View source for KSV Hessen Kassel

{{short description|German football club}}
{{Other uses of|Hessen|Hesse (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}
{{Infobox football club
| clubname     = KSV Hessen Kassel
| image        = KSV Hessen Kassel logo.svg
| upright  = 0.8
| fullname     = Kasseler Sport-Verein Hessen Kassel e. V.
| nickname     = Die Löwen
| founded      = {{Start date and age|p=yes|1893}}
| ground       = [[Auestadion]]
| capacity     = 18,737
| chairman     = {{flagicon|GER}} Jens Rose
| manager      = {{flagicon|GER}} [[René Klingbeil]]
| league       = [[Regionalliga Südwest]] (IV)
| season       = [[2023–24 Regionalliga|2023–24]]
| position     = 10th
| website      = https://www.ksvhessen.de
| current      = 
| pattern_la1 = 
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| leftarm1 = ffffff
| body1 = ffffff
| rightarm1 = ffffff
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| pattern_la2 = 
| pattern_b2 = _kassel2021a
| pattern_ra2 = 
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'''KSV Hessen Kassel''' is a semi-professional [[Football in Germany|German football club]] based in [[Kassel]], [[Hesse]]. KSV competes in the German [[Regionalliga Südwest]], the [[German football league system|fourth tier]] of German football. Nicknamed "Die Löwen" (the lions), the club was founded as FC Union 93 Kassel in 1893. A series of mergers, insolvency and [[Phoenix club (sports)|re-starts]] led to the club known today being re-formed on 3 February 1998. The club's colours are red and white and their home ground since 1953 has been the [[Auestadion]], located in the southwest of the city of Kassel next to the historic [[Karlsaue|Karlsaue park]].

==History==
The club was founded as FC Union 93 Kassel in 1893 and just two years later joined FC Hassia 93 Cassel to form Casseler FV 95. In 1919, fusion with VfK Kassel created SV Kurhessen Kassel. It was as Kurhessen that the club joined the [[Gauliga Hessen]], one of sixteen top flight divisions established in the re-organization of German football in 1933 under the [[Third Reich]]. They were relegated at the end of the 1935–36 season and made their way back in 1938, but continued to perform poorly, narrowly missing relegation in subsequent seasons. They earned their best result in 1942 in the newly formed [[Gauliga Kurhessen]], finishing just two points shy of division winners 1. SV Borussia 04 Fulda. In 1944, they joined CSC 03 Kassel to form the combined wartime side KSG SV Kurhessen/CSC 03 Kassel and again finished two points behind the division leaders, this time in third place on goal difference. The Gauliga Kurhessen was re-organized into three groups for the following season, and the club was assigned to the Gruppe Kassel, but the region was overtaken by World War II, bringing a stop to league play.

After the war, SVKK was one of a number of clubs merged to form the Gründung der Sportgruppe Süd, an association active in a number of sports. This club became VfL Kassel in 1946, and finally, merged with Kasseler SV Kassel in November 1947 to become today's KSV Hessen Kassel.
[[File:Hessen Kassel Performance Chart.png|260px|thumb|Historical chart of Hessen Kassel league performance]]
Kassel quickly established themselves as a stolid, but largely unremarked, second-tier side. They played their way into what was at the time the first tier [[Oberliga Süd (1945–63)|Oberliga Süd]] and then found themselves in the [[Regionalliga Süd (1963–74)|Regionalliga Süd]] (II) after the formation in 1963 of Germany's new premier level professional league, the [[Bundesliga]]. A first place Regionalliga finish in 1964 saw them compete unsuccessfully in the promotion rounds for the Bundesliga . The club continued to play tier II ball until the mid 70s when their performance dropped them to Amateur [[Oberliga Hessen]] (III) until the start of the next decade brought an advance to the [[2. Bundesliga]]. Through the 80s, the team flirted with promotion to the senior circuit, but could never quite put themselves over the top. In 1985 the club just missed being promoted: a loss to Nurenburg (0–2) in the last game of the season against wins by three other clubs in the hunt saw Kassel left behind.

Those runs at the Bundesliga in the 80s, alongside an advance to the quarter-final of the DFB-Pokal in 1991, represent the apex of the team's achievement. The club was bankrupted in 1993 and the football side set off on its own as FC Hessen Kassel. They too had financial problems and in 1998 also found themselves bankrupt, but this time plunged all the way down to Kreisliga Hessen A (VIII). Kassel began their recovery by going unbeaten over the course of the next two seasons and advanced to the Oberliga Hessen (IV) which they won in 2005–06 to earn a promotion to the [[Regionalliga]] (III). In 2007–08, they failed to qualify for the new [[3. Liga]], remaining in the Regionaliga Süd, now tier four. They came close to promotion once more in 2010–11 but narrowly failed finishing third.

At the end of the 2011–12 season the club was grouped into the new [[Regionalliga Südwest]], which replaced the Regionalliga Süd in the region. In [[2012–13 Regionalliga|2012–13]] the club won the inaugural championship of the new league and qualified for the promotion play-off to the 3. Liga.

