Attila Petschauer
Encyclopedia
Attila Petschauer (December 14, 1904 – January 20, 1943) was a Jewish Hungarian Olympic
fencer
.
, Petschauer was a member of the Hungarian fencing team in the 1928 and 1932 Olympics. Petschauer was regarded throughout the late 1920s and early 1930s as one of the world's top fencers.
A fencing prodigy prior to reaching his teens, Petschauer was dubbed “the new D'Artagnan
" by his mentor.
at the European Championships.
In years that followed, he won the "Heroes Memorial Tournament" and earned Individual Euro silver medal
s in 1925 and 1929, and bronze medals in 1927 and 1930. At the European Championships of 1930 and 1931, Petschauer’s Hungary Sabre team won gold medal
s.
he was part of the gold medal
-winning Hungarian team in sabre
, winning all 20 of his competition matches. Among his teammates were János Garay
and Sándor Gombos
, who are also members of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
. In the individual sabre competition, Petschauer won the silver medal
. In the final round, he tied for first with fellow Hungarian Odon Tersztyanssky (they both won 9 of 11 bouts in the finals), but lost the fence-off for the gold, 5–2.
In the 1932 Summer Olympics
in Los Angeles, Petschauer was again part of the champion Hungarian sabre team. The Hungarians easily won the gold medal; in the finals, they defeated the United States, Italy, and Poland by a combined 31–6. But though he reached the finals he finished 5th in the individual event. He actually tied 3 other fencers with 5 victories, but fellow Hungarian Endre Kabos
, also a member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
, was awarded the bronze because he received fewer touches in the finals. This was the only time in his Olympic career that Petschauer did not medal in an event he had entered.
in 1944 resulted in the deportation of most Jews to concentration camps. Before that, under Hungarian rule allied with Nazi Germany, Jews were subject to anti Jewish laws. But Petschauer’s reputation as a celebrated sportsman accorded him a special “document of exemption”. Nonetheless, during a routine check of identification by the Hungarian police while he was out walking, Petschauer found he had left some of his “papers” at home – an unacceptable explanation to his Hungarian inquisitor.
Shortly thereafter, he was deported to the Davidovka concentration camp
in the Ukrainian
town of Davidovka in 1943. During a line-up of prisoners, Petschauer was recognized by a military officer and commandor of the camp , Lieutenant Colonel
Kálmán Cseh von Szent-Katolna, who had been an equestrian
competitor for Hungary in the 1928 Olympics. The two had once been friends, but Cseh exhorted camp guards to taunt his onetime comrade and "Make things hot for the Jew".
Petschauer's death was brutal. Olympic champion wrestler Karoly Karpati
was a fellow inmate, and witnessed Petschauer's death. He recalled: “The guards shouted: ‘You, Olympic fencing medal winner . . . let’s see how you can climb trees.’ It was midwinter and bitter cold, but they ordered him to undress, then climb a tree. The amused guards ordered him to crow like a rooster, and sprayed him with water. Frozen from the water, he died shortly after.”
, starring Ralph Fiennes
. Though the film was fiction, it incorporated real stories into the plot, and one of the three lead roles was largely based on Petschauer.
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...
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...
.
Fencing career
Born in BudapestBudapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
, Petschauer was a member of the Hungarian fencing team in the 1928 and 1932 Olympics. Petschauer was regarded throughout the late 1920s and early 1930s as one of the world's top fencers.
A fencing prodigy prior to reaching his teens, Petschauer was dubbed “the new D'Artagnan
D'Artagnan
Charles Ogier de Batz de Castelmore, Comte d'Artagnan served Louis XIV as captain of the Musketeers of the Guard and died at the Siege of Maastricht in the Franco-Dutch War. A fictionalized account of his life by Gatien de Courtilz de Sandras formed the basis for the d'Artagnan Romances of...
" by his mentor.
European Championships
In 1923, barely 19 years old, he earned the Individual Sabre bronze medalBronze medal
A bronze medal is a medal awarded to the third place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, etc. The practice of awarding bronze third place medals began at the 1904 Olympic Games in St...
at the European Championships.
In years that followed, he won the "Heroes Memorial Tournament" and earned Individual Euro silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
s in 1925 and 1929, and bronze medals in 1927 and 1930. At the European Championships of 1930 and 1931, Petschauer’s Hungary Sabre team won gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
s.
