Guido von Mengden
Encyclopedia
Guido von Mengden was a German Sports officer. He was a key figure in the Nationalsozialistischer Reichsbund für Leibesübungen
(NSRL), the Sports Office of the Third Reich.
His role as a Nazi is the subject of controversy. Historian Hajo Bernett blames him for being one of the main culprits regarding the politization (i.e. nazification) of German sports during the Third Reich.
Others believe though that thanks to him some valuable German sports associations were preserved. Guido von Mengden has been praised as the "spiritual father" of many post-war sports programs and German sports leader Carl Diem
has mentioned him as "one of the most significant Sports leaders in Europe" for his work after 1950.
(North Rhine-Westphalia
) in 1896. His family hailed from the ancient Westphalia
n nobility. He played football (soccer) as a teenager in the Bonner FV
team. in 1914 he passed his Reifeprüfung
final exams in Bonn
and went to World War I
as a volunteer. He was discharged from the German Imperial Army after being badly wounded in June 1916 at Verdun
and went on to study geodesy
at the University of Bonn
. He found employment as a land surveyor
from 1919 until 1924, when he changed profession and became a journalist. He became an editor of the Art and sports sections of the Rheydter Tageblatt. In 1925 he moved to the Westdeutscher Spielverband as manager, becoming also the chief editor of its social organ Fußball und Leichtathletik. He had a role in the 1928 1928 Summer Olympics
in Amsterdam
as a press delegate.
In May 1933 Guido von Mengden became a member of the German Nazi Party. He went to Berlin in June 1933 as a press attaché of the German Football Association
. From 1935 he was the public relations officer of the NSRL, the Reich Sports Office. He became the personal advisor and consultant of Reichssportführer Hans von Tschammer und Osten
in 1936. A committed Nazi, von Mengden became the chief editor of NS-Sport, the official organ of the Reich Sports Office.
Towards the last days of World War II
, von Mengden became a member of the Volkssturm
National Militia. After being captured by the Soviet Army
, he was employed by the Russians
as surveyor in their Land reform
projects in what was then East Germany. In 1948 he moved to West Germany
and in March 1949 he became part of the Denazification
panel in Krefeld
.
In 1951 von Mengden became the manager of the German Olympic Society (Deutsche Olympische Gesellschaft) and from 1954 to 1963 he rose to general manager of the German Sports Association (Deutscher Sportbund). After retiring he kept being active in the sports association as technical advisor.
Von Mengden became a highly respected personality in German sports as an old man. He was the main writer of the standard work about the 1964 Winter Olympics
in Innsbruck
and the 1964 Summer Olympics
in Tokyo
. His last significant role was as advisor for the 1972 Summer Olympics
in Munich
.
Nationalsozialistischer Reichsbund für Leibesübungen
The Nationalsozialistischer Reichsbund für Leibesübungen , more rarely "NSRBL", , known as Deutscher Reichsbund für Leibesübungen until 1938, was the umbrella organization for sports during the Third Reich.The NSRL was led by the Reichssportführer, who after 1934 was...
(NSRL), the Sports Office of the Third Reich.
His role as a Nazi is the subject of controversy. Historian Hajo Bernett blames him for being one of the main culprits regarding the politization (i.e. nazification) of German sports during the Third Reich.
Others believe though that thanks to him some valuable German sports associations were preserved. Guido von Mengden has been praised as the "spiritual father" of many post-war sports programs and German sports leader Carl Diem
Carl Diem
Carl Diem was a German sports administrator, and as Secretary General of the Organizing Committee of the Berlin Olympic Games, the chief organizer of the 1936 Olympic Summer Games .He created the tradition of the Olympic torch relay, and was an influential historian of...
has mentioned him as "one of the most significant Sports leaders in Europe" for his work after 1950.
Biographical data
Guido von Mengden was born in the town of DürenDüren
Düren is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, capital of Düren district. It is located between Aachen and Cologne on the river Rur.-Roman era:Celts inhabited Düren's area before the Romans. They called their small settlement Durum . After the Celts other Germanic tribes settled this area...
(North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia
North Rhine-Westphalia is the most populous state of Germany, with four of the country's ten largest cities. The state was formed in 1946 as a merger of the northern Rhineland and Westphalia, both formerly part of Prussia. Its capital is Düsseldorf. The state is currently run by a coalition of the...
