Siegfried Eifrig: Difference between revisions
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{{short description|German sprinter}} |
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{{Orphan|date=February 2009}} |
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|name = Siegfried Eifrig |
|name = Siegfried Eifrig |
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|image = Olympictorche-Berlin.jpg |
|image = Olympictorche-Berlin.jpg |
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|caption = Siegfried Eifrig bearing the Olympic flame, Berlin 1936 |
|caption = Siegfried Eifrig bearing the Olympic flame, Berlin 1936 |
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|birth_date = |
|birth_date = {{Birth date|1910|2|6|df=y}} |
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|birth_place = Berlin, Germany |
|birth_place = Berlin, Germany |
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|death_date = |
|death_date = {{Death date and age|2008|6|23|1910|2|6|df=y}} |
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|death_place = |
|death_place = |
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|other_names = |
|other_names = |
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|known_for = Olympic Torch Bearer |
|known_for = Olympic Torch Bearer |
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|nationality = |
|nationality = German |
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}} |
}} |
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==Biography== |
==Biography== |
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| ⚫ | Eifrig was born in [[Berlin]], [[Germany]]. As a member of the Sport Club Charlottenburg (SCC), Eifrig was a talented sprinter and became the 1935 4 × 400 m relay champion. His personal best times were 11.0 seconds for the 100m and 49.8 seconds for the 400m. He also competed in the traditional Berlin-Potsdam relay 40 times throughout his life. |
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| ⚫ | At the age of 26, Siegfried Eifrig was chosen to carry the [[Olympic Flame]] which lit the cauldron at the [[1936 Summer Olympics torch relay|first Olympic torch relay]]. His relay began at [[Unter den Linden]] and made its way to [[Olympic stadium]] in Berlin, where he lit two urns which burned until the end of the summer games. From the urns, the flame was then transferred to [[Fritz Schilgen]], who lit the Olympic Cauldron in [[Olympic stadium]]. Even with his athletic talent, Eifrig did not make the [[Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund|German Olympic team]]. With his blond hair, blue eyes, and tall athletic physique, Eifrig was chosen to embody the Nazi's ideal [[Aryan race|Aryan athlete]].<ref name=autogenerated1>[http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/1936_berlin_olympics.htm ::The 1936 Berlin Olympics::<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Even though he had been chosen as a tool of political [[propaganda]], Eifrig never belonged to the [[Nazi]] party. |
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| ⚫ | At the age of 26, Siegfried Eifrig was chosen to carry the [[Olympic Flame]] which lit the cauldron at the [[1936 Summer Olympics]]. His relay began at [[Unter den Linden]] and made its way to [[ |
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{{Cquote|It was an enormous honor to carry the torch, of course it was. I wasn’t so much nervous as really concentrating. I had to make sure nothing went wrong. There were so many people there. People said there were 300,000 people watching me on my stretch.<ref name=autogenerated1 />}} |
{{Cquote|It was an enormous honor to carry the torch, of course it was. I wasn’t so much nervous as really concentrating. I had to make sure nothing went wrong. There were so many people there. People said there were 300,000 people watching me on my stretch.<ref name=autogenerated1 />}} |
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{{Cquote|I carried the torch down Unter den Linden past the statue of Frederick the Great. There was a big youth event with around 30,000 young people near the Old Museum. I ran past the youths and up to an altar as tall as a man. That's where I lit the flame.<ref>[http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,1255800,00.html The Darkness of the Torch | Europe | Deutsche Welle | 09.04.2008<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>}} |
{{Cquote|I carried the torch down Unter den Linden past the statue of Frederick the Great. There was a big youth event with around 30,000 young people near the Old Museum. I ran past the youths and up to an altar as tall as a man. That's where I lit the flame.<ref>[http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,1255800,00.html The Darkness of the Torch | Europe | Deutsche Welle | 09.04.2008<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>}} |
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Several years after the [[Olympics|Olympic Games]], Eifrig was placed into the [[Wehrmacht]] (the German Army), where he fought in [[North Africa|North African Campaign]]. During [[World War II]], he was captured as a [[Prisoner of war]] by the British Army, where he was held for the rest of the war.<ref name=autogenerated2>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7330949.stm BBC NEWS | World | Europe | The Olympic torch's shadowy past<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref>During his time of [[internment]], he organized [[soccer]] and [[Track and field athletics|track]] events as recreation for the other inmates. |
