Heinz Ditgens

Heinz Ditgens in the squad of German national football team at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin

Heinz Ditgens ( born July 3, 1914 in Moenchengladbach, † June 20, 1998 ) was a German football player.

Life and career

The son by Hermann Ditgens, one of the founding members of Borussia Mönchengladbach, and nephew of Stephan Ditgens, who was 1920 Team Captain concerning the same football club, was born in Mönchengladbacher district of Eicken. After his elementary education graduates Ditgens first worked as a pattern draftsman and played starting from the 18th year of life as a defense player in the first team of Borussia. The then Reich coach Otto mink convened Ditgens 1936 initially for two of the five test Games of the national team against the English club FC Everton into the squad and ultimately in the banns of Deutsche national football team in order at the Olympic Games in Berlin to compete. Ditgens became the first National players of the until then only by winning the West German Championship 1 920 known and antretenden at the time in the district class Borussia. With of the national team Ditgens graduated from three countries games; at the August 5 1936 against Luxembourg ( 9:0 ) and at the August 8, 1936 against Norway (0:2) at the Olympic Games as well as on 20 March in 1938 near a friendly match against Luxembourg (2:1). Yet in 1936 issued to him, the Wehrmacht the induction notice to Bückeburg into the local barracks. Den local club MSV hunters 7 Bückeburg he supported as player and coach. Generally was regarded Ditgens than good head ball player of the both could shoot well.

During World War II he suffered in the Battle of Stalingrad severe frostbite after which it nine toes had to be amputated. After he was transferred in 1944 from the eastern front back to Mönchengladbach, he found a job in 1945 in the local city government. He first worked in housing and real estate office, and later in the bathhouse. Ditgens was still up to 1948 players at Borussia Mönchengladbach, where he ran aground with specially made shoes in the district league as a defender. Until 1950 he served on the Board of Borussia Mönchengladbach and active from 1950 to 1951 for a short time along with Paul Pohl coach of the club. After ending his playing career, he worked as a clerk at the city council and was Mönchengladbach soccer Fachwart in Stadtsportbund and up in the 1990s, a member of the Honorary Council of Borussia Mönchengladbach. His 80th birthday celebrated Ditgens in Mönchengladbach Kaiser- Friedrich-Halle; the income he gave to the Sepp Herberger Foundation on.