Die Löwen lost their play-off tie for promotion to the [[3. Liga]] over two legs to [[Holstein Kiel]] who finished the 2012–13 season as champions of [[Regionalliga Nord]]. Kassel lost the first game of the tie away at the [[Holstein-Stadion]] in [[Kiel]] 2–0.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.kicker.de/kiel-gegen-kassel-2013-liga-relegation-1887558/schema | title = Match Statistics: Holstein Kiel vs Hessen Kassel | date= 29 May 2013 | publisher= [[Kicker (sports magazine)|Kicker]] | access-date =  23 July 2013 }}</ref> In the return leg in [[Kassel]], the club lost 2–1 at the [[Auestadion]] in front of 17,000 fans.<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.kicker.de/kassel-gegen-kiel-2013-liga-relegation-1887559/schema | title = Match Statistics: Hessen Kassel vs Holstein Kiel | date= 2 June 2013 | publisher= [[Kicker (sports magazine)|Kicker]] | access-date =  23 July 2013 }}</ref> The following season the club was not able to challenge for the championship, only finishing 13th.

==Players==
===Current squad===
For [[2024–25 Regionalliga#Regionalliga Südwest|2024/25 season]] {{updated|22 January 2025|<ref name="KASSEL2023">{{cite web | url=https://www.ksvhessen.de/1-mannschaft/ | title=Mannschaft 2024/25 | publisher=www.ksvhessen.de | access-date=9 October 2024 | language=de | trans-title=Team 2024/25 }}</ref>}}

{{fs start}}
{{fs player|no= 1|pos=GK|nat=GER|name=Jonas Weyand}}
{{fs player|no= 2|pos=DF|nat=KAZ|name=Alexander Mißbach}}
{{fs player|no= 3|pos=MF|nat=BUL|name=[[Emanuel Mirchev]]}}
{{fs player|no= 4|pos=DF|nat=GER|name=Kenny Weyh}}
{{fs player|no= 5|pos=DF|nat=GER|name=Tyron Duah}}
{{fs player|no= 6|pos=MF|nat=GER|name=Aaron Liesche Prieto}}
{{fs player|no= 7|pos=FW|nat=GER|name=Joyce Luyeye-Nkula}}
{{fs player|no= 8|pos=MF|nat=GER|name=Frederic Brill}}
{{fs player|no= 9|pos=FW|nat=BIH|name=[[Benjamin Hadžić]]}}
{{fs player|no=10|pos=MF|nat=TUR|name=[[Sercan Sararer]]}}
{{fs player|no=11|pos=FW|nat=GER|name=Nikos Zografakis}}
{{fs player|no=12|pos=GK|nat=GER|name=Nicolas Gröteke}}
{{fs player|no=17|pos=FW|nat=GER|name=Severo Sturm}}
{{fs player|no=18|pos=MF|nat=TUN|name=Rami Zouaoui|other={{small|on loan from [[Eintracht Braunschweig]]}}}}
{{fs mid}}
{{fs player|no=20|pos=DF|nat=GER|name=Elias Liesche Prieto}}
{{fs player|no=21|pos=MF|nat=NGA|name=David Emmanuel|other={{small|on loan from [[FC Bayern Munich Junior Team|Bayern Munich U19]]}}}}
{{fs player|no=22|pos=DF|nat=GER|name=Donald Nduka|other={{small|on loan from [[FC Ingolstadt 04|Ingolstadt]]}}}}
{{fs player|no=23|pos=DF|nat=GER|name=Paul Stegmann}}
{{fs player|no=25|pos=FW|nat=GER|name=Jan Dahlke}}
{{fs player|no=26|pos=MF|nat=GER|name=Nils Stendera}}
{{fs player|no=27|pos=DF|nat=GER|name=Tobias Boche}}
{{fs player|no=28|pos=MF|nat=GER|name=[[Marco Hingerl]]}}
{{fs player|no=29|pos=MF|nat=GER|name=Cornelius Bräunling}}
{{fs player|no=31|pos=DF|nat=GER|name=Maurice Springfeld}}
{{fs player|no=32|pos=DF|nat=GER|name=Nael Najjar}}
{{fs player|no=33|pos=MF|nat=GER|name=[[Lukas Rupp]]}}
{{fs player|no=39|pos=GK|nat=GER|name=Franz Langhoff}}
{{fs player|no=|pos=MF|nat=GER|name=[[Yannick Stark]]}}
{{fs end}}

===Out on loan===
{{Fs start}}
{{Fs end}}

===Reserve team===
{{main|KSV Hessen Kassel II}}

The club's reserve team, [[KSV Hessen Kassel II]], has played in the [[Verbandsliga Hessen-Nord]] since 2009. The team's greatest success has been to win the [[Hesse Cup]] in 1961 and finish runners-up in the [[Amateurliga Hessen]] in 1968.

===International footballers===
Below is a list of former and current international footballers who have played at least 1 match for a [[FIFA]] recognised country at senior or U21 level while contracted to the club.

