Elemer Hirsch

{{short description|Romanian footballer}} {{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Elemer Hirsch | image = Elemér_Hirsch.JPG | image_size = | fullname =  | birth_date = {{Birth date|1895|05|14|df=y}}<ref name=NFT>{{NFT|36420}}</ref> | birth_place = Ceanu Mare, Austria-Hungary<ref name=NFT/> | death_date = {{Death date and age|1953|05|17|1895|05|14|df=y}}<ref name=NFT/> | death_place = Baia Mare, Romania<ref name=GSP/> | height = | position = Defender<ref name=GSP/> | years1 = 1921–1923 |clubs1 = CA Cluj |caps1 = |goals1 = | years2 = 1924–1926 |clubs2 = Universitatea Cluj |caps2 = 26 |goals2 = 2 | nationalyears1 = 1922–1924 | nationalteam1 = Romania | nationalcaps1 = 5 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | manageryears1 = 1947–1948 |managerclubs1 = CFR Cluj | manageryears2 = 1950–1953 |managerclubs2 = Armata Cluj }}

'''Elemer Hirsch''' (14 May 1895 – 17 May 1953) was a Romanian lawyer, figure skater, ice hockey player and a football defender, manager and referee.<ref name=GSP>{{cite web | url=https://www.gsp.ro/fotbal/nationala/elemer-hirsch-aristocratul-care-s-a-stins-in-iarba-130092.html | title=Elemer Hirsch, aristocratul care s-a stins în iarbă| publisher=Gsp.ro| language=Romanian |trans-title=Elemer Hirsch, the aristocrat who passed away on the grass| date=23 March 2009 | access-date=2 February 2020}}</ref><ref name=szabadsag>{{cite web | url=http://archivum2.szabadsag.ro/szabadsag/servlet/szabadsag/template/archive,PArchiveArticleSelectedScreen.vm/id/11132/year/2008/month/5/day/10/web/1/quick/0/ynews/0/mainarticle/false | title=Dr. Hirsch Elemér labdarúgó és műkorcsolyázó| publisher=Szabadsag.ro| language=Hungarian |trans-title=Dr. Elemér Hirsch, a footballer and figure skater| date=10 June 2008 | access-date=2 February 2020}}</ref><ref name=szabadsag2>{{cite web | url=http://archivum2.szabadsag.ro/szabadsag/servlet/szabadsag/template/print,PrintScreen.vm/id/64277/mainarticle/false | title=Az embertelenség idején másképp is lehetett cselekedni| publisher=Szabadsag.ro| language=Hungarian |trans-title=In times of inhumanity, things could have been done differently| date=11 October 2011 | access-date=2 February 2020}}</ref><ref name=ucluj>{{cite web | url=https://u-cluj.ro/istoric-patinaj/ | title=Istoric patinaj| publisher=U-cluj.ro| language=Romanian |trans-title=History of ice skating| access-date=2 February 2020}}</ref>

