Spirit, Strength, Legacy - An Exhibition At The Maccabi Sports Museum In Ramat Gan
In an exhibition at the Maccabi Sports Museum in Ramat Gan, opening on 3 June, we tell the remarkable story of the achievements of the Jewish sports club Hakoah Vienna 100 years ago. In the summer of 1925, the Jewish sports club Hakoah Vienna won the Austrian football championship. One year later, the team caused a sensation with a tour through North America. The Hakoah players were sports stars of their time.
Founded in 1909 as a Jewish sports club, SC Hakoah Vienna emerged in response to growing antisemitism and the exclusion of Jewish athletes. The club aimed to strengthen Jewish self-confidence and visibility through sports. Its football team became one of the best teams of its era, gaining international renown. After winning the Austrian championship in 1925, the team toured the world and inspired the foundation of numerous Hakoah clubs worldwide.
After 1938, Hakoah’s international network became vital. Under National Socialism, the club was dissolved and its members persecuted. While many members were murdered in the Shoah, others escaped into exile through Hakoah’s sporting connections. After the war, they helped preserve and spread the club’s legacy worldwide.
The exhibition “Spirit, Strength, Legacy – The Story of Hakoah Vienna” explores the history of Jewish life in the 20th century: success, Nazi persecution, remembrance, and new beginnings. Marking the 101st anniversary of Hakoah Vienna’s Austrian football championship victory in 1925 and 100 years since the team’s famous U.S. tour, this is the first time that the story will be presented to an international audience.
The exhibition opens on 3 June 2026 at the Maccabi Sports Museum in Kfar Maccabiah, Ramat Gan, and will be presented alongside the International Maccabiah Games. It addresses international athletes, delegates, and a wider public interested in sports, antisemitism prevention, and Holocaust remembrance. Following the Maccabiah Games, the exhibition is planned to travel to further venues in Israel.
The exhibit is a product of the ‘Together Through Sports’ initiative, a partnership between What Matters and the World Jewish Congress; in cooperation with Kfar Maccabiah.
Co-founders are Charlton, Infront, Bundesliga, the Austrian Cultural Forum, and the World Jewish Congress Israel.
Foto: Jewish Museum Vienna.