Olympic career
In Amsterdam in 19281928 Summer Olympics
The 1928 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the IX Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Amsterdam had bid for the 1920 and 1924 Olympic Games, but had to give way to war-victim Antwerp, Belgium, and Pierre de...
he was part of the gold medal
Gold medal
A gold medal is typically the medal awarded for highest achievement in a non-military field. Its name derives from the use of at least a fraction of gold in form of plating or alloying in its manufacture...
-winning Hungarian team in 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...
, winning all 20 of his competition matches. Among his teammates were János Garay
János Garay (fencer)
János Garay was a Hungarian fencer, and one of the best sabre fencers in the world in the 1920s....
and Sándor Gombos
Sándor Gombos
Dr. Sándor Gombos was a Hungarian fencer.-World Championships:...
, who are also members of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
International 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....
. In the individual sabre competition, Petschauer won the silver medal
Silver medal
A silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
. In the final round, he tied for first with fellow Hungarian Odon Tersztyanssky (they both won 9 of 11 bouts in the finals), but lost the fence-off for the gold, 5–2.
In the 1932 Summer Olympics
1932 Summer Olympics
The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, was a major world wide multi-athletic event which was celebrated in 1932 in Los Angeles, California, United States. No other cities made a bid to host these Olympics. Held during the worldwide Great Depression, many nations...
in Los Angeles, Petschauer was again part of the champion Hungarian sabre team. The Hungarians easily won the gold medal; in the finals, they defeated the United States, Italy, and Poland by a combined 31–6. But though he reached the finals he finished 5th in the individual event. He actually tied 3 other fencers with 5 victories, but fellow Hungarian Endre Kabos
Endre Kabos
Endre Kabos , born in Nagyvárad, Hungary, was a Hungarian sabre fencer.-Fencing career:Kabos began fencing after receiving a fencing outfit as a birthday present. Although he hid the outfit in his wardrobe, a friend found it and teased him. The following day, he enrolled in a fencing club just to...
, also a member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
International 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....
, was awarded the bronze because he received fewer touches in the finals. This was the only time in his Olympic career that Petschauer did not medal in an event he had entered.
Concentration camp and death
The German occupation of Hungary during the last year of World War IIWorld 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...
in 1944 resulted in the deportation of most Jews to concentration camps. Before that, under Hungarian rule allied with Nazi Germany, Jews were subject to anti Jewish laws. But Petschauer’s reputation as a celebrated sportsman accorded him a special “document of exemption”. Nonetheless, during a routine check of identification by the Hungarian police while he was out walking, Petschauer found he had left some of his “papers” at home – an unacceptable explanation to his Hungarian inquisitor.
Shortly thereafter, he was deported to the Davidovka concentration camp
Davidovka concentration camp
Davidovka concentration camp was a Hungarian-controlled World War II labor camp in Davidovka....
in the Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
town of Davidovka in 1943. During a line-up of prisoners, Petschauer was recognized by a military officer and commandor of the camp , Lieutenant Colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
Kálmán Cseh von Szent-Katolna, who had been an equestrian
Equestrianism
Equestrianism more often known as riding, horseback riding or horse riding refers to the skill of riding, driving, or vaulting with horses...
competitor for Hungary in the 1928 Olympics. The two had once been friends, but Cseh exhorted camp guards to taunt his onetime comrade and "Make things hot for the Jew".
Petschauer's death was brutal. Olympic champion wrestler Karoly Karpati
Károly Kárpáti
Károly Kárpáti was a Jewish Hungarian Olympic wrestling champion.-Career:He won a gold medal in 1936 in the Lightweight Freestyle class...
was a fellow inmate, and witnessed Petschauer's death. He recalled: “The guards shouted: ‘You, Olympic fencing medal winner . . . let’s see how you can climb trees.’ It was midwinter and bitter cold, but they ordered him to undress, then climb a tree. The amused guards ordered him to crow like a rooster, and sprayed him with water. Frozen from the water, he died shortly after.”
Movie
Petschauer's life and death were dramatised in the 1999 film SunshineSunshine (1999 film)
Sunshine is a 1999 historical film written by Israel Horovitz and István Szabó, directed and produced by István Szabó. It follows three generations of a Jewish family during the changes in Hungary from the beginning of the 20th century to the...
, starring Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Fiennes
Ralph Nathaniel Twisleton-Wykeham-Fiennes is an English actor and film director. He has appeared in such films as The English Patient, In Bruges, The Constant Gardener, Strange Days, The Duchess and Schindler's List....
. Though the film was fiction, it incorporated real stories into the plot, and one of the three lead roles was largely based on Petschauer.