Magdeburger Segler-Verein e.V.

History

Magdeburger Segler-Verein (MSV) was founded on 11 July 1900 as the city's second sailing club. Its anchorage was the "Old Elbe below the salt spring", with meetings initially held at the "Reichskanzler" restaurant. There was no clubhouse at first; only in 1911 was a solid building listed in the city directory as the club premises, and its exterior plaster still holds today. In colder months members continued to meet in restaurants because there was no heating and insufficient space for everyone. The first reliable figures on membership and fleet date from 1920: 22 members, 5 cabin boats, 3 open boats and one dinghy. In 1939 the sports authorities ordered a merger of "Segler-Vereinigung Magdeburg" with MSV; morale was tense because MSV mainly practised cruising while the newcomers were mostly racing sailors. In 1944 bombing destroyed boats ashore belonging to absent servicemen. The clubhouse was spared but was looted several times after the war. From 1945 all club life on the Old Elbe ceased – the city park was a military restricted zone until 1946. In 1946 nine sailors from "Wasserfreunde Magdeburg" and "Magdeburger Segler-Verein" regrouped in the "Rotes Horn" sports community; sailing resumed in 1948 once material conditions allowed. After the founding of the GDR in 1949 the group became BSG "Lokomotive" of the Deutsche Reichsbahn. Sailing was seen as a "bourgeois sport" with little recognition until Olympic and world championship successes changed attitudes. In 1950 the sailing section had 37 members, 11 Jollenkreuzer and 12 dinghies. In 1956 the BSG switched from "Lokomotive" to "Einheit". In 1961 the boat hall was built from cattle stalls – accelerated among other reasons by Walter Ulbricht's expected visit for the 1961 workers' festival, so that self-built boat sheds from 1954 would not be shown to dignitaries. Members contributed a target of 150 working hours, some reaching 300 in five months of construction. In 1967 a pontoon was established in Plaue near Brandenburg/Havel with 22 berths, initially reserved for racing sailors. Better training at Plaue led to competitive success: from 1953 to 1989 a total of 207 members took part in German or GDR championships; Dieter Köppe and Hans-Jürgen Krähe became GDR champions in the 15 sqm Jollenkreuzer class in 1972. The fleet grew steadily; 20 sqm steel Jollenkreuzer dominated, and by the late 1980s the club had 55 boats. During reunification Magdeburger Segler-Verein e.V. was registered on 27 March 1990 as the first Magdeburg sports club in the local register; the club name sign was uncovered during facade work. At the end of 1999 the club had 102 members, 17 dinghies, 17 Jollenkreuzer, 12 cruising yachts and 8 motorboats. In 2013 the Elbe century flood inundated the city and region; for the first time water entered the club room (peak 7.47 m). After the flood volunteers restored the grounds, house and hall. Restoration of flood damage only began in 2017 and continued into early 2019. In late March 2019 the landlord returned the house for use; it is to be restored in a heritage-appropriate manner. As of December 2024 the club has 87 members, 29 sailing boats (dinghies, Jollenkreuzer, cruising yachts) and 25 motorboats.

Boat types