KSS KlaipÄ—da
Karių sporto sąjunga (KSS Klaipeda ) was a sports club of the Lithuanian minority in the so-called Memel country that repeatedly changed its state affiliation in the first half of the 20th century.
History
As a result of the lost First World War, the Klaipėda Region was separated in 1920 from the German Reich and occupied in 1923 by the new independent state of Lithuania and their own territory incorporated. The capital city of Memel was renamed Klaipeda. There was - as in the whole Memel - only a very small proportion of the Lithuanian population. Accordingly, it looked like in football: Around half a dozen German clubs was only a Lithuanian organization called " Šarūnas " over, but had neither political nor sporting significance.
On February 25, 1926 in Klaipėda was a new Lithuanian club, in which " Šarūnas " came up. This Karių sporto sąjunga (KSS ) was a military - sports club based in the former German city of soldiers from Great - Lithuania. This club was a kind of " national team " of Lithuanians of the entire Memel, because he created all over the country more " branches ", from which the best football players were " delegated " to the " National Association " in Klaipeda.
In this way, the KSS, quickly earning the athletic supremacy in the city and region and secured the championship almost memelländische subscription. However, it must not be overlooked that the " German " competition into numerous smaller clubs was fragmented and their most powerful club that Spielvereinigung Klaipėda or Spielvereinigung Memel, who preferred to participate and with their best efforts on the schedule of the Baltic sports association in the German Reich Lithuanian game -fed operation only with " lower " teams.
The KSS benefited from this situation, and qualified as a master of the Klaipėda region - the Memel - almost regularly for the final round of the Lithuanian championship, which he was able to win four consecutive times from 1928 to 1931. Two more championships - 1936/37 and 1937/38 - made him a total of six national championship titles to one of today 's most successful Lithuanian clubs.
Further sporting supremacy soon came also the administrative: KSS - founding member Lieutenant Savanoris was the early thirties, first Chairman of the " Memel Sports Association ".
But even just a year after the last title win Lithuania KSS disappeared from the scene. In elections held in 1938, which had been initiated by Lithuania, voted the Memelländer to 87 percent for a German unit list. Then - and under pressure from the Nazi German government - gave Lithuania Memel on March 22, 1939 Germany back. That ended the existence of the KSS, which was not re-established later.