A 1923 German National Football Championship winner's medal awarded to Otto Carlsson of Hamburger SV, in the form of a gilt-bronze rectangular plaquet

A 1923 German National Football Championship winner's medal awarded to Otto Carlsson of Hamburger SV, in the form of a gilt-bronze rectangular plaquette, the obverse with a footballer in raised relief, the reverse inscribed DEM DEUTSCHEN FUSSBALL MEISTER, 1923, BERLIN, 10. JUNI 1923, 6 by 4cm. The first officially recognised German National Football Championship took place in 1903 and was won by VfB Leipzig. The 1922 Championship was shrouded in controversy and although Hamburg had originally been declared champions the competition is officially voided in the record books. Any disappointment for Hamburg was short-lived as they were officially crowned German National Champions for the first time in their history in 1923. Having beaten Guts Muts Dresden 2-0 in the quarter-final and VfB Konigsberg 3-2 in the semi-final Hamburger SV progressed to the final at the Deutsches Stadion, Berlin, on 10th June 1923. Here they easily beat Union Oberschoneweide 3-0 through goals by Otto Harder, Ludwig Breuel and Karl Schneider. Hamburg had an English coach A.W. Turner. Otto Carlsson was born in Sweden 16th December 1901. He started playing football at Limhamns IF before transferring to IFK Malmo in 1920. Carlsson went to live in Germany and continued his footballing career by joining Lubeck BV moving to Hamburger SV in 1922. He was part of the club's ''phantom'' win in the 1922 German Championship and the two officially crowned national titles in 1923 and 1928. In between Carlsson had returned to Sweden to do his military service there. Carlsson also played two international matches for Sweden. He was still playing for Hamburg until 1934 at which time he joined the LBV Phoenix in L?beck. In 1942 Carlsson returned permanently to Sweden and gained work as a coach with appointments at IK Brage and IFK Malm? in the Allsvenskan. He died 1st March 1982.