Several years after the [[Olympics|Olympic Games]], Eifrig was placed into the [[Wehrmacht]] (the German Army), where he fought in [[North Africa|North African Campaign]]. During [[World War II]], he was captured as a [[Prisoner of war]] by the British Army, where he was held for the rest of the war.<ref name=autogenerated2>[http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7330949.stm BBC NEWS | World | Europe | The Olympic torch's shadowy past<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> During his time of [[internment]], he organized [[soccer]] and [[Track and field athletics|track]] events as recreation for the other inmates. |
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After |
After World War II, Eifrig returned to [[Berlin]], where he married and had five children, eight grandchildren and seven great-grand children. He rebuilt his former team, Sports Club Charlottenburg, and became a key figure in the rebirth of the state bank, [[Landesbank Berlin Holding|Berliner Sparkasse]]. For years, Eifrig served as the [[Landesbank Berlin Holding|Berliner Sparkasse]]’s [[Executive director|director]], and later became the [[treasurer]] for the [[Berlin Marathon]], where he continued his passion for sport and athletic competition.<ref name="German Road Races">[http://www.germanroadraces.de/24-1-6031-siegfried-eifrig-last-berlin-torch-bearer.html Siegfried Eifrig - Last Berlin Torch Bearer from 1936 Dies]</ref> |
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The torch which Eifrig bore in the [[1936 Summer Olympics]] was buried with other mementoes of his athletic youth in a suitcase under a bowling lane. Secret from the turbulent times in [[Berlin]], |
The torch which Eifrig bore in the [[1936 Summer Olympics]] was buried with other mementoes of his athletic youth in a suitcase under a bowling lane. Secret from the turbulent times in [[Berlin]], Eifrig later returned to reclaim his relic with its remaining [[magnesium]] candle, which he placed on his livingroom mantle. Currently, the torch is scheduled to reside at the [[Berlin Sports Museum]] within the [[AIMS Marathon Museum of Running]].<ref name="German Road Races"/> |
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Eifrig became critical of politicians who sought to exploit the flame. He saw [[China]]'s 2008 plan to carry the torch across the summit of [[Mount Everest]] as a "pointless gesture that makes a nonsense of the relay as an athletic challenge." Eifrig told the [[BBC]] that he had been "saddened by the controversy this year's relay [had] attracted ... it ought to be kept a purely sporting affair."<ref name=autogenerated2 /> |
Eifrig became critical of politicians who sought to exploit the flame. He saw [[China]]'s 2008 plan to carry the torch across the summit of [[Mount Everest]] as a "pointless gesture that makes a nonsense of the relay as an athletic challenge." Eifrig told the [[BBC]] that he had been "saddened by the controversy this year's relay [had] attracted ... it ought to be kept a purely sporting affair."<ref name=autogenerated2 /> |
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Eifrig died on 23 June 2008, at the age of 98. |
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== See also == |
== See also == |
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*[[1936 Summer Olympics]] |
*[[1936 Summer Olympics]] |
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*[[Olympia (1938 film)]] |
*[[Olympia (1938 film)|''Olympia'' (1938 film)]] |
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*[[Olympic Torch Relay]] |
*[[Olympic Torch Relay]] |
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*{{portal-inline|Olympics}} |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{reflist}} |
{{reflist}} |
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{{authority control}} |
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{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see [[Wikipedia:Persondata]]. --> |
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| NAME = Eifrig, Siegfried |
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| ALTERNATIVE NAMES = |
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| SHORT DESCRIPTION = |
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| DATE OF BIRTH = February 6, 1910 |
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| PLACE OF BIRTH = Berlin, Germany |
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| DATE OF DEATH = June 23, 2008 |
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| PLACE OF DEATH = |
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}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Eifrig, Siegfried}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eifrig, Siegfried}} |
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[[Category:Olympic athletes of Germany]] |
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[[Category:1910 births]] |
[[Category:1910 births]] |
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[[Category:2008 deaths]] |
[[Category:2008 deaths]] |
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[[Category: |
[[Category:German prisoners of war in World War II held by the United Kingdom]] |
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[[Category:Athletes from Berlin]] |
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[[Category:German male sprinters]] |
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[[de:Siegfried Eifrig]] |
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Latest revision as of 06:10, 10 December 2022
Siegfried Eifrig | |
|---|---|
 Siegfried Eifrig bearing the Olympic flame, Berlin 1936 | |
| Born | 6 February 1910 Berlin, Germany |
| Died | 23 June 2008 (aged 98) |
| Nationality | German |
| Known for | Olympic Torch Bearer |
Siegfried Eifrig (6 February 1910 – 23 June 2008) was a German track and field athlete who ran the last leg of the inaugural Olympic Torch rally in the 1936 Summer Olympics.