{| class="toccolours"
|-
! style="background:#dd0000;color:white"|Player !! style="background:#dd0000;color:white"|Country !! style="background:#dd0000;color:white"|Caps !! style="background:#dd0000;color:white"|Goals !! style="background:#dd0000;color:white"|Active
|-
| [[Gustav Hensel]] || {{flagicon|GER}} Germany || align=center|1 || align=center|0 || 1908
|-
| [[Heinrich Weber (footballer)|Heinrich 'Heini' Weber]] || {{flagicon|GER}} Germany || align=center|12 || align=center|0 || 1928–31
|-
| [[Karl-Heinz Metzner]] || {{flagicon|GER}} West Germany || align=center|2 || align=center|0 || 1952–53
|-
| [[Dieter Hecking]] || {{flagicon|GER}} West Germany U21 || align=center|12 || align=center|8 || 1985–86
|-
| [[Harez Arian Habib]] || {{flagicon|AFG|variant=2013}} Afghanistan || align=center|13 || align=center|4 || 2007–12
|-
| [[Alban Meha]] || {{flagicon|ALB}}{{flagicon|KOS}} Albania/Kosovo || align=center|9 || align=center|2 || 2005–2024
|-
| [[Faton Xhemaili]] || {{flagicon|ALB}} Albania U21|| align=center|1 || align=center|0 || 2018–present
|}

==Staff==
===Current staff===
[[File:Tobiasdamm2006.jpg|thumb|right|200px|Former KSV forward [[Tobias Damm]] was the Kassel head coach from 2019 to 2023. He guided the team back into Regionalliga in 2020.]]
For [[2024–25 Regionalliga#Regionalliga Südwest|2024/25 season]] {{updated|5 November 2023|<ref name="KASSEL2024">{{cite web | url=https://www.ksvhessen.de/1-mannschaft/ | title=Mannschaft 2024/25 | publisher=www.ksvhessen.de | access-date=5 November 2024 | language=de | trans-title=Team 2024/25 }}</ref>}}
{|
|width="1"|&nbsp;
|valign="top"|
{| class="toccolours"
|-
! style="background:#dd0000;color:white"|Role !! style="background:#dd0000;color:white"|Staff
|-
| Head coach || {{flagicon|GER}} [[René Klingbeil]]
|-
| Assistant coach || {{flagicon|GER}} Sebastian Busch
|-
| Assistant coach || {{flagicon|GER}} Mirko Dickhaut
|-
| Goalkeeper coach || {{flagicon|GER}} Christoph Wiegand
|-
| Goalkeeper coach || {{flagicon|GER}} Michael Gibhardt
|}
|width="1"|&nbsp;
|valign="top"|
{| class="toccolours"
|-
! style="background:#dd0000;color:white"|Role !! style="background:#dd0000;color:white"|Staff
|-
| Director of football || {{flagicon|GER}} Jörg Müller
|-
| Team manager || {{flagicon|GER}} Michael Voss
|-
| Team official || {{flagicon|GER}} Alfred Gäßler
|-
| Kit manager || {{flagicon|GER}} Uwe Heller
|-
|}
|width="1"|&nbsp;
|valign="top"|
{| class="toccolours"
|-
! style="background:#dd0000;color:white"|Role !! style="background:#dd0000;color:white"|Staff
|-
| Club doctor || {{flagicon|GER}} Thomas Krause
|-
| Club doctor || {{flagicon|GER}} Markus Schott
|-
| Physiotherapist || {{flagicon|GER}} Christian Bielert
|-
| Physiotherapist || {{flagicon|GER}} Nina Klaus
|-
|}
|}

