Manfred Ewald
Encyclopedia
Manfred Ewald served as German Democratic Republic
's (GDR) minister of sport (1961–1988) and president of his country's Olympic committee (1973–1990). However, he is best known for his role as the architect of his East Germany's state-sponsored system of using illicit performance-enhancing drugs to turn his country into an Olympic powerhouse between 1972 and 1988.
, both Ewald and Dr. Manfred Hoeppner
, who served as East Germany's top sports doctor, were convicted of being accessories to "intentional bodily harm of athletes, including minors." Both received probation. During the trial Dr. Hoeppner testified that they had approval from the highest level of the government of the GDR. Ewald had earlier defended his role in sports doping in his 1994 book "Ich war der Sport".
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
's (GDR) minister of sport (1961–1988) and president of his country's Olympic committee (1973–1990). However, he is best known for his role as the architect of his East Germany's state-sponsored system of using illicit performance-enhancing drugs to turn his country into an Olympic powerhouse between 1972 and 1988.
Doping scandal
On July 18, 2000, in BerlinBerlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, both Ewald and Dr. Manfred Hoeppner
Manfred Hoeppner
Dr. Manfred Hoeppner served as the German Democratic Republic's top sports doctor. He and Manfred Ewald, who served as German Democratic Republic's minister of sport and president of his country's Olympic committee , are regarded as the architects of their country's state-sponsored system of...
, who served as East Germany's top sports doctor, were convicted of being accessories to "intentional bodily harm of athletes, including minors." Both received probation. During the trial Dr. Hoeppner testified that they had approval from the highest level of the government of the GDR. Ewald had earlier defended his role in sports doping in his 1994 book "Ich war der Sport".
Noteworthy
- Member of the Hitler YouthHitler YouthThe Hitler Youth was a paramilitary organization of the Nazi Party. It existed from 1922 to 1945. The HJ was the second oldest paramilitary Nazi group, founded one year after its adult counterpart, the Sturmabteilung...
. - Member of the Nazi party.
- Captured by the Red armyRed ArmyThe Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
, 1944. - Member of the Socialist Unity PartySocialist Unity Party of GermanyThe 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...
(A.K.A. the Communist PartyCommunist partyA political party described as a Communist party includes those that advocate the application of the social principles of communism through a communist form of government...
). - Awarded the Olympic OrderOlympic OrderThe Olympic Order is the highest award of the Olympic Movement, created by the International Olympic Committee in May 1975 as a successor to the Olympic Certificate previously awarded. The Olympic Order originally had three grades , although the bronze grade was retired in 1984...
by the IOC in 1985. - Author of "Ich war der Sport" (1994), wherein he defended his role in sports doping.
- Authored a letter as President of the National Olympic Committee of the GDR to the IOC for the 1992 Games.