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Historical Results From Pre-World War II European Championships

Photo courtesy Czech National Library

It's really not an overstatement to say that one of the biggest misconceptions in figure skating history are how ISU Championships worked prior to World War II. More often than not, European Championships for different disciplines were held at different times in different countries. As the organization of these events was left largely to the host club or federation, it was extremely common for these events to consist of multiple competitions. Both women's and pairs events were indeed held prior to the first ones that the ISU recognized, as were valsing (waltzing) competitions. These records not only paint a more accurate picture of these competitions, but shed further light on some of the careers of the top skaters of the early twentieth century. 

These results were compiled from various sources, including British, Swiss, Austrian, German, Swedish, Norwegian and Hungarian newspaper archives and back issues of "Skating" magazine. A very special thank you to German skating historian Dr. Matthias Hampe for his generous assistance with the correct names and spellings of many of the German and Austrian skaters that are listed.

A few notes:
- A '*' next to a category denotes that it was a World Championship event.
- In many cases, you will see multiple events for the same discipline. It wasn't uncommon for organizers to hold one competition for a World title and another for senior skaters who didn't wish to compete for that title. 
- Many of these competitions were also held in conjunction with speed skating races, ice hockey games, which haven't been noted.

1891

Hamburg, Germany

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Oskar Uhlig

A. Schmitson

Franz Zilly


1892

Vienna, Austria-Hungary

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Eduard Engelmann Jr.

Tibor von Földváry

Georg Zachariades

Junior Men

Gustav Hügel

Emil Ritter von Meissner

(no other competitors)


1893

Berlin, Germany

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Eduard Engelmann Jr.

Tibor von Földváry

Georg Zachariades


In 1895, the ISU nullified the results of this competition. An account of this event in the February 4, 1893 issue of "The Illustrated Sporting and Dramatic News" noted, "E. Engelmann was the most graceful skater, but on the judges' cards being examined it was noted that there was a fractionally larger vote for H. Grenander. A further examination, however, showed that there were serious errors on the part of some of the judges, and Mr. [W.J.H.] Mulier, on behalf of the International Skating Union, refused to allow the prizes to be awarded, and has reported the whole matter to the general committee of the Union."

1894

Vienna, Austria-Hungary

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Eduard Engelmann Jr.

Gustav Hügel

Tibor von Földváry

Pairs

Christine Engelmann and Karl Euler

Mizzi Beck and Ludwig Fänner

Sofie Reininger and M. Deuerling

Junior Men

Emil Ritter von Meissner

Josef Fellner

S. Brauner


1895

Budapest, Austria-Hungary

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Tibor von Földváry

Gustav Hügel

Gilbert Fuchs

Pairs

Christine Engelmann and Karl Euler

Carla Edle von Nagy-Búkk and Otto Schwarz

Mizzi Beck and Ludwig Fänner


1898

Trondheim, Norway

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Ulrich Salchow

Johan Peter Lefstad

Oscar Holthe


1899

Davos, Switzerland

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Ulrich Salchow

Gustav Hügel

Ernst Fellner


1900

Berlin, Germany

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Ulrich Salchow

Gustav Hügel

Oscar Holthe

Pairs

Mizzi and Otto Bohatsch

Madge Cave and Edgar Syers

Else Neubeck and Gustav Stahlberg

Same-Sex Pairs

Karl and Gustav Euler

Egon Robitsek and Adolph Kleeman

Gustav Feix and Anton Steiner

Men (International)

Oscar Holthe

Joseph Weiss

Richard Meidinger

Junior Men

Edgar Syers

Anton Steiner

(no other competitors)

Men "for the honorary award of the imperial capital and residence in the city of Vienna"

Gustav Euler

Alfred Klement

Max Bohatsch


1901

Vienna, Austria-Hungary

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Gustav Hügel

Gilbert Fuchs

Ulrich Salchow

Same-Sex Pairs

Carl and Gustav Euler

Wilhelm Weißmandl and Mony Kleeman

Egon Robitsek and Adolph Kleeman

Men (Internationales Reulings-Kunstlaufen)

Adolph Kleeman

Robert**

Leo Geiger

Men (Der Preis der Stadt Wein)

Max Bohatsch

Anton Steiner

Martin Gordan


**The January 14, 1901 issue of the "Neues Wiener Tagblatt" noted that "Robert", the second-place finisher in the Internationales Reulings-Kunstlaufen event, was competing under a pseudonym.