===Club managers===
All managers of the club since 1946:<ref>[http://www.weltfussball.de/teams/hessen-kassel/9/ KSV Hessen Kassel Trainer von A-Z] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160324122714/http://www.weltfussball.de/teams/hessen-kassel/9/ |date=24 March 2016 }} {{in lang|de}} weltfussball.de, accessed: 7 December 2011</ref>
[[File:Bundesarchiv Bild 183-1987-0423-038, 1. FC Lok Leipzig, Trainer Hans-Ulrich Thomale.jpg|thumb|right|200px|[[Hans-Ulrich Thomale]] has twice been manager of Hessen Kassel. He guided the club to their best ever finish in the [[DFB-Pokal]] in 1991, reaching the quarter-final stage where Kassel was knocked out by [[SV Werder Bremen]] 2–0.]]
{|
|width="1"|&nbsp;
|valign="top"|
{| class="toccolours"
|-
! style="background:silver;"|Manager !! style="background:silver;"|Term
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Fritz Kleim || 1946–1947
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Ernst Paulus || 1947–1949
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Karl Höger]] || 1949–1950
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Lothar Schröder || 1950–1952
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Rudi Gellesch]] || 1952–1955
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Walter Koch || 1955–1956
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Hans Carl || 1956–1958
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Jupp Kratz || 1958–1960
|-
|{{flagicon|AUT}} [[Willibald Hahn]] || 1960–1962
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Walter Müller || 1962–1964
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Herbert Widmayer]] || 1964–1966
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Toni Hellwig || 1966–1968
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Willy Kurrat || 1968–1969
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Heinz Baas]] || 1969–1971
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Toni Hellwig || 1971
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Hans-Wilhelm Loßmann || 1971–1972
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Toni Hellwig || 1972–1973
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Heinz Baas]] || 1973–1974
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Klaus Kuhnert || 1974
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Robert Gebhardt]] || 1974–1976
|-
|}
|width="1"|&nbsp;
|valign="top"|
{| class="toccolours"
|-
! style="background:silver;"|Manager !! style="background:silver;"|Term
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Walter Müller || 1976
|-
|{{flagicon|HUN}} [[Gyula Tóth (footballer born 1941)|Gyula Tóth]] || 1976–1978
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Rudi Kröner || 1978–1982
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Timo Konietzka]] || 1982–1983
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Jörg Berger]] || 1983–1986
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Rudi Kröner || 1986
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Jürgen Nehme || 1986
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Elmar Müller || 1986
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Werner Biskup || 1987
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Holger Brück || 1987
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Franz Brungs]] || 1987–1989
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Lorenz-Günther Köstner]] || 1989–1990
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Hans-Ulrich Thomale]] || 1990–1992
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Karl-Heinz Wolf || 1992–1993
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Franz Brungs]] || 1993–1995
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Holger Brück || 1995–1996
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Hans-Jürgen Gede]] || 1996
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Hans-Werner Moors || 1997
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Horst Schmidt || 1997
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Jörg Müller || 1998–2000
|-
|}
|width="1"|&nbsp;
|valign="top"|
{| class="toccolours"
|-
! style="background:silver;"|Manager !! style="background:silver;"|Term
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} ''Holger Brück''{{efn|name=fn1}} || 2000–2001
|-
|{{flagicon|UK}} Terry Scott || 2001
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} ''Holger Brück''{{efn|name=fn1}} || 2001
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Oliver Roggensack || 2001–2003
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Thomas Freudenstein || 2003–2004
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Hans-Ulrich Thomale]] || 2004
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Bernd Sturm || 2004–2005
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Matthias Hamann]] || 2005–2008
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Mirko Dickhaut]] || 2008–2011
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Christian Hock]] || 2011
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} ''Holger Brück''{{efn|name=fn1}} || 2011
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Uwe Wolf]] || 2012–2013  
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Jörn Großkopf]] || 2013
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Sven Hoffmeister]] || 2013
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Matthias Mink || 2014–2016
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Tobias Cramer || 2016–2019
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Dietmar Hirsch]] || 2019
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Tobias Damm]] || 2019–2023
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} Alexander Kiene || 2023–2024
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[André Schubert]] || 2024
|-
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[René Klingbeil]] || 2024–Present
|}
|}
'''Notes:'''
{{notelist|refs=
{{efn|name=fn1|Interim head coach}}
}}

==Club identity==
===Supporters===
[[File:Block_30_supporter_group_KSV_Hessen_Kassel.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Block 30 at a home KSV match in 2012 vs Eversberg in the Regionalliga.]]
KSV Hessen Kassel has a number of organised and un-organised fan groups, ultras and blocks. Most notably, Block 30, Huddich Bande Ultras and Block 36.

Named after the block affiliated members meet and watch KSV in the Auestadion, Block 30 is organised and represents an array of different kinds of fans. Its purpose is to support KSV Hessen Kassel, promote German football supporter culture and connect with other supporter groups in Germany on important regional football issues. In March 2019 it joined with twelve other clubs ranging from 3.Liga (III) to Oberliga (V) level to establish a working group to determine a unified position and list of recommendations to take to the [[Deutscher Fußball-Bund|DFB]] on proposed reforms to the regional football structure in Germany.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://block30.blogsport.de/images/Regionalliga_Reform_Fanszenen_Deutschlands.pdf | title= Regionalliga Reformder "Fanszenen Deutschland" | publisher= The fan scenes in Germany | date=March 2019 | access-date=5 September 2020 | language=de | trans-title=Regional league reform of the "fan scenes Germany" }}</ref>

Block 36 is not organised and consists of fans both affiliated with organised fan groups and not. Block 36 looks to ensure KSV Hessen Kassel is run openly and transparently with a culture of appreciation and respect. Block 36's stated value is honest regional football with the aspiration of seeing KSV getting back to a professional football level in Germany.<ref>{{cite web | url= https://block36blog.wordpress.com/ueberuns/ | title= Über uns | date= 26 June 2016 | publisher= Block 36 | access-date=5 September 2020 | language=de | trans-title=About us }}</ref>

Since 2008 there has been an unofficial friendship formed between Kassel's Block 30 and Huddich Bande Ultras and [[Holstein Kiel]]’s supporter group Block 501. In 2018, to celebrate ten years of friendship, the two sets of fans combined and attended one KSV Hessen Kassel match and one Holstein Kiel match together. They dubbed the weekend the brothers for life celebration.<ref>{{cite web | url= http://block30.blogsport.de/2018/11/21/kassel-kiel-wochenende/ | title= Kassel & Kiel Wochenende | publisher= Block 30 | date=21 November 2018 | access-date=5 September 2020 | language=de | trans-title=Kassel & Kiel weekend }}</ref>

