Gustav-Adolf Schur
Encyclopedia
Gustav-Adolf "Täve" Schur (born 23 February 1931 in Heyrothsberge
, Province of Saxony
) is a former German cyclist and one of the most popular sportspeople in East Germany. He was the first German to win the amateur competition of the World Cycling Championships
and the Peace Race. Between 1959 and 1990 Schur was a member of the Volkskammer
, the East German parliament
.
"Täve" Schur (a shortening of Gustav) grew up near Magdeburg. He only took up cycling aged 19 and won the highest honors an amateur cyclist could reach. Schur won the East German championships 6 times in that period and won the GDR tour 4 times. In 1953 he had a great stake in East Germany winning the blue jersey of the best team at the Peace Race. His real breakthrough came in 1955, however, when he was the first East German to win the Peace Race, considered the most prestigious amateur stage race. Schur won the Peace Race once more in 1959.
As a member of the Unified Team of Germany he won a bronze medal in the team time trial at the 1956 Summer Olympics
in Melbourne
and a silver medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics
in Rome
, at a time when the impact East Germany would have in later Olympic Games was not foreseen yet. Between 1955 and 1963 Schur studied at the DHfK Leipzig and finished with a diploma as coach. At the end of the 1950s Schur was at the height of his form, as proven by his two wins at the Amateur Road Race at the Road World Championships in 1958 and 1959, he was the first amateur to defend his title.
Schur reached the summit of his popularity by not winning, however: At the 1960 UCI Road World Championships
that took place at the Sachsenring
, Schur was favorite to defend his title again, but instead he let his teammate Bernhard Eckstein pass who eventually won the race.
This selfless gesture capped Schur's myth, the dimensions of which can be sensed if one considers the results of a survey conducted after the end of East Germany: Here Schur was voted greatest East German sports personality of all time, 25 years after he had ended his career. Schur had won the title of East-German Sportspersonality of the Year
nine times in a row from 1953 to 1961.
His son Jan won an Olympic Gold medal in the team trial at the 1988 Summer Olympics
, together with Uwe Ampler
, Mario Kummer
and Maik Landsmann
.
Schur was more deeply involved politically than other sports people in East Germany. Between 1959 and 1990 he was a member of the Volkskammer
. After German reunification
he kept to his views and joined the SED
successor party PDS and was a member of Germany
's parliament, Bundestag
, between 1998 and 2002.
Schur is also a member of the "Kuratorium Friedensfahrt Course de la Paix e.V.", and works to keep the traditional race alive.
In 1992 Schur opened a bicycle store in Magdeburg that is now run by his son Gus-Erik Schur. "Täves Radladen" supports the bicycle racing club "RC Lostau" and takes part in races all over Europe under the name "Team Täves Radladen".
, circling the Sun
on an orbit between Mars
and Jupiter
.
Biederitz
Biederitz is a municipality in the Jerichower Land district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany....
, Province of Saxony
Province of Saxony
The Province of Saxony was a province of the Kingdom of Prussia and later the Free State of Prussia from 1816 until 1945. Its capital was Magdeburg.-History:The province was created in 1816 out of the following territories:...
) is a former German cyclist and one of the most popular sportspeople in East Germany. He was the first German to win the amateur competition of the World Cycling Championships
UCI Road World Championships
The UCI Road World Championships are the annual world championships for bicycle road racing organized by the Union Cycliste Internationale...
and the Peace Race. Between 1959 and 1990 Schur was a member of the Volkskammer
Volkskammer
The People's Chamber was the unicameral legislature of the German Democratic Republic . From its founding in 1949 until the first free elections on 18 March 1990, all members of the Volkskammer were elected on a slate controlled by the Socialist Unity Party of Germany , called the National Front...
, the East German parliament
Parliament
A parliament is a legislature, especially in those countries whose system of government is based on the Westminster system modeled after that of the United Kingdom. The name is derived from the French , the action of parler : a parlement is a discussion. The term came to mean a meeting at which...
.
Life
As a member of the Unified Team of Germany he won a bronze medal in the team time trial at the 1956 Summer Olympics
1956 Summer Olympics
The 1956 Melbourne Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne, Australia, in 1956, with the exception of the equestrian events, which could not be held in Australia due to quarantine regulations...
in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
and a silver medal at the 1960 Summer Olympics
1960 Summer Olympics
The 1960 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held from August 25 to September 11, 1960 in Rome, Italy...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
, at a time when the impact East Germany would have in later Olympic Games was not foreseen yet. Between 1955 and 1963 Schur studied at the DHfK Leipzig and finished with a diploma as coach. At the end of the 1950s Schur was at the height of his form, as proven by his two wins at the Amateur Road Race at the Road World Championships in 1958 and 1959, he was the first amateur to defend his title.