1904

Davos, Switzerland

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Ulrich Salchow

Max Bohatsch

Nikolay Panin-Kolomenkin

Pairs

Christine (Engelmann) von Szabo and Gustav Euler

Madge and Edgar Syers

Phyllis Squire and James Henry Johnson


1905

Bonn, Switzerland

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Max Bohatsch

Heinrich Burger

Karl Zenger

Pairs

Anna Hübler and Heinrich Burger

Frieda Bellinger and Franz Zilly

Fraulein Holbe and K. Nietz

Junior Men

Karl Schmidt

K. Nietz

Dr. H. Rüdiger

Junior Women

Anna Hübler

Fraulein Holbe

(no other competitors)


1906

Davos, Switzerland

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Ulrich Salchow

Ernst Herz

Per Thorén

Women (World Championships)

Madge Syers

Jenny Herz

Lili Kronberger

Pairs

Madge and Edgar Syers

Anna Hübler and Heinrich Burger

Phyllis (Squire) and James Henry Johnson

Women (Internationales Damenlaufen)

Elsa Rendschmidt

Jenny Herz

Anna Hübler


1907

Berlin, Germany

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Ulrich Salchow

Gilbert Fuchs

Ernst Herz

Women

Elsa Rendschmidt

Phyllis (Squire) Johnson

Anna Hübler

Pairs

Anna Hübler and Heinrich Burger

Phyllis (Squire) and James Henry Johnson

(no other competitors)

Men (Senior)

Gustav Schöning


Karl Ollo

Max Rendschmidt

Men (Junior)

Alois Wilschek

Herr Gutleben

Adolf Schmidt


1908

Warsaw, Poland

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Ulrich Salchow

Max Bohatsch

Nikolay Panin-Kolomenkin

Men (Senior)

Karl Ollo

Fedor Datlin

B. Wrobel


1909

Budapest, Hungary

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Ulrich Salchow

Gilbert Fuchs

Per Thorén

Women (World Championships)

Lili Kronberger

(no other competitors)

(no other competitors)

Pairs

Anna Hübler and Heinrich Burger

Helene Kuich and Karl Mejstrik

Ludovika Eilers and Walter Jakobsson

Men (International Senior Herrenkunst)

Andor Szende

Walter Jakobsson

Ludwig Richard

Women (International Senior Damenkunst)

Jenny Herz

Elsa Rendschmidt

Zsófia Méray-Horváth

Junior Men

Robert Sander

George Müller

B. Wrobel

Junior Women

Helene Fräter

Hedwig Müller

Hermine Proschel-Kunz


1910

Berlin, Germany

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Ulrich Salchow

Werner Rittberger

Per Thorén

Women

Elsa Rendschmidt

Fraulein Sonder

(no other competitors)

Pairs

Ludovika Eilers and Walter Jakobsson

Fraulein and Robert Sonder

Else and Heinrich Weber

Men (Senior)

Fritz Kachler

Harald Rooth

Harry Paulsen

Junior Men

Louis Magnus

Herr Zollner

Herr Bomhardt

Junior Women

Ludovika Eilers

Fraulein Sonder

Grete Strasilla


1911

St. Petersburg, Russia

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Per Thorén

Karl Ollo

Werner Rittberger

Women

Ludovika Eilers

Xenia Caesar

Lidia Popova

Pairs

Ludovika Eilers and Walter Jakobsson

(not recorded)

(not recorded)


1912

Stockholm, Sweden

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Gösta Sandahl

Ivan Malinin

Martin Stixrud


1913

Oslo, Norway

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Ulrich Salchow

Andor Szende

Willy Böckl

Women

Margit Johansen

Astrid Nordsveen

Eva Lindahl

Pairs

Alexia Schøien and Yngvar Bryn

Solveig Andersen and Arthur Johannessen

Herr and Fraulein Jensen


1914

Vienna, Austria-Hungary

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Fritz Kachler

Andreas Krogh

Willy Böckl

Women

Gisela Reichmann

Paula Zalaudek

(no other competitors)