===Facilities===
[[File:18-09-25-Kassel-RalfR-DJI 0281.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Aerial view of Auestadion, taken in 2018.]]
KSV Hessen Kassel's current home ground is the 18,737 capacity [[Auestadion]]. The stadium has predominantly been the club's home ground since being built in 1953. Hessen Kassel inaugurated Auestadion on the stadium's opening on 23 August 1953. KSV played a football match against [[Bavaria|Bavarian]] team [[Viktoria Aschaffenburg]] in front of 20,000 spectators. Kassel lost the match two goals to one.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hna.de/kassel/auestadion-jahren-erste-spiel-3072662.html | title=Auestadion: Vor 60 Jahren das erste Spiel | publisher=www.hna.de | date=23 August 2013 | access-date=7 September 2020 | language=de | trans-title=Auestadion: The first game 60 years ago }}</ref> The Auestadion is a multi-purpose facility with a 106 × 65 m football pitch located in the middle of a full athletic running track. The stadium has 8,700 seats and terracing that can accommodate for a little over 10,000 spectators standing.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://stadiumdb.com/stadiums/ger/auestadion | title=Auestadion Kassel | publisher=www.stadiumdb.com | access-date=7 September 2020 }}</ref> Auestadion has had three major renovations since being built, the last being a new grandstand, forecourt and video wall constructed between 2009 and 2011. The ground is located in the Southwest of the city near the historic [[Karlsaue|Karlsaue park]] and [[Eissporthalle Kassel]] ice sports stadium. It can be reached by both [[Trams in Kassel|local]] and [[Kassel RegioTram|regional]] Kassel tram lines: 5, 6 and RT5.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.kvg.de/fileadmin/kvg-ks/dokumente/Fahrplan/Netzplan/web_NVV_SLNP_KasselPlus_Corona.pdf  | title=Liniennetzpläne für Kassel und Nordhessen | publisher=Nordhessischer VerkehrsVerbund | access-date=7 September 2020 | language=de | trans-title=Line network plans for Kassel and North Hesse }}</ref>

KSV Hessen Kassel holds the attendance record for the Auestadion. The official record stands at 37,000 attendance at the 1964 [[Bundesliga]] promotion play-off match between KSV Hessen Kassel and [[Hannover 96]]. Kassel lost to the match [[1963–64 Regionalliga#Group 2|2–1]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.weltfussball.de/spielbericht/aufstiegsrunde-1-bundesliga-1963-1964-gruppe-2-hessen-kassel-hannover-96/ | title=1 Bundesliga 1963-1964 gruppe 2 Hessen Kassel-Hannover 96 | publisher=www.weltfussball.de | access-date=7 September 2020 | language=de | trans-title=1 Bundesliga 1963-1964 group 2 Hessen Kassel vs Hannover 96 }}</ref> There was however a report of 40,000 people attending a [[DFB-Pokal]] match in January 1965 at the stadium. KSV played Bundesliga club [[Hamburger SV]] (HSV, Hamburg) and lost 2–0 with goals to [[Uwe Seeler]] (12th minute) and [[Charly Dörfel]] (57th minute). The official crowd number was 33,000 but [[Hesse State Police|Kassel police]] reported there was 40,000 spectators in attendance. The number of fans buckled the railings in the standing areas. Children were passed down onto the playing ground to ensure their safety. The right hand side gate of the grandstand was pushed down and fans flooded into the playing area. The stewards and the police were powerless, and spectators were standing all around the corner flags. The referee, [[Wilfried Hilker]], delayed the start of the match so authorities could regain control and push the fans back from the edge of the field but eventually he got the match underway when it became apparent this was impossible to do.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hna.de/sport/regionalsport/mit-40-000-im-auestadion-fans-wollten-ksv-und-uwe-seeler-sehen-13644459.html | title=Mit 40 000 im Auestadion: Fans wollten KSV und Uwe Seeler sehen | publisher=www.hna.de | first=Peter | last=Fritschler | date=8 April 2020 | access-date=7 September 2020 | language=de | trans-title=With 40,000 in the Auestadion: fans wanted to see KSV and Uwe Seeler }}</ref>

Prior to the Auestadion construction in the 1950s, KSV played at the A-Platz. Known officially as the Kurhessen sports facility, the A-Platz was inaugurated in 1922 with a capacity of 16,000 spectators. The A-Platz was demolished after the completion of the Auestadion.

Following the club's insolvency in 1998 and relegation from the third division to the eighth division, KSV relocated to one of the outfields within the Auestadion precinct. The G-Platz had a capacity of 2,000 spectators and was affectionately known as the “lion cage” by the Hessen Kassel fans.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Grüne |last2=Karn |first1=Hardy |first2=Christian |date=2009 |title=Das große Buch der deutschen Fußballvereine: Die besten Fußballklubs Deuschlands |url=http://www.agon-sportverlag.de/Titel/3-89784-147-9.htm |location=Kassel, Germany |language=de |publisher=AGON Sportverlag |page=257 |isbn=9783897843622 |archive-date=16 September 2015 |access-date=3 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150916015858/http://www.agon-sportverlag.de/Titel/3-89784-147-9.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

