1958 World Men's Handball Championship

1958 World Men's Handball Championship

Tournament details
Host country	German Democratic Republic
Dates	27 February and 8 March
Teams	16
Final positions
Champions	Sweden (2nd title)
Runners-up	Czechoslovakia
Third place	Germany
Tournament statistics
Matches played	36
Goals scored	1,296 (36 per match)
Top scorer(s)	Mogens Olsen 46
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The 1958 World Men's Handball Championship was the third indoor handball World Championship. It was held in the German Democratic Republic between 27 February and 8 March 1958. Germany sent a united team composed of players from the GDR and the FRG. Sweden won the championship.

Qualification

Competition	Dates	Vacancies	Qualified
Host nation		1	Germany
First 15 teams		15	Austria   Brazil   Czechoslovakia   Denmark   Finland   France   Hungary   Iceland   Luxembourg   Norway   Poland   Romania   Spain   Sweden   Yugoslavia

There was no qualification for this edition. Besides Germany which was already qualified as host, the first 15 teams got a spot. Belgium made the last respectively sixteenth application and was therefore denied. They were reservist if an other country would have cancelled. ^[1]

Switzerland was the only participant of the last world championship (1954) which didn't apply. At the meeting of the Schweizerischer Handballausschuss (HBA) on 27./28. July 1957 the council decided unanimous to boycott the world championship. The reasons for the boycott were that the players behind the Iron Curtain were state amateurs and the politic believe against the host East Germany. ^[2] Peter Weninger of the "Deutsche Handballwoche" understood the political aspect but sad also that at a world championship every body shut attend. ^[3] The past boss of the referee commission of the HBA Paul Tanner made a letter to the editor at the newspaper Sport which he criticized the decision. ^[4] After a verbal fight with the HBA president Albert Wagner, Paul Tanner resigned as referee. ^[5]

Results

Preliminary round

Group AVenue: Erfurt Date Matches Score Half 27 February   Sweden –   Spain 31–11 (15-5) 27 February   Poland –   Finland 14–14 (6-8) 1 March   Spain –   Finland 19–16 (12-6) 1 March   Sweden –   Poland 19–14 (11-5) 3 March   Poland –   Spain 25–11 (12-3) 3 March   Sweden –   Finland 27–16 (14-6) Group A Matches Goals Points   Sweden 3 77–41 6   Poland 3 53–44 3   Spain 3 41–72 2   Finland 3 46–60 1

Group BVenue: East Berlin Date Matches Score Half 28 February   Germany –   Luxembourg 46–4 (23-1) 28 February   Norway –   France 17–13 (8-7) 2 March   Norway –   Luxembourg 41–8 (25-3) 2 March   Germany –   France 32–12 (16-8) 4 March   France –   Luxembourg 41–8 (19-0) 4 March   Germany –   Norway 19–9 (11-4) Group B Matches Goals Points   Germany 3 97–25 6   Norway 3 67–40 4   France 3 66–57 2   Luxembourg 3 20–128 0

Group CVenue: Magdeburg Date Matches Score Half 27 February   Czechoslovakia –   Iceland 27–17 (15-9) 27 February   Hungary –   Romania 16–16 (8-8) 1 March   Iceland –   Romania 13–11 (7-6) 1 March   Czechoslovakia –   Hungary 26–11 (12-3) 3 March   Hungary –   Iceland 19–16 (11-7) 3 March   Czechoslovakia –   Romania 21–13 (9-9) Group C Matches Goals Points   Czechoslovakia 3 74–41 6   Hungary 3 46–58 3   Iceland 3 46–57 2   Romania 3 40–50 1

Group DVenue: Erfurt Date Matches Score Half 28 February   Denmark –   Brazil 32–12 (14-6) 28 February   Yugoslavia –   Austria 35–8 (16-2) 2 March   Austria –   Brazil 24–12 (9-5) 2 March   Denmark –   Yugoslavia 20–12 (8-8) 4 March   Yugoslavia –   Brazil 22–9 (11-2) 4 March   Denmark –   Austria 22–18 (13-10) Group D Matches Goals Points   Denmark 3 74–42 6   Yugoslavia 3 69–37 4   Austria 3 50–69 2   Brazil 3 33–78 0

Main round

Group 1........Venue: East Berlin Date Matches Score Half 5 March   Germany –   Hungary 22–15 (14-8) 5 March   Czechoslovakia –   Norway 21–10 (10-3) 6 March   Norway –   Hungary 23–21 (13-12) 6 March   Czechoslovakia –   Germany 17–14 (10-6) Group 1 Matches Goals Points   Czechoslovakia 3 64–35 6   Germany 3 55–42 4   Norway 3 42–61 2   Hungary 3 47–71 0

Group 2.......Venue: Leipzig Date Matches Score Half 5 March   Denmark –   Poland 22–15 (8-6) 5 March   Sweden –   Yugoslavia 26–9 (14-5) 6 March   Poland –   Yugoslavia 9–7 (4-6) 6 March   Sweden –   Denmark 13–12 (8-5) Group 2 Matches Goals Points   Sweden 3 58–35 6   Denmark 3 54–40 4   Poland 3 38–48 2   Yugoslavia 3 28–55 0

Final round

Final matches .........Venue: East Berlin

Date	Matches	Score	Half
Match for 7th place
7 March	Hungary –   Yugoslavia	24–16	(10-9)
Match for 5th place
7 March	Norway –   Poland	18–20	(8-11)
Bronze medal match
8 March	Germany –   Denmark	16–13	(10-6)
Final
8 March	Czechoslovakia –   Sweden	12–22	(5-10)

Final standings

Rank	Team
	Sweden
	Czechoslovakia
	Germany
4	Denmark
5	Poland
6	Norway
7	Hungary
8	Yugoslavia
9	France
10	Iceland
11	Austria
12	Spain
13	Romania
14	Finland
15	Brazil
16	Luxembourg

References

1. "Hallenhandball-Weltmeisterschaft 1958". Neue Zeit (in German). Vol. 13, no. 233. 6 October 1957. p. 7. Retrieved 27 April 2025.
2. f, w (8 August 1957). "Eindrücke von der Sitzung des Schweizerischen Handball-Ausschusses". Schweizerische Handball-Zeitung (in German). 12 (19). Schweizerischer Handballausschuss: 121–122.
3. Weniger, Peter (6 August 1957). "Die Schweiz macht nicht mit...". Deutsche Handballwoche (32).
4. Tanner, Paul (16 August 1957). "Was unsere Leser schreiben". Sport (104).
5. f, w (22 August 1957). "Das "Nein" des HBA zur Hallen-Weltmeisterschaft 1958 in Ostdeutschland". Schweizerische Handball-Zeitung (in German). 12 (20). Schweizerischer Handballausschuss: 130–131.

Source: International Handball Federation