Alfred Schwarzmann (22 March 1912 – 11 March 2000) was a
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
Olympic gymnast. He won three gold and two bronze medals at the
1936 Berlin Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XI Olympiad () and officially branded as Berlin 1936, were an international multi-sport event held from 1 to 16 August 1936 in Berlin, then capital of Nazi Germany. Berlin won the bid to ...
and another silver medal at the
1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Summer Olympics (, ), officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad (, ) and commonly known as Helsinki 1952, were an international multi-sport event held from 19 July to 3 August 1952 in Helsinki, Finland.
After Japan declared in ...
. During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
, Schwarzmann served in the
Wehrmacht
The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...
and was a recipient of the
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. While it was order of precedence, lower in preceden ...
of
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany, officially known as the German Reich and later the Greater German Reich, was the German Reich, German state between 1933 and 1945, when Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party controlled the country, transforming it into a Totalit ...
.
Career
Alfred Schwarzmann joined the 13th Company of the
Nuremberg
Nuremberg (, ; ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the Franconia#Towns and cities, largest city in Franconia, the List of cities in Bavaria by population, second-largest city in the States of Germany, German state of Bav ...
Infantry Regiment on 1 April 1935 after signing up for a twelve-year period of service. He was promoted to
Unteroffizier
() is a junior non-commissioned officer rank used by the . It is also the collective name for all non-commissioned officers in Austria and Germany. It was formerly a rank in the Imperial Russian Army.
Austria
, also , is the collective name to ...
on 1 May 1935 and was a member of the
Gymnastics
Gymnastics is a group of sport that includes physical exercises requiring Balance (ability), balance, Strength training, strength, Flexibility (anatomy), flexibility, agility, Motor coordination, coordination, artistry and endurance. The movem ...
team preparing for the 1936 Berlin Olympics, where he won three gold and two bronze medals.
On 10 May 1940 Schwarzmann and his company parachuted into the
Netherlands
, Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...
and took a key bridge at
Moerdijk
Moerdijk () is a municipality and a town in the South of the Netherlands, in the province of North Brabant.
History
The municipality of Moerdijk was founded in 1997 following the merger of the municipalities of Fijnaart en Heijningen, Klunde ...
. In the first hour of the fighting Schwarzmann was badly wounded when a bullet pierced a lung. He was treated for his wounds in
Dordrecht
Dordrecht (), historically known in English as Dordt (still colloquially used in Dutch, ) or Dort, is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Western Netherlands, lo ...
after the Dutch capitulation.
Aged 40, Schwarzmann competed at the
1952 Summer Olympics
The 1952 Summer Olympics (, ), officially known as the Games of the XV Olympiad (, ) and commonly known as Helsinki 1952, were an international multi-sport event held from 19 July to 3 August 1952 in Helsinki, Finland.
After Japan declared in ...
in all artistic gymnastics events and won a silver medal on the horizontal bar. In 2008 he was inducted into the
Germany's Sports Hall of Fame.
Awards
*
Iron Cross
The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...
2nd Class & 1st Class (25 May 1940)
*
Wound Badge
The Wound Badge () was a German military decoration first promulgated by Wilhelm II, German Emperor on 3 March 1918, which was first awarded to soldiers of the Imperial German Army, German Army who were wounded during World War I. Between the worl ...
(1939) in Black (29 May 1940)
*
Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross (), or simply the Knight's Cross (), and its variants, were the highest awards in the military and paramilitary forces of Nazi Germany during World War II. While it was order of precedence, lower in preceden ...
on 29 May 1940 as ''
Oberleutnant
(English: First Lieutenant) is a senior lieutenant Officer (armed forces), officer rank in the German (language), German-speaking armed forces of Germany (Bundeswehr), the Austrian Armed Forces, and the Swiss Armed Forces. In Austria, ''Oberle ...
'' and platoon leader in the 8./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 1
*
Wehrmacht Long Service Award
The Wehrmacht Long Service Award () was a List of military decorations of the Third Reich, military service decoration of Nazi Germany issued for satisfactory completion of a number of years in military service.
History
On 16 March 1936, Adolf ...
4th Class
*
Heer (army) Parachutist Badge
References
Bibliography
*
*
External links
Alfred SchwarzmannAlfred Schwarzmann @ the Hall of Fame des deutschen Sports
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schwarzmann, Alfred
1912 births
2000 deaths
Sportspeople from Fürth
Sportspeople from the Kingdom of Bavaria
German male artistic gymnasts
Olympic gymnasts for Germany
Olympic gold medalists for Germany
Olympic silver medalists for Germany
Olympic bronze medalists for Germany
Olympic medalists in gymnastics
Medalists at the 1936 Summer Olympics
Medalists at the 1952 Summer Olympics
Gymnasts at the 1936 Summer Olympics
Gymnasts at the 1952 Summer Olympics
Fallschirmjäger of World War II
German prisoners of war in World War II held by the United Kingdom
Recipients of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross
German Army soldiers of World War II
20th-century German sportsmen
Military personnel from Bavaria