===Other sporting departments===
Until 1993 KSV Hessen Kassel was a multi-sport club with sporting departments in football, athletics, badminton, tennis and table tennis among others. Hessen Kassel had a total of twenty three amateur departments. KSV produced a number of German champions and [[wikt:Olympian|Olympian]]s throughout these different disciplines. The club's bankruptcy in 1993 brought an end to KSV continuing as a multi-sport club. When the club was re-established it was brought back as a purely football club, FC Hessen Kassel. When the club re-emerged as KSV Hessen Kassel in 1998 it remained just a football club.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.hna.de/sport/ksv-hessen-kassel/zwei-pleiten-vier-jahren-8412105.html | title=Zwei Pleiten in vier Jahren | publisher=www.hna.de | first=Torsten | last=Kohlhaase | date=18 June 2017 | access-date=7 September 2020 | language=de | trans-title=Two failures in four years }}</ref>
[[File:Klaus_Lehnertz_1964.jpg|thumb|right|250px|A picture of KSV's Klaus Lehnertz with his bronze medal for pole vaulting at the [[1964 Summer Olympics|1964 Olympic Games]].]]
<br>
'''[[Sport of athletics|Athletics department]]'''

The club was used as the performance centre for athletics for the state of Hesse until 1993. During this time, KSV produced nine German champions, one European champion, one [[Commonwealth Games]] gold medallist and four Olympians from within its athletics department. These included:

* [[Anna Hagemann|Anna Klooss (née Hagemann)]], represented Germany at the [[1936 Summer Olympics|1936 Olympic Games]] in [[Athletics at the 1936 Summer Olympics – Women's discus throw|discus throwing]]. She was ranked as one of the top three discus throwers in German championships between 1936 and 1948 and she became German champion in 1946.
* [[Irmgard Schmelzer|Irmgard Schmelzer (née Kirchhoff)]], represented Germany at the [[1952 Summer Olympics|1952 Olympic Games]] in [[long jump]]. She finished fourth in the event with a distance of 5.9m. Irmgard also became the 1952 German champion in long jump.
* [[Ludwig Müller (runner)|Ludwig Müller]], represented [[United Team of Germany at the 1960 Summer Olympics|Germany]] at the [[1960 Summer Olympics|1960 Olympic Games]] in the men's [[Athletics at the 1960 Summer Olympics – Men's 3000 metres steeplechase|3000 metres steeplechase]]. Ludwig qualified for the final second from his heat before finishing sixth in the final. Müller was a [[middle-distance runner]] who became German champion in 1963.
* Josef Klik, represented [[West Germany]] in the [[1962 European Athletics Championships]] in [[1962 European Athletics Championships – Men's discus throw|discus throwing]]. He finished 18th in the qualification event, missing out on a spot in the final. Josef became German champion in 1964.
* [[Horst Flosbach]], represented [[United Team of Germany at the 1960 Summer Olympics|Germany]] at the [[1960 Summer Olympics|1960 Olympic Games]] in the men's [[Athletics at the 1960 Summer Olympics – Men's 5000 metres|5000 metres running race]]. Horst won his heat to advance to the final and finished eighth in the final. Flosbach was a [[long-distance runner]] who then became German champion in the 10,000 metres in 1964.
* Gerd Loßdörfer, represented West Germany at the [[1966 European Athletics Championships]] in [[1966 European Athletics Championships – Men's 400 metres hurdles|400 metres hurdles]]. Gerd won the silver medal in the event, finishing 0.5 seconds behind world number one [[Roberto Frinolli]]. Loßdörfer became German champion in hurdles in 1966.
* [[Klaus Lehnertz]], represented [[United Team of Germany at the 1964 Summer Olympics|Germany]] at the [[1964 Summer Olympics|1964 Olympic Games]] in [[Athletics at the 1964 Summer Olympics – Men's pole vault|pole vaulting]]. Lehnertz won the bronze medal in the event with 5.00 metres best mark. Klaus also represented West Germany at the European Championships in [[1962 European Athletics Championships – Men's pole vault|1962]] and [[1966 European Athletics Championships – Men's pole vault|1966]] as well as the European Cup in [[1965 European Cup (athletics)|1965]] and [[1967 European Cup (athletics)|1967]]. He won silver in 1965 and bronze in 1967. Lehnertz was also the German champion in pole vaulting for three straight years between 1966 and 1968.
* Hans-Jürgen Ziegler, represented West Germany at the [[1971 European Athletics Championships – Men's pole vault|1971 European Championships]] and [[1973 European Athletics Indoor Championships – Men's pole vault|1973 European indoor championships]] in pole vaulting. Ziegler finished eleventh in 1971 but won silver in 1973. He was also German pole vaulting champion in 1971 as well as German indoor champion in 1971 and 1972.
* [[Don Baird]], represented [[Australia]] at the [[Athletics at the 1974 British Commonwealth Games – Men's pole vault|1974]] and [[Athletics at the 1978 Commonwealth Games – Men's pole vault|1978]] Commonwealth Games in pole vaulting. Baird won the gold medal in 1974 and silver in 1978. Don also represented Australia at the [[1977 IAAF World Cup]]. He finished fourth at the World Cup. Baird was also the German champion at pole vaulting in 1974.
<br>
'''[[Badminton|Badminton department]]'''

