The club was the football section of the "Deutsch-Österreichischen Turnverein Wien" (German-Austrian gymnastic club). The Turnverein was founded by Jewish members of the "Ersten Wiener Turnverein 1861" (First Vienna gymnastic club). In the 1880s the club allowed only members of German origin to be members. So did other sports clubs. The Jewish members formed the Deutsch-Österreichischen Turnverein.