==Life and career== Hirsch was born on 14 May 1895 in Ceanu Mare, Austria-Hungary.<ref name=NFT/> He came from a wealthy Jewish family who owned large portions of land in Beclean.<ref name=GSP/><ref name=FIFA>{{cite web | url=https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/articles/alfred-eisenbeisser-to-bondoc-ionescu-crum-romanian-legends-who-excelled-in-multiple-sports | title=Alfred Eisenbeisser to Bondoc Ionescu-Crum: Romanian legends who excelled in multiple sports| publisher=Fifa.com| language=English | date=15 May 2023 | access-date=1 July 2023}}</ref> Hirsch studied law school in Budapest and Vienna, starting to work as a lawyer at age 24.<ref name=GSP/> He started playing football at CA Cluj.<ref name=szabadsag/> Several years later he moved to Universitatea Cluj, where he also played ice hockey.<ref name=szabadsag/><ref name=ucluj/><ref name=FIFA/><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.4everucluj.ro/istorie/1923-1924/ | title=Universitatea Cluj 1923–24 season| publisher=4everucluj.ro| language=Romanian}}<br>{{cite web | url=https://www.4everucluj.ro/istorie/1924-1925/ | title=Universitatea Cluj 1924–25 season| publisher=4everucluj.ro| language=Romanian}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.4everucluj.ro/istorie/1925-1926/ | title=Universitatea Cluj 1925–26 season| publisher=4everucluj.ro| language=Romanian}}<br>{{cite web | url=https://www.4everucluj.ro/istorie/1926-1927/ | title=Universitatea Cluj 1926–27 season| publisher=4everucluj.ro| language=Romanian}}</ref> Hirsch also competed in figure skating competitions, managing to win three Romanian national titles in 1924, 1925 and 1927, and become an international figure skating judge.<ref name=GSP/><ref name=szabadsag/><ref name=ucluj/><ref name=FIFA/> After he retired from playing football, he became a football referee, including officiating in a Romanian top-division Divizia A match.<ref name=szabadsag/><ref name=labtof>{{cite web|url=http://www.labtof.ro/profil/hirsch-elemer-5388/|title=Elemer Hirsch referee profile|publisher=Labtof|access-date=2 February 2020}}</ref> In the 1940s following the Second Vienna Award, due to his Jewish origin, the Hungarian authorities prohibited him from working as a lawyer and deprived him of his property which was later nationalized by the Romanian communist regime.<ref name=GSP/><ref name=szabadsag2/><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.clujulliber.ro/se-inchide-gradina-de-vara-boema/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402172624/http://www.clujulliber.ro/se-inchide-gradina-de-vara-boema/ | url-status=dead | archive-date=2 April 2015 | title=Se închide Grădina de Vară Boema| publisher=Clujulliber.ro| language=Hungarian |trans-title=Grădina de Vară Boema is closing| date=24 July 2013 | access-date=2 February 2020}}</ref> Hirsch managed to escape from Cluj when the authorities wanted to send him to a Holocaust extermination camp.<ref name=GSP/><ref name=szabadsag2/><ref name=FIFA/> After the end of World War II he returned to Cluj and started his coaching career at CFR.<ref name=szabadsag/><ref name=FIFA/><ref name=labtof/> Between 1947 and 1948 he was the federal captain of Romania's national team.<ref name=szabadsag/> In 1950 he became coach at Armata Cluj.<ref name=GSP/> In May 1953, after a match in Baia Mare he collapsed on his way to the team bus and goalkeeper Nicolae Szoboszlay tried to give him first aid, but Hirsch died in his arms.<ref name=GSP/><ref name=FIFA/>

==International career== Hirsch played in the first official match of Romania's national team, under coach Teofil Morariu in the 1922 King Alexander's Cup against Yugoslavia.<ref name=GSP/><ref name=A1>{{cite web | url=https://a1.ro/news/sport/8-iunie-1922-primul-meci-din-istoria-nationalei-de-fotbal-id1422.html | title=8 iunie 1922. Primul meci din istoria nationalei de fotbal| publisher=A1.ro| language=Romanian |trans-title=8 June 1922. The first match in the history of the national football team| date=8 June 2012 | access-date=3 February 2020}}</ref><ref name=EU>{{cite web|url=https://eu-football.info/_player.php?id=8390|title=Elemer Hirsch |publisher=European Football|access-date=1 February 2020}}</ref> He bought Romania's equipment for that match with his own money.<ref name=GSP/><ref name=FIFA/><ref name=A1/> Hirsch was also part of Romania's 1924 Summer Olympics squad.<ref name=szabadsag/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/700521 |title=Elemer Hirsch |publisher=Olympedia |access-date=21 September 2020}}</ref>

::''Scores and results table. Romania's goal tally first:''<ref name=EU/> {| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%" |- !colspan="7"|'''International appearances''' |- ! App !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Result !! Competition |- | 1. || 8 June 1922 || Belgrade, Yugoslavia || {{Fb|Kingdom of Yugoslavia}} || 2–1 || Friendly |- | 2. || 3 September 1922 || Chernivtsi, Romania || {{Fb|POL}} || 1–1 || Friendly |- | 3. || 1 July 1923 || Cluj, Romania || {{Fb|TCH}} || 0–6 || Friendly |- | 4. || 2 September 1923 || Lviv, Poland || {{Fb|POL}} || 1–1 || Friendly |- | 5. || 20 May 1924 || Vienna, Austria || {{Fb|AUT}} || 1–4 || Friendly |- |}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== *{{RomanianSoccer|878/elemer-hirsch}} *{{WorldFootball.net|elemer-hirsch}} *[http://www.labtof.ro/profil/elemer-hirsch-6708/ Elemer Hirsch] profile at Labtof.ro

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hirsch, Elemer}} Category:1895 births Category:1953 deaths Category:Footballers from Cluj County Category:Romanian men's footballers Category:Romania men's international footballers Category:Olympic footballers for Romania Category:Footballers at the 1924 Summer Olympics Category:Men's association football defenders Category:Liga I players Category:FC Universitatea Cluj players Category:Romanian football managers Category:CFR Cluj managers Category:Romanian football referees Category:Romanian ice hockey players Category:Romanian male single skaters Category:20th-century Romanian lawyers Category:Jewish footballers Category:Jewish Romanian sportspeople Category:20th-century Romanian sportsmen