Pairs

Christine (Engelmann) von Szabo and Leo Horwitz

Helene Engelmann and Karl Mejstrik

(no other competitors)

Men (Preis de Wiener Eislaufverein)

Ernst Oppacher

Erwin Schwarzböck

Josef Oppacher


1922

Davos, Switzerland

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Willy Böckl

Fritz Kachler

Ernst Oppacher


1923

Oslo, Norway

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Willy Böckl

Martin Stixrud

Gunnar Jakobsson

Women

Herma Szabo

Margot Moe

Ingrid Guldbransen

Pairs (World Championships)

Ludovika (Eilers) and Walter Jakobsson

Alexia and Yngvar Bryn

Elna Henrikson and Kaj af Ekström


1924

Davos, Switzerland

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Fritz Kachler

Ludwig Wrede

Werner Rittberger


1925

Triberg, Germany

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Willy Böckl

Werner Rittberger

Otto Preißecker

Women

Hildegard Thiel

Elisabeth Böckel

Käthe Wulff

Men (International)

Hugo Distler

Fritz Schober

Karl Kronfuss

Junior Men

Karl Kronfuss

Ernst Baier

Herr Strebel


1926

Davos, Switzerland

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Willy Böckl

Otto Preißecker

Georges Gautschi

Pairs

Gisela Hochhaltinger and Georg Pamperl

Ethel Muckelt and Jack Ferguson Page

Hertha Trauzl and Heinrich Schrepfer


1927

Vienna, Austria

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Willy Böckl

Hugo Distler

Karl Schäfer

Women

Herma Szabo

Fritzi Burger

Melitta Brunner

Pairs (World Championships)

Herma Szabo and Ludwig Wrede

Lilly Scholz and Otto Kaiser

Liesl and Oscar Hoppe

Men (international senior)

Herbert Haertel

(no other competitors)

(no other competitors)

Waltzing

Minna Klingel and Willy Petter

(no other competitors)

(no other competitors)


1928

Troppau, Czechoslovakia

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Willy Böckl

Karl Schäfer

Otto Preißecker

Women

Melitta Brunner

Edith Hecht

Gerda Hornung

Pairs

Melitta Brunner and Ludwig Wrede

Else and Oscar Hoppe

Emília Rotter and László Szollás


1929

Davos, Switzerland

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Karl Schäfer

Georges Gautschi

Ludwig Wrede

Women

Melitta Brunner

Ilse Hornung

Else Flebbe

Pairs

Lilly Scholz and Otto Kaiser

Melitta Brunner and Ludwig Wrede

Gisela Hochhaltinger and Otto Preißecker


1930

Štrbské Pleso, Czechoslovakia

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Josef Slíva

Karl Schäfer

Otto Gold


Due to judging irregularities, the results of this competition were nullified. A second competition was held in Berlin, Germany.

Berlin, Germany

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Karl Schäfer

Otto Gold

Markus Nikkanen

Women

Fritzi Burger

Vivi-Anne Hultén

Ilse Hornung

Pairs

Emília Rotter and László Szollás

Ilse Kishauer and Ernst Gaste

Else and Oscar Hoppe


Vienna, Austria

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Women*

Fritzi Burger

Ilse Hornung

Vivi-Anne Hultén

Pairs*

Olga Orgonista and Sándor Szalay

Emília Rotter and László Szollás

Gisela Hochhaltinger and Otto Preißecker


1931

Vienna, Austria

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Karl Schäfer

Ernst Baier

Hugo Distler

Women (Internationales Damen-Kunstlaufen um den Wanderpreis des Vereines Kunsteisbahn am Sportsplatz Engelmann)

