Today, Monday, January 13, 2025, Dr. Karl Heß (1900 -1975) turned 125 years old. Heß is the former chairman of the Lilies and was appointed honorary chairman at the general meeting in 2018.
A life for the Lilies: The German-Jewish Darmstadt lawyer Dr. Karl Heß, born on January 13, 1900, served as deputy chairman of SV Darmstadt 1898 during the Weimar Republic period from 1924 and from 1928 to 1933 as chairman. Born and raised in Darmstadt, he passed his school exams at the Altes Realgymnasium in 1918. This was followed by law studies in Giessen and a doctorate in Heidelberg. In 1926 Dr. Karl Heß established himself as a lawyer in Darmstadt.
Because Karl Heß was of German Jewish faith, the Nazis banned him from working at the beginning of the Nazi dictatorship and drove him out of his home in Darmstadt: He had to flee Germany in 1933 – first to southern France, then to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil at the beginning of 1934. In exile, he and his wife supported the family with a small business for over twenty years. Only later was Karl Heß able to work again in his actual job as a lawyer and headed the branch of the United Restitution Organisation in Rio de Janeiro. In this role, he represented compensation claims from those persecuted by the Nazis and victims of the Holocaust.
Despite his persecution and expulsion, Karl Heß continued to maintain close ties to Darmstadt and SV Darmstadt 98 after Germany was liberated from the Nazi dictatorship. In 1955 he visited his old hometown again for the first time and in 1963 he dared to return to Darmstadt with his wife. By 1968, the trained lawyer found work in the city’s legal office. Heß formulated his credo in 1965 as follows: „I did not come back as a Jew, but as a Jewish German who did not want to let Hitler have the triumph of having robbed him of his homeland.“
After his retirement, he initially stayed in Darmstadt, but left his homeland in southern Hesse again in 1973 to spend his twilight years with his son’s family in Porto Alegre, Brazil where he died on April 15, 1975 and was laid to rest. During the Weimar Republic, Karl Heß played a key role in the development of his SV Darmstadt 98 as a sports official and enthusiastic football fan. He represents numerous German-Jewish athletes, coaches, club chairmen, managers and sports sponsors who fell victim to the Nazis‘ racial madness and anti-Semitism.
A memorial plaque against forgetting and the Karl Heß-Platz in front of the Merck Stadium at Böllenfalltor, which was inaugurated on January 15, 2017, are intended to commemorate the life’s work of Dr. Remember Karl Heß, but also the injustice committed by the Nazis.
SV Darmstadt 98 invites all its members to come to the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor on November 1st, 2026, starting at 11:30am. Together, we aim to once again create the largest team photo in our club’s history—with the professional players in the front and the entire Lilies family behind them.
On Sunday (Oct 18th), SV Darmstadt 98 will visit Karlsruher SC. The side from Baden differs from the Lilies in several key respects. Furthermore, the match will see SV 98 cross paths with a former player once again. Find out here about other connections between the two clubs, as well as some particularly interesting statistics ahead of the encounter.
On Tuesday evening (October 13th), the SilberLilien took part in SV Darmstadt 98’s Stolperstein tour for the first time. Along the approximately six-kilometre route, the participants made several stops to learn more about the fates of Jewish club members who were persecuted and driven out during the Holocaust.
From new grassroots sports offerings and a look back at the club's history to birthdays and the latest updates from the media briefing—there is plenty to report from SV Darmstadt 98 again this week. In "Lilien Across the Board," we round up the news, insights, and stories from life at the club.
Tickets for the home match against 1. FC Heidenheim on November 22nd are available for purchase now.
SV Darmstadt 98's U21 team proved their mettle at home against KSV Hessen Kassel II in the Hessenliga on Sunday (Oct. 11th). After a convincing 90-minute performance, the Young Lilies secured another three points, finishing with a decisive 4–0 victory that lifts them to sixth place in the standings.
The Lilies overturned an early deficit to celebrate a 3–1 home victory against Energie Cottbus—a win that boosts confidence and confirms the progress being made. Read our analysis to find out why there is still work to be done and what positives SV 98 takes away from the match.
This season, too, Lilien fans will be doubly rewarded for every home goal scored by SV Darmstadt 98. In addition to the joy and excitement of the goals, the team's supporters will receive 98 litres of Krombacher Pils for every home goal scored by Darmstadt at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor.
After the international break, Darmstadt 98 returned to the Bölle with a home win! Against Energie Cottbus, SV Darmstadt 98 put on a spirited performance in front of their home crowd and rewarded themselves with three points after an intense match. We've compiled the post-match reactions for you here:
Despite falling behind, Darmstadt secured their second consecutive home win! Darmstadt defeated Energie Cottbus 3-1 (1-1). The home side equalised after conceding an early goal in the four-minute period through Weißhaupt before halftime. Vukotic headed his team into the lead in the second half, before Lührs sealed the victory with the third goal. This home win brings Darmstadt's season total to seven points.
Homegame at Böllenfalltor (10/10, 1pm): Florian Kohfeldt has made two changes to his starting XI compared to the away match in Wolfsburg three weeks ago. Richter and Mikelbrencis come into the starting lineup for Sickinger (calf issues) and Lannert (illness).
On Saturday afternoon (October 10th, 1pm), SV 98 hosts Energie Cottbus at the Merck-Stadion am Böllenfalltor for Matchday 7. What do the two head coaches have to say ahead of kick-off? Who is officiating the match, and where can you follow the action live? As always, we have compiled all the key information regarding the game against Cottbus in our "Matchday Guide" feature.