Biography
[edit]Eifrig was born in Berlin, Germany. As a member of the Sport Club Charlottenburg (SCC), Eifrig was a talented sprinter and became the 1935 4 × 400 m relay champion. His personal best times were 11.0 seconds for the 100m and 49.8 seconds for the 400m. He also competed in the traditional Berlin-Potsdam relay 40 times throughout his life.
At the age of 26, Siegfried Eifrig was chosen to carry the Olympic Flame which lit the cauldron at the first Olympic torch relay. His relay began at Unter den Linden and made its way to Olympic stadium in Berlin, where he lit two urns which burned until the end of the summer games. From the urns, the flame was then transferred to Fritz Schilgen, who lit the Olympic Cauldron in Olympic stadium. Even with his athletic talent, Eifrig did not make the German Olympic team. With his blond hair, blue eyes, and tall athletic physique, Eifrig was chosen to embody the Nazi's ideal Aryan athlete.[1] Even though he had been chosen as a tool of political propaganda, Eifrig never belonged to the Nazi party.
It was an enormous honor to carry the torch, of course it was. I wasn’t so much nervous as really concentrating. I had to make sure nothing went wrong. There were so many people there. People said there were 300,000 people watching me on my stretch.[1]
I carried the torch down Unter den Linden past the statue of Frederick the Great. There was a big youth event with around 30,000 young people near the Old Museum. I ran past the youths and up to an altar as tall as a man. That's where I lit the flame.[2]
Several years after the Olympic Games, Eifrig was placed into the Wehrmacht (the German Army), where he fought in North African Campaign. During World War II, he was captured as a Prisoner of war by the British Army, where he was held for the rest of the war.[3] During his time of internment, he organized soccer and track events as recreation for the other inmates.
After World War II, Eifrig returned to Berlin, where he married and had five children, eight grandchildren and seven great-grand children. He rebuilt his former team, Sports Club Charlottenburg, and became a key figure in the rebirth of the state bank, Berliner Sparkasse. For years, Eifrig served as the Berliner Sparkasse’s director, and later became the treasurer for the Berlin Marathon, where he continued his passion for sport and athletic competition.[4]
The torch which Eifrig bore in the 1936 Summer Olympics was buried with other mementoes of his athletic youth in a suitcase under a bowling lane. Secret from the turbulent times in Berlin, Eifrig later returned to reclaim his relic with its remaining magnesium candle, which he placed on his livingroom mantle. Currently, the torch is scheduled to reside at the Berlin Sports Museum within the AIMS Marathon Museum of Running.[4]
Eifrig became critical of politicians who sought to exploit the flame. He saw China's 2008 plan to carry the torch across the summit of Mount Everest as a "pointless gesture that makes a nonsense of the relay as an athletic challenge." Eifrig told the BBC that he had been "saddened by the controversy this year's relay [had] attracted ... it ought to be kept a purely sporting affair."[3]
Eifrig died on 23 June 2008, at the age of 98.
See also
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References
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