Schur reached the summit of his popularity by not winning, however: At the 1960 UCI Road World Championships
UCI Road World Championships
The UCI Road World Championships are the annual world championships for bicycle road racing organized by the Union Cycliste Internationale...
that took place at the Sachsenring
Sachsenring
The Sachsenring racing circuit is located in Hohenstein-Ernstthal near Chemnitz in Saxony, Germany. Among other events, it features the annual German motorcycle Grand Prix of the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championship.- History :...
, Schur was favorite to defend his title again, but instead he let his teammate Bernhard Eckstein pass who eventually won the race.
This selfless gesture capped Schur's myth, the dimensions of which can be sensed if one considers the results of a survey conducted after the end of East Germany: Here Schur was voted greatest East German sports personality of all time, 25 years after he had ended his career. Schur had won the title of East-German Sportspersonality of the Year
German Sportspersonality of the year
The German Sportspersonality of the Year is chosen annually since 1947, for both men and women. The recordholder is tennis player Steffi Graf . Swimmer Michael Groß, tennis player Boris Becker, and high jumper Ulrike Meyfarth each have four awards...
nine times in a row from 1953 to 1961.
His son Jan won an Olympic Gold medal in the team trial at the 1988 Summer Olympics
1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, were an all international multi-sport events celebrated from September 17 to October 2, 1988 in Seoul, South Korea. They were the second summer Olympic Games to be held in Asia and the first since the 1964 Summer Olympics...
, together with Uwe Ampler
Uwe Ampler
Uwe Ampler is a retired track and road cyclist from East Germany, who represented his native country at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. There he won the gold medal in the men's team time trial, alongside Jan Schur, Mario Kummer, and Maik Landsmann. His father, Klaus Ampler, was...
, Mario Kummer
Mario Kummer
Mario Kummer is a retired track and road racing cyclist from East Germany, who represented his native country at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. There he won the gold medal in the men's team time trial, alongside Uwe Ampler, Jan Schur and Maik Landsmann...
and Maik Landsmann
Maik Landsmann
Maik Landsmann is a retired track cyclist from East Germany, who represented his native country at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. There he won the gold medal in the men's team time trial , alongside Uwe Ampler, Jan Schur and Mario Kummer. A year later he won the world title in...
.
Schur was more deeply involved politically than other sports people in East Germany. Between 1959 and 1990 he was a member of the Volkskammer
Volkskammer
The People's Chamber was the unicameral legislature of the German Democratic Republic . From its founding in 1949 until the first free elections on 18 March 1990, all members of the Volkskammer were elected on a slate controlled by the Socialist Unity Party of Germany , called the National Front...
. After German reunification
German reunification
German reunification was the process in 1990 in which the German Democratic Republic joined the Federal Republic of Germany , and when Berlin reunited into a single city, as provided by its then Grundgesetz constitution Article 23. The start of this process is commonly referred by Germans as die...
he kept to his views and joined the SED
Socialist Unity Party of Germany
The Socialist Unity Party of Germany was the governing party of the German Democratic Republic from its formation on 7 October 1949 until the elections of March 1990. The SED was a communist political party with a Marxist-Leninist ideology...
successor party PDS and was a member of Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
's parliament, Bundestag
Bundestag
The Bundestag is a federal legislative body in Germany. In practice Germany is governed by a bicameral legislature, of which the Bundestag serves as the lower house and the Bundesrat the upper house. The Bundestag is established by the German Basic Law of 1949, as the successor to the earlier...
, between 1998 and 2002.
Schur is also a member of the "Kuratorium Friedensfahrt Course de la Paix e.V.", and works to keep the traditional race alive.
In 1992 Schur opened a bicycle store in Magdeburg that is now run by his son Gus-Erik Schur. "Täves Radladen" supports the bicycle racing club "RC Lostau" and takes part in races all over Europe under the name "Team Täves Radladen".
Honors
In 2005 the planetoid 2000 UR was named after Schur. It now has the official designation (38976) Täve38976 Taeve
38976 Taeve is a main-belt asteroid discovered on October 21, 2000 by G. Lehmann at Volkssternwarte Drebach.- External links :*...
, circling the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
on an orbit between Mars
Mars
Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...
and Jupiter
Jupiter
Jupiter is the fifth planet from the Sun and the largest planet within the Solar System. It is a gas giant with mass one-thousandth that of the Sun but is two and a half times the mass of all the other planets in our Solar System combined. Jupiter is classified as a gas giant along with Saturn,...
.