Otto Herschmann
Encyclopedia
Dr. Otto Herschmann (4 January 1877 – 14 June 1942) was a Jewish Austrian swimmer, fencer
, lawyer
, and sport official. He is one of only three athletes to have won Olympic medals in different sports.
, Herschmann first competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics
in Athens, Greece, in the 100 metres freestyle
event. He placed second with a time of 1:22.8, .6 seconds behind the winner Alfréd Hajós
.
in Stockholm
, Sweden competing as a member of Austria's fencing team. A sabre
fencer, he won a silver medal in the team competition.
At that time he was serving as president of the Austrian Olympic Committee. He is the only president of a National Olympic Committee to win a medal while holding office.
. He died in the Izbica concentration camp
in German-occupied Poland later that year.
.
On 7 November 2001 his hometown Vienna
named a lane Otto-Herschmann-Gasse in Simmering
.
Fencing
Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
, lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
, and sport official. He is one of only three athletes to have won Olympic medals in different sports.
Olympic swimming career
Born in ViennaVienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Herschmann first competed at the 1896 Summer Olympics
1896 Summer Olympics
The 1896 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the I Olympiad, was a multi-sport event celebrated in Athens, Greece, from April 6 to April 15, 1896. It was the first international Olympic Games held in the Modern era...
in Athens, Greece, in the 100 metres freestyle
Freestyle swimming
Freestyle is an unregulated swimming style used in swimming competitions according to the rules of FINA. The front crawl stroke is almost universally used during a freestyle race, as this style is generally the fastest...
event. He placed second with a time of 1:22.8, .6 seconds behind the winner Alfréd Hajós
Alfréd Hajós
Alfréd Hajós was a Hungarian swimmer and architect. He was the first modern Olympic swimming champion and the first Olympic champion of Hungary.-Biography:...
.
Olympic fencing career
Herschmann returned to Olympic competition at the 1912 Summer Olympics1912 Summer Olympics
The 1912 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, between 5 May and 27 July 1912. Twenty-eight nations and 2,407 competitors, including 48 women, competed in 102 events in 14 sports...
in Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
, Sweden competing as a member of Austria's fencing team. A sabre
Sabre
The sabre or saber is a kind of backsword that usually has a curved, single-edged blade and a rather large hand guard, covering the knuckles of the hand as well as the thumb and forefinger...
fencer, he won a silver medal in the team competition.
At that time he was serving as president of the Austrian Olympic Committee. He is the only president of a National Olympic Committee to win a medal while holding office.
Concentration camp and death
Herschmann was arrested in Vienna by the Nazis, and deported on 14 January 1942, to the Sobibór extermination campSobibór extermination camp
Sobibor was a Nazi German extermination camp located on the outskirts of the town of Sobibór, Lublin Voivodeship of occupied Poland as part of Operation Reinhard; the official German name was SS-Sonderkommando Sobibor...
. He died in the Izbica concentration camp
Izbica concentration camp
The Izbica ghetto was a Jewish ghetto created in Izbica in occupied Poland during World War II, serving as a transfer point for deportation of Jews from Poland, Germany, Austria and Czechoslovakia to Belzec and Sobibor extermination camps. SS-Hauptsturmführer Kurt Engels was the commandant of the...
in German-occupied Poland later that year.
Hall of Fame
Herschmann, who was Jewish, was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of FameInternational Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
The International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame was opened July 7, 1981, in Netanya, Israel. It honors Jewish athletes and their accomplishments from anywhere around the world....
.
On 7 November 2001 his hometown Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
named a lane Otto-Herschmann-Gasse in Simmering
Simmering (Vienna)
Simmering is the 11th district of Vienna, Austria . It borders the Danube and was established as a district in 1892. Simmering has several churches, some museums, schools, old castles, and many cemeteries.- History :...
.
See also
- List of select Jewish fencers
- List of select Jewish swimmers
- List of multi-sport athletes
- List of multiple Olympic medalists