KSV's badminton department produced successful individual players during its time of operation. Most notable was Maren Schröder, who won thirteen Hesse and three Southwest German titles. Anke Jaskolla and Ulrich Schaper also won Hesse championships. The department was dissolved in 1993 and the players left and started the independent Badminton Club Kassel e. V (BV Kassel) on 7 July 1993.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.bv-kassel.de/badminton-kassel/verein/vereinshistorie | title=Vereinshistorie | publisher=www.bv-kassel.de | access-date=7 September 2020 | language=de | trans-title=Club history }}</ref>

'''[[Tennis|Tennis department]]'''

KSV Hessen Kassel's tennis department was established in 1978 and remained operational until 1993. The club originally built three clay tennis courts and a small wooden clubhouse, adding a fourth later on, to the south of the Auestadion. In 1990 with increased members the club built a new large modern clubhouse. Once KSV declared bankruptcy in 1993, the tennis department and the majority of its member players broke away from KSV and founded a new independent club named Tennis-Club-Auepark Kassel eV (TC-Auepark Kassel eV).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.tc-auepark-kassel.de/tc-auepark | title=Die Geschichte | publisher=www.tc-auepark-kassel.de | access-date=7 September 2020 | language=de | trans-title=The History }}</ref>

'''[[Table tennis|Table tennis department]]'''

The table tennis department was founded as CT Hessen-Prussia in 1936 as the first table tennis department of any Kassel sports club. The department ceased operating during the Second World War but restarted on 17 November 1945 following the conclusion of the war. In 1946 it merged into the singular club name of KSV Hessen Kassel. It was one of the leading table tennis clubs in Northern Hesse at the time. KSV, in particular, excelled in women's table tennis. In 1967 KSV Hessen Kassel was promoted to the top division in the region, Oberliga Südwest. Kassel remained in the top division for four years before being relegated in 1971. In 1972 the women's Bundesliga was introduced in table tennis, KSV now found themselves in the third division. After eight seasons, Hessen Kassel got promoted to the second division in 1979, which was now called Regionalliga Südwest. In 1981 the division was renamed 2.Bundesliga. Kassel was again relegated in 1982 but was swiftly promoted again and remained in 2.Bundasliga for the rest of the 1980s. In 1993. Following the club's bankruptcy, the table tennis department left KSV and established its own independent club, TTC Kassel. The new club played in the first division for two years but withdrew from the second division and folded in 1997.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Eckehard |first=Meyer |date=August 1994 |title=TTC Kassel – Mit dem Rücken zur Wand |trans-title=TTC Kassel - With your back to the wall |language=de |magazine=DTS Magazine |location=Münster |publisher=Deutscher Tischtennis-Sport (DTS) }}</ref>

==Honours==
{{col-float}}
===League===
* '''[[2. Oberliga Süd]]''' (II)
** Champions: 1962
** Runners-up: 1953
* '''[[Regionalliga Süd (1963-74)|Regionalliga Süd]]''' (II)
** Champions: 1964
* '''[[Regionalliga Süd (1994–2012)|Regionalliga Süd]]''' (IV)
** Runners-up: 2009
* '''[[Regionalliga Südwest]]''' (IV)
** Champions: 2013
* '''[[Hessenliga|Oberliga Hessen]]''' (III–V)
** Champions: 1949, 1980, 1989, 1991, 2006
** Runners-up: 1968<sup>‡</sup>, 1988, 2003, 2004, 2020
* '''[[Verbandsliga Hessen-Nord|Landesliga Hessen-Nord]]''' (IV/V)
** Champions: 1967<sup>‡</sup>, 1971<sup>‡</sup>, 1984<sup>‡</sup>, 1989<sup>‡</sup>, 1995<sup>‡</sup>, 2002
** Runners-up: 2011<sup>‡</sup>
{{col-float-break}}
===Cup===
* '''[[Hesse Cup]]''' (Tiers III–VII)
** Winners: 1961<sup>‡</sup>, 2015
** Runners-up: 1948, 1968<sup>‡</sup>, 1975, 2010, 2011, 2018, [[2024–25 Verbandspokal|2025]]
{{col-float-end}}

* <sup>‡</sup> Won by [[KSV Hessen Kassel II|reserve team]]

