RU Arkona Berlin (German rowing club)

Ruder-Union Arkona Berlin

Last modified: 2008-02-23 by jarig bakker
Keywords: berlin | arkona |
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• Introduction
• Berolina (1886-1958)
• Teutonia (1890-1958)
• Union-Ruder-Club (1885-1927/28)
• Hansa (1899-1927/28)
• Hansa-Union (1927/28-1962)
• Normannia (1898-1930)
• Arcona (1884-1903)
• Arkona (1903-1930)
• Arkona-Normannia (1930-1958)
• Favorite (1900-1955)
• Markomannia (1903-1955)
• Favorite-Markomannia (1955-1973)
• Neo-Alemannia (1903-1934)
• RV Siemens (1912-2001)
• Arkona Berlin (1958-2001)
• RUA (since 2001)

• Germany
• German rowing clubs
• List of German Rowing Clubs

Introduction

This club is the most interesting of all German rowing clubs for vexillologists.
This contribution was only possible with the great help of Mr. Bernd KAPPMEIER, chief of the club's office and member of the board, who gave me all relevant data of the clubs predecessors and the missing images of the flags of former rowing-clubs.
Flags of genuine Arkona-predecessors are simply denoted as “flag”. To the flags of the other branches of the Arkona the club’s name is added.
The club is a union of six Berlin rowing clubs with a long tradition. After WWII for many clubs within the divided city there was the most important  question: Merge or dissolve? Some clubs had been expelled from East-Berlin and were looking for allies in West-Berlin in order to continue their sport.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Feb 2008

Berolina (1886-1958)

Brief History
1) On 16 January 1879 the Ruder-Gesellschaft All-Right was established. The club renamed itself on 6 August 1886 into Ruder-Club “Berolina” e.V.
Description:
Berolina-flag (1886-1958): It was a blue flag with five white 5-point stars (two over one over two) in the lower fly. The flag had a canton with eight alternating blue and white horizontal stripes starting with a blue one.
Source: flagchart from  “25 Jahre Geschichte des Berliner Ruder-Vereins von 1876”, Berlin 1901
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Feb 2008

Teutonia (1890-1958)

2) The Berliner Ruder-Club “Teutonia” e.V. was established on 8.October 1890.
Description:
Teutonia-flag (1890-1958)
It was a white flag with one blue horizontal stripe in the upper half and one in the lower half and a blue 6-point star in its centre. The flag had a blue edged white canton with a blue serifed capital “T”.
Source: cover of “125 Jahre Ruder-Union Arkona Berlin –1879- e.V.”, Berlin 2004
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Feb 2008

Union-Ruder-Club (1885-1927/28)

3a) Already on 2 November 1885 the Union-Ruder-Club e.V. was established. Its name is kept in nowadays clubs name.
Description:
Union-flag (1885-1927/28)
Its flag was some kind of counterchanged Union Jack. The red field was divided by a blue white
fimbriated centred cross and a saltire of the same colours.
Source: cover of “125 Jahre Ruder-Union Arkona Berlin –1879- e.V.”, Berlin 2004
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Feb 2008

Hansa (1899-1927/28)

3b) The Berliner Ruder-Verein “Hansa” e.V. was established on 13 July 1899.
Description:
Hansa-flag (1899-1927/28)
It was a white flag divided by a blue cotized centred cross. In its centre was a white roundel surrounded by two blue circle lines with a blue “H”. The flag had a canton of five alternating red and white horizontal stripes starting with a red one. The red stripes seemed to be slightly broader than the white ones.
Source: cover of “125 Jahre Ruder-Union Arkona Berlin –1879- e.V.”, Berlin 2004
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Feb 2008

Hansa-Union (1927/28-1962)

3) In 1927 or 1928, the exact date is unknown, both clubs merged forming the new Hansa-Union Ruderklub e.V..
Description:
Hansa-Union-flag (1927/28-1962)
The flag was similar to that one of “Union” but the crossbars were more narrow and a little bit darker, nearly black. In the centre was a white roundel with a blue edge and a blue “H” half-surrounded by a bigger “U”.
Source: cover of “125 Jahre Ruder-Union Arkona Berlin –1879- e.V.”, Berlin 2004
Probably “Hansa” joined “Union”, because the pattern of the latter was kept in many parts.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Feb 2008

Normannia (1898-1930)

4a) The Ruder-Club “Normannia” Berlin e.V. was established on 15 May 1898
Description:
Normannia-flag (1898-1930)
It was a white flag divided by a black centred cross with a black 5-point star in the upper hoist.
Source: cover of “125 Jahre Ruder-Union Arkona Berlin –1879- e.V.”, Berlin 2004
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Feb 2008

Arcona (1884-1903)

4b) According to source the club Berliner Ruder-Club “Arcona” was established on 1 March 1884. The existence of that flag can be proved at least for 1901.
Description:
Flag (1884-1903): This club had already the characteristic basic pattern of the nowadays flag, that is a 9-stripes flag with alternating white and red horizontal stripes, starting with a white one, and a canton. The canton of this club was red with unserifed white capital letters “RC” over “A”
Source: flagchart from  “25 Jahre Geschichte des Berliner Ruder-Vereins von 1876”, Berlin 1901
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Feb 2008

