Franz DÜHNE

Francis "Franz" Duhne was a pioneer of football in Hamburg around 1900, when he played for SC Germania 1887 Hamburg. His brother Hans became Hamburg Champion in 1904 with this club. Franz took part in the 1900 Olympic Games at Paris as a steeplechaser, placing sixth in both the 2,500 and 4,000 metre races. Duhne also earned German Championships over 1,500 m in 1898 and 1899, and was third in the 200 m in 1900 and 1902. He took part in the 1900 Paris Olympics in four disciplines with good results - sixth over 2,500 and 4,000 metres steeplechase, first in the 1,500 metres handicap and second in the 2,500 metre steeplechase handicap. Duhne emigrated to the United States in 1902, living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, became a naturalized US citizen in 1939, and owned his own feed and grain distributorship. Although he was initially fairly prosperous in that business, in later life he fell on hard times and relied on government aid and assistance from relatives in Switzerland to survive.