==Season-by-season record==
The season-by-season performance of the club since re-establishment in February 1998:<ref>[http://www.f-archiv.de/ Das deutsche Fußball-Archiv] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180222131522/http://www.f-archiv.de/ |date=22 February 2018 }} {{in lang|de}} Historical German domestic league tables</ref><ref>[http://www.fussball.de/fussball-ergebnisse-die-top-ligen-bei-fussball-de/id_45692854/index Fussball.de&nbsp;– Ergebnisse] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111207123137/http://www.fussball.de/fussball-ergebnisse-die-top-ligen-bei-fussball-de/id_45692854/index |date= 7 December 2011 }} {{in lang|de}} Tables and results of all German football leagues</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
! Season
! Division
! [[German football league system|Tier]]
! Position
|- align="center"
| 1998–99
| align="left"| Kreisliga A
| VIII
| style="background:#ddffdd"| 1st ↑
|- align="center"
| 1999–00
| align="left"| Bezirksliga
| VII
| style="background:#ddffdd"| 1st ↑
|- align="center"
| 2000–01
| align="left"| Bezirksoberliga
| VI
| style="background:#ddffdd"| 1st ↑
|- align="center"
| 2001–02
| align="left"| [[Verbandsliga Hessen-Nord|Landesliga Hessen-Nord]]
| V
| style="background:#ddffdd"| 1st ↑
|- align="center"
| 2002–03
| align="left"| [[Oberliga Hessen]]
| rowspan=4| IV
| 2nd
|- align="center"
| 2003–04
| align="left"| Oberliga Hessen
| 2nd
|- align="center"
| 2004–05
| align="left"| Oberliga Hessen
| 13th
|- align="center"
| 2005–06
| align="left"| Oberliga Hessen
| style="background:#ddffdd"| 1st ↑
|- align="center"
| [[2006–07 Regionalliga#South|2006–07]]
| align="left"| [[Regionalliga Süd (1994–2012)|Regionalliga Süd]]
| rowspan=2| III
| 10th
|- align="center"
| [[2007–08 Regionalliga#South|2007–08]]
| align="left"| Regionalliga Süd
| 14th
|- align="center"
| [[2008–09 Regionalliga#Regionalliga Süd (South)|2008–09]]
| align="left"| Regionalliga Süd
| rowspan=10| IV
| 2nd
|- align="center"
| [[2009–10 Regionalliga#Regionalliga Süd|2009–10]]
| align="left"| Regionalliga Süd
| 4th
|- align="center"
| [[2010–11 Regionalliga#Regionalliga Süd (South)|2010–11]]
| align="left"| Regionalliga Süd
| 3rd
|- align="center"
| [[2011–12 Regionalliga#Regionalliga Süd (South)|2011–12]]
| align="left"| Regionalliga Süd
| 11th
|- align="center"
| [[2012–13 Regionalliga#Regionalliga Südwest|2012–13]]
| align="left"| [[Regionalliga Südwest]]
| 1st
|- align="center"
| [[2013–14 Regionalliga#Regionalliga Südwest|2013–14]]
| align="left"| Regionalliga Südwest
| 13th
|- align="center"
| [[2014–15 Regionalliga#Regionalliga Südwest|2014–15]]
| align="left"| Regionalliga Südwest
|  10th
|- align="center"
| [[2015–16 Regionalliga#Regionalliga Südwest|2015–16]]
| align="left"| Regionalliga Südwest
| 8th
|- align="center"
| [[2016–17 Regionalliga#Regionalliga Südwest|2016–17]]
| align="left"| Regionalliga Südwest
| 10th
|- align="center"
| [[2017–18 Regionalliga#Regionalliga Südwest|2017–18]]
| align="left"| Regionalliga Südwest
| style="background:#ffcccc"| 16th ↓
|- align="center"
| 2018–19
| align="left"| [[Hessenliga]]
| rowspan=2| V
| 3rd
|- align="center"
| 2019–20
| align="left"| Hessenliga
| style="background:#ddffdd"| 2nd ↑
|- align="center"
| [[2020–21 Regionalliga#Regionalliga Südwest|2020–21]]
| align="left"| [[Regionalliga Südwest]]
| rowspan=1| IV
| 12th
|}
* With the introduction of the [[Regionalliga]]s in 1994 and the [[3. Liga]] in 2008 as the new third tier, below the [[2. Bundesliga]], all leagues below dropped one tier. Also in 2008, the majority of football leagues in Hesse were renamed, with the Oberliga Hessen becoming the Hessenliga, the Landesliga becoming the Verbandsliga, the Bezirksoberliga becoming the Gruppenliga and the Bezirksliga becoming the Kreisoberliga. In 2012, the number of Regionalligas was increased from three to five with all Regionalliga Süd clubs except the Bavarian ones entering the new [[Regionalliga Südwest]].

{|class="wikitable" align="center"
| style="background:#ddffdd"| ↑ <small>[[Promotion and relegation|Promoted]]</small>
| style="background:#ffcccc"| ↓ <small>[[Promotion and relegation|Relegated]]</small>
|}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{official website|https://www.ksvhessen.de}}
* {{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20050120141234/http://www.abseits-soccer.com/clubs/kassel.html Abseits Guide to German Soccer]}}
* [http://www.weltfussball.de/teams/hessen-kassel/ KSV Hessen Kassel at Weltfussball.de] {{in lang|de}}
* [http://www.f-archiv.de/ Das deutsche Fußball-Archiv] – historical German domestic league tables {{in lang|de}}

{{Navboxes| title=KSV Hessen Kassel Links | titlestyle=background:#FFFFFF; border-top:#dd0000 5px solid; border-bottom:#dd0000 5px solid;|list1=
{{regionalliga Südwest}}
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{{Football in Hesse}}
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{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kassel, KSV Hessen}}
[[Category:KSV Hessen Kassel| ]]
[[Category:Football clubs in Germany]]
[[Category:Football clubs in Hesse]]
[[Category:Association football clubs established in 1893]]
[[Category:1893 establishments in Germany]]
[[Category:Sport in Kassel]]
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