Ein Londoner Möbelfabrikant und das erste Hamburger Tennisturnier

Abstract

Tennis and golf, as well as numerous other sports, found their way to Germany in the era of the Wilhelmine Empire. Hoteliers in German health resorts, operators of private sports grounds or commercial playground companies, among others, played a significant role. Uhlenhorst, a district of Hamburg since 1894, was already the venue for major tennis tournaments with international players in the early 1890s. At that time, the London merchant, tennis player and sports official Walter Howard donated a silver cup to the Ice Rink Club on Uhlenhorst (Eisbahnverein auf der Uhlenhorst), which was used as a prize for the “Championship of Hamburg”. This article goes into Walter Howard’s biography and outlines his commitment to Hamburg tennis, which also gave important impulses to women’s tennis.