Roman Kantor
Encyclopedia
Roman Józef Kantor born in Łódź, Poland, was a Polish Olympic
epee fencer
.
He then trained in England from 1931–32 under the supervision of fencer Lefevre’a, and in Germany under the supervision of Italian coach Gatzera. In 1934 he returned to Łódź and joined the fencing section of the Army Sport Club, twice winning the team title of City Champion. In 1935 he won the title of Warsaw
, and contributed to the Polish victory over Germany.
After receiving 2nd place at the Open Championship of Lvov, he was nominated a member of the Olympic delegation for the XI Olympic Games
in Berlin in 1936. There, he won 7 bouts in the quarterfinals, but did not get to the finals. He did, however, contributed to receiving an 8th spot finish by the Polish team.
In December 1936 he moved to Łódzki Klub Sportowy. He was twice champion of the city, both in individual and team fencing (1938 and 1939).
He won the Nordic countries
championship in 1938, and received a 2nd place in 1939 in the last Championship of Poland before the outbreak of World War II
.
On May 14, 1939, he took the Olympic oath with other Łódź Olympians before the planned 1940 12th Summer Olympic Games.
When the Germans took over Poland, however, he escaped to Lvov, where in 1940, in Kharkiv
, he won the Championship of the Soviet Union
.
concentration camp and killing center. There, Kantor was forced to do work for Ostindustrie, and was mentioned in the 1943 register of prisoners.
He died there in 1943. The Jewish Polish swimmer Ilja Szrajbman
, who had also participated in the Berlin Olympics, was also killed by the Nazis that year.
Kantor was one of approximately 3 million Polish Jews
murdered during the Holocaust.
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
epee fencer
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...
.
Early life
Kantor was the son of Elchanan and Barbara (née Bekier) Kantor. After finishing local primary school, he left for Paris in 1924 to continue his education. He played tennis, and was captain of the school soccer team.Fencing career
He also started to train in fencing. Shortly after, he received 3rd place in fencing at the academic championship of Paris, and 6th place at the Open Championship of France in 1929.He then trained in England from 1931–32 under the supervision of fencer Lefevre’a, and in Germany under the supervision of Italian coach Gatzera. In 1934 he returned to Łódź and joined the fencing section of the Army Sport Club, twice winning the team title of City Champion. In 1935 he won the title of Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, and contributed to the Polish victory over Germany.
After receiving 2nd place at the Open Championship of Lvov, he was nominated a member of the Olympic delegation for the XI Olympic Games
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
in Berlin in 1936. There, he won 7 bouts in the quarterfinals, but did not get to the finals. He did, however, contributed to receiving an 8th spot finish by the Polish team.
In December 1936 he moved to Łódzki Klub Sportowy. He was twice champion of the city, both in individual and team fencing (1938 and 1939).
He won the Nordic countries
Nordic countries
The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...
championship in 1938, and received a 2nd place in 1939 in the last Championship of Poland before the outbreak 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...
.
On May 14, 1939, he took the Olympic oath with other Łódź Olympians before the planned 1940 12th Summer Olympic Games.
When the Germans took over Poland, however, he escaped to Lvov, where in 1940, in Kharkiv
Kharkiv
Kharkiv or Kharkov is the second-largest city in Ukraine.The city was founded in 1654 and was a major centre of Ukrainian culture in the Russian Empire. Kharkiv became the first city in Ukraine where the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic was proclaimed in December 1917 and Soviet government was...
, he won the Championship of the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
Concentration camp and death
When Lvov was taken over by the Germans, to escape the Nazis because he was Jewish, he obtained a passport and citizenship of a South American country, and waited for the German authorities' permit to leave for a neutral country. In this time, he lived in a building at Sapieha Street. It turned out that the Germans were misleading the inhabitants of the building, and they were all later arrested and transported in 1942 to the MajdanekMajdanek
Majdanek was a German Nazi concentration camp on the outskirts of Lublin, Poland, established during the German Nazi occupation of Poland. The camp operated from October 1, 1941 until July 22, 1944, when it was captured nearly intact by the advancing Soviet Red Army...
concentration camp and killing center. There, Kantor was forced to do work for Ostindustrie, and was mentioned in the 1943 register of prisoners.
He died there in 1943. The Jewish Polish swimmer Ilja Szrajbman
Ilja Szrajbman
Lejzor Ilja Szrajbman was a Polish Olympic freestyle swimmer.Szrajbman was born in Warsaw, Poland. He competed in the for Poland at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany.Ilja died in 1943 in the Majdanek concentration camp....
, who had also participated in the Berlin Olympics, was also killed by the Nazis that year.
Kantor was one of approximately 3 million Polish Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
murdered during the Holocaust.