Arkona (1903-1930)

4c) Finally on 20 June 1903 this renamed itself to Ruder-Verein “Arkona” Berlin e.V. .
Description:
Flag (1903-1930): It was a 9-striped flag with alternating white and red horizontal stripes and a canton. The canton of this club was red with dotted serifed white capital letters “R.V.” over “A.”.
Source: cover of “125 Jahre Ruder-Union Arkona Berlin –1879- e.V.”, Berlin 2004
Mr. KAPPMEIER, being asked about both names, explicitly reconfirmed that both versions of the clubs name had existed. The renamed version can be proved at least in “Wassersportalmanach 1914”.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Feb 2008

Arkona-Normannia (1930-1958)

4) On 2 January 1930 “Normannia” joined “Arkona”. The new name was Ruder-Verein “Arkona-Normannia” e.V.
Description:
Flag (1930-1958): The pattern of the flag was based on the “Arkona”-9-stripes flag but the canton since 1930 was the flag of “Normannia”.
Source: cover of “125 Jahre Ruder-Union Arkona Berlin –1879- e.V.”, Berlin 2004
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Feb 2008

Favorite (1900-1955)

5a) The Berliner Ruder-Club”Favorite” e.V. was established on 15 October 1900.
Description:
Favorite-flag (1900-1955): It was a plain white flag divided per bend sinister by a blue stripe, which was red cotized. The white canton was edged by a blue double-line. In the canton was a blue capital “F”. In the lower fly was a red 6-point star.
Source: cover of “125 Jahre Ruder-Union Arkona Berlin –1879- e.V.”, Berlin 2004
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Feb 2008

Markomannia (1903-1955)

5b) The Berliner Ruderverein “Markomannia” e.V. was established on 4 November 1903.
Description:
Markomannia-flag (1903-1955): It was a white flag divided by three horizontal stripes, two blue ones and a red one in the middle. The red stripe was superimposed by a white square with a blue 5-point star. The white canton was edged by a blue line containing a red serifed capital “M”.
Source: cover of “125 Jahre Ruder-Union Arkona Berlin –1879- e.V.”, Berlin 2004
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Feb 2008

Favorite-Markomannia (1955-1973)

5) Both clubs merged on 1 October 1955 forming the Berliner Ruder Vereinigung “Favorite-Markomannia” e.V.
Description:
Favorite-Markomannia-flag (1955-1973): The pattern was similar to that one of “Favorite” but with the blue 5-point star of “Markomannia” in the lower fly and a red edged canton with blue capitals “FM”.
Source: cover of “125 Jahre Ruder-Union Arkona Berlin –1879- e.V.”, Berlin 2004
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Feb 2008

Neo-Alemannia (1903-1934)

6) The Ruder-Vereinigung “Neo-Alemannia” e.V.(which has nothing to do with Berliner Ruder-Verein "Allemania") was established on 8 August 1903.
Description :
Neo-Alemannia-flag (1903-1934): It was a white flag divided by a black cotized centred cross with a white roundel with a black edge in its centre. The canton of the flag was a black over yellow over green horizontal tricolour.
Source: cover of “125 Jahre Ruder-Union Arkona Berlin –1879- e.V.”, Berlin 2004
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Feb 2008

RV Siemens (1912-2001)

This club joined the Ruder-Verein “Siemens” Berlin e.V. in 1934. “Siemens” was established on 21 September 1912.
Description:
Siemens-flag (1912-2001): It was a white flag with one blue horizontal stripe in the upper half and one in the lower half and a blue shield with a white capital “S” in its centre.
Source: Rudersportalmanach 1977
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Feb 2008

Arkona Berlin (1958-2001)

Ruder-Club “Berolina” e.V. (1)), Berliner Ruder-Club “Teutonia” e.V.(2)) and Ruder-Verein “Arkona-Normannia” e.V.(4)) merged on 16 February 1958. On 2 November 1962 the Hansa-Union Ruderklub e.V.(3)) joined the new club. At least since then the club had the new name Ruder-Union Arkona Berlin 1879 e.V.. On 1 April 1973 the Berliner Ruder Vereinigung “Favorite-Markomannia” e.V.(5)) joined the union.
Description:
Flag (1958-2001): The flag of  Arkona-Normannia was mainly kept but the black star of “Normannia” was replaced by the blue star of “Teutonia” and the stripes from the canton of “Berolina” were added in the lower fly of the canton of the new flag.
Source: Rudersportalmanach 1977
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Feb 2008

RUA (since 2001)

Finally on 10 November 2001 the Ruder-Verein “Siemens” Berlin e.V.(6)) joined the union.
Description:
Flag (since 2001): In the flag a blue “S” for “Siemens was added in the lower hoist of the canton.
Source: Rudersportalmanach 2004.
As usual as date of establishment that one of the oldest club was chosen, in this case that one of “All Right”.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 11 Feb 2008