Ewald Dytko

Edward Jan (born Ewald Oskar) Dytko (18 October 1914 – 13 June 1993) was a Polish football player, who, when his home country became Poland as an outcome of the Treaty of Versailles, represented the no longer existing team of Dąb Katowice. In addition, he played in the Poland national team in 1935-39.

He was born in Dąb, Katowice (now a district of Katowice), the son of the hewer Johann Dytko and his wife Viktorie née Granek. He played soccer from an early age. In 1931 he became a player of Dąb Katowice, where he spent his entire career. In 1936, his team was promoted to the Polish Soccer League, but due to Dąb's disqualification, the club was relegated in the middle of the 1937 season.

His national debut occurred on 18 August 1935 in Katowice, against Yugoslavia. Soon Dytko became a key midfield, participating in 25 games. He played in the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin (in all four games of the Polish Team), also in a legendary World Cup Soccer 1938 game Poland - Brazil 5-6 (5 June 1938, Strasbourg, France). On 27 August 1939 Dytko took part in the last (and one of the best) match of interwar Poland National Team - at Warsaw, vs. Hungary (4-2)

Dytko is regarded as the co-author of the biggest successes of Polish soccer in the interwar period.

During the Second World War, he signed the German nationality list (Volksliste) and in 1942 was drafted into the Wehrmacht. In 1944 he was captured by the U.S. Army and for a while was kept at a POW camp in Austria.

After the war he returned to Silesia and his beloved team, representing Dąb until 1950. Like many other inhabitants of Upper Silesia, he had problems with the communist government, which initially treated him as a traitor. He was cleared, but only after signing the declaration of loyalty to the Polish state.

After 1950 he worked as a coach in several Silesian teams, but without major successes. He died in Katowice.