Ilse Hornung

Helga Schrittwieser-Dietz

Olly Holzmann

Pairs

Idi Papez and Karl Zwack

Gitta Rimmel and Adolf Rosdol

Ridi and Pepo Jauernigg


St. Moritz, Switzerland

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men

Hugo Distler

Marcell Vadas

Ernst Baier

Women*

Sonja Henie

Fritzi Burger

Hilde Holovsky

Pairs*

Olga Orgonista and Sándor Szalay

Emília Rotter and László Szollás

Lilly Gaillard and Willy Petter

Junior Men

Erich Erdös

Leslie White

Richard Hammer

Junior Women

Liselotte Landbeck

Megan Taylor

Olly Holzmann


1932

Paris, France

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Karl Schäfer

Ernst Baier

Erich Erdös

Women*

Sonja Henie

Fritzi Burger

Vivi-Anne Hultén

Pairs*

Andrée (Joly) and Pierre Brunet

Lilly (Scholz) Gaillard and Willy Petter

Idi Papez and Karl Zwack


1933

London, England

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Karl Schäfer

Ernst Baier

Erich Erdös

Women*

Sonja Henie

Cecilia Colledge

Fritzi Burger

Pairs*

Idi Papez and Karl Zwack

Lilly (Scholz) Gaillard and Willy Petter

Mollie Phillips and Rodney Murdoch

Waltzing

Ethel Muckelt and Ronald D. Gilbey

Violet Supple and Leslie Cliff

Betty Meakin and Jack Dunn


1934

Seefeld, Austria

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Karl Schäfer

Dénes Pataky

Elemér Terták

Women

Liselotte Landbeck

Grete Lainer

Helga Schrittwieser-Dietz

Pairs

Herta Baumgartner and Rolf Stillebacher

Fraulein Tusak and Herr Ballazs

Mlle. Hauser and Erwin Keller

Men (Senior)

T.C. Patrick Low

Emil Ratzenhofer

Ernst Fenner

Junior Women

Emmy Puzinger

Hertha Dexler

Bianca Schenk


Prague, Czechoslovakia

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Women*

Sonja Henie

Liselotte Landbeck

Maribel Vinson

Pairs*

Emília Rotter and László Szollás

Idi Papez and Karl Zwack

Zofia Bilorówna and Tadeusz Kowalski


1935

St. Moritz, Switzerland

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Karl Schäfer

Felix Kaspar

Ernst Baier

Women*

Sonja Henie

Liselotte Landbeck

Cecilia Colledge

Pairs*

Maxi Herber and Ernst Baier

Idi Papez and Karl Zwack

Lucy Gallo and Rezső Dillinger

Junior Men

Herbert Alward

Gunther Lorenz

(no other competitors)

Junior Women

Maria Schweinburg

Angela Anderes

Daphne Walker


1936

Berlin, Germany

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Karl Schäfer

Henry Graham Sharp

Ernst Baier

Women*

Sonja Henie

Cecilia Colledge

Megan Taylor

Pairs*

Maxi Herber and Ernst Baier

Violet (Supple) and Leslie Cliff

Piroska and Attila Szekrényessy


1937

Prague, Czechoslovakia

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Felix Kaspar

Henry Graham Sharp

Elemér Terták

Women*

Cecilia Colledge

Megan Taylor

Emmy Puzinger

Pairs*

Maxi Herber and Ernst Baier

Ilse and Erich Pausin

Piroska and Attila Szekrényessy


1938

St. Moritz, Switzerland

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Felix Kaspar

Henry Graham Sharp

Herbert Alward

Women*

Cecilia Colledge

Megan Taylor

Emmy Puzinger

Pairs

Inge Koch and Günther Noack

Violet (Supple) and Leslie Cliff

Pierrette and Paul Du Bois


Troppau, Czechoslovakia

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Pairs*

Maxi Herber and Ernst Baier

Ilse and Erich Pausin

Inge Koch and Günther Noack

Junior Men

Elemér Terták

Emil Ratzenhofer

Ferenc Kertesz

Junior Women

Nadine Szilassy

Lilly König

Anna Pollack


1939

Davos, Switzerland

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Men*

Henry Graham Sharp

Freddie Tomlins

Horst Faber


London, England

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Women*

Cecilia Colledge

Megan Taylor

Daphne Walker

British Junior Men

Dennis Silverthorne

Adrian Pryce-Jones

Peter J. Scholes

British Junior Women

Elizabeth M. Whittington

Winnie Silverthorne

K. Everard


Zakopane, Poland

Category

Winner

2nd

3rd

Pairs*

Maxi Herber and Ernst Baier

Ilse and Erich Pausin

Inge Koch and Günther Noack

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