hannover” relay race six times consecutively. The men’s hockey team was among Germany’s best before World War II, achieving success in international tournaments. At the 1928 Amsterdam Olympics, three DHC players (Kurt Haverbeck, Herbert Hobein, and Heinz Wöltje) won bronze medals. Dr. Friedrich Fiedler, a DHC co-founder, coached the team. World War II brought significant changes. The clubhouse was destroyed in a 1943 air raid, and parts of the grounds were used for anti-aircraft positions. After the war, the club rebuilt, expanding its facilities in 1950 with two additional hockey fields. A sports hall, named after former president Heinz Wöltje, was inaugurated in 1970. The DHC continued its hockey success after the war, but chose to withdraw from championship play in 1949, a decision reversed in 1963. The club reached the newly formed field hockey Bundesliga in 1969 and the indoor Bundesliga in 1973. The DHC achieved several notable successes: the A-youth team’s German Indoor Hockey Championship in 1974 and three DHC players’ participation in the victorious national team at the 1978 European Field Hockey Championship in Hanover. While the athletics department couldn’t replicate its earlier achievements, DHC athlete Jutta Heine won two silver medals at the 1960 Rome Olympics. The DHC inaugurated Hanover’s first artificial turf field in 1990. The club expanded further in 2009, adding lacrosse to its roster. The women’s lacrosse team became German Vice-Champion in their first year, and the DHC hosted the German Lacrosse Championship in 2010. Through wars, economic crises, and rebuilding, the Hockey Club Hannover eV continues to thrive.