the club was founded on 7 august 1899 as athletiksportclub siegfried, the football section was founded in february 1919. the first match was on 4 may 1919 against fußballverein wels . lask lost 1:4. being the most successful section of the athletiksportclub it was decided that the name of the club should be linzer athletik-sport-klub (linzer ask). till the occupation by germany in 1938 they reached many titels in the upper austrian league. in the 1938/39 season they were promoted to the gauliga xvii, which was then the highest class in austrian football. but they were relegated the same season.