) in 1896. His family hailed from the ancient Westphalia
Westphalia
Westphalia is a region in Germany, centred on the cities of Arnsberg, Bielefeld, Dortmund, Minden and Münster.Westphalia is roughly the region between the rivers Rhine and Weser, located north and south of the Ruhr River. No exact definition of borders can be given, because the name "Westphalia"...
n nobility. He played football (soccer) as a teenager in the Bonner FV
Bonner SC
Bonner SC is a German association football club based in Bonn. The club was formed in 1965 through the merger of Bonner FV and Tura Bonn.-History:...
team. in 1914 he passed his Reifeprüfung
Abitur
Abitur is a designation used in Germany, Finland and Estonia for final exams that pupils take at the end of their secondary education, usually after 12 or 13 years of schooling, see also for Germany Abitur after twelve years.The Zeugnis der Allgemeinen Hochschulreife, often referred to as...
final exams in Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
and went to World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
as a volunteer. He was discharged from the German Imperial Army after being badly wounded in June 1916 at Verdun
Verdun
Verdun is a city in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department.Verdun is the biggest city in Meuse, although the capital of the department is the slightly smaller city of Bar-le-Duc.- History :...
and went on to study geodesy
Geodesy
Geodesy , also named geodetics, a branch of earth sciences, is the scientific discipline that deals with the measurement and representation of the Earth, including its gravitational field, in a three-dimensional time-varying space. Geodesists also study geodynamical phenomena such as crustal...
at the University of Bonn
University of Bonn
The University of Bonn is a public research university located in Bonn, Germany. Founded in its present form in 1818, as the linear successor of earlier academic institutions, the University of Bonn is today one of the leading universities in Germany. The University of Bonn offers a large number...
. He found employment as a land surveyor
Surveying
See Also: Public Land Survey SystemSurveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, and science of accurately determining the terrestrial or three-dimensional position of points and the distances and angles between them...
from 1919 until 1924, when he changed profession and became a journalist. He became an editor of the Art and sports sections of the Rheydter Tageblatt. In 1925 he moved to the Westdeutscher Spielverband as manager, becoming also the chief editor of its social organ Fußball und Leichtathletik. He had a role in the 1928 1928 Summer Olympics
1928 Summer Olympics
The 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amsterdam had bid for the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, but had to give way to war-victim Antwerp, Belgium, and Pierre de...
in Amsterdam
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is the largest city and the capital of the Netherlands. The current position of Amsterdam as capital city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands is governed by the constitution of August 24, 1815 and its successors. Amsterdam has a population of 783,364 within city limits, an urban population...
as a press delegate.
In May 1933 Guido von Mengden became a member of the German Nazi Party. He went to Berlin in June 1933 as a press attaché of the German Football Association
German Football Association
The German Football Association is the governing body of football in Germany. A founding member of both FIFA and UEFA, the DFB organises the German football leagues, including the national league, the Bundesliga, and the men's and women's national teams. The DFB is based in Frankfurt and is...
. From 1935 he was the public relations officer of the NSRL, the Reich Sports Office. He became the personal advisor and consultant of Reichssportführer Hans von Tschammer und Osten
Hans von Tschammer und Osten
Hans von Tschammer und Osten was a German sport official, SA leader and a member of the Reichstag...
in 1936. A committed Nazi, von Mengden became the chief editor of NS-Sport, the official organ of the Reich Sports Office.
Towards the last days of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, von Mengden became a member of the Volkssturm
Volkssturm
The Volkssturm was a German national militia of the last months of World War II. It was founded on Adolf Hitler's orders on October 18, 1944 and conscripted males between the ages of 16 to 60 years who were not already serving in some military unit as part of a German Home Guard.-Origins and...
National Militia. After being captured by the Soviet Army
Soviet Army
The Soviet Army is the name given to the main part of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Union between 1946 and 1992. Previously, it had been known as the Red Army. Informally, Армия referred to all the MOD armed forces, except, in some cases, the Soviet Navy.This article covers the Soviet Ground...
, he was employed by the Russians
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
as surveyor in their Land reform
Land reform
[Image:Jakarta farmers protest23.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Farmers protesting for Land Reform in Indonesia]Land reform involves the changing of laws, regulations or customs regarding land ownership. Land reform may consist of a government-initiated or government-backed property redistribution,...
projects in what was then East Germany. In 1948 he moved to West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
and in March 1949 he became part of the Denazification
Denazification
Denazification was an Allied initiative to rid German and Austrian society, culture, press, economy, judiciary, and politics of any remnants of the National Socialist ideology. It was carried out specifically by removing those involved from positions of influence and by disbanding or rendering...
panel in Krefeld
Krefeld
Krefeld , also known as Crefeld until 1929, is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located northwest of Düsseldorf, its centre lying just a few kilometres to the west of the River Rhine; the borough of Uerdingen is situated directly on the Rhine...
.
In 1951 von Mengden became the manager of the German Olympic Society (Deutsche Olympische Gesellschaft) and from 1954 to 1963 he rose to general manager of the German Sports Association (Deutscher Sportbund). After retiring he kept being active in the sports association as technical advisor.
Von Mengden became a highly respected personality in German sports as an old man. He was the main writer of the standard work about the 1964 Winter Olympics
1964 Winter Olympics
The 1964 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IX Olympic Winter Games, were a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Innsbruck, Austria, from January 29 to February 9, 1964...
in Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
and the 1964 Summer Olympics
1964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
in Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. His last significant role was as advisor for the 1972 Summer Olympics
1972 Summer Olympics
The 1972 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Munich, West Germany, from August 26 to September 11, 1972....
in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
.
Published works
- Von Mengden, Guido, Umgang mit der Geschichte und mit Menschen, Verlag Bartels & Wernitz.