Judith Haspel
Encyclopedia
Judith Deutsch-Haspel, born Judith Deutsch ( ; 18 August 1918, Vienna
– 20 November 2004, Herzliya
, Israel
) was a swimming
champion who held every Austria
n women's middle and long distance freestyle
record in 1935.
As a Jewish child, Deutsch was prohibited from joining most athletic clubs in Austria so she began her competitive swimming at Hakoah Vienna, a Jewish athletic club where she was soon winning swim meets and setting national records.
Deutsch was elected "Outstanding Austrian Female Athlete of 1935" by the Austrian Sports Authority.
In 1936, she was awarded Austria's "Golden Badge of Honor" as one of the country's top three athletes that year, and selected to represent her country in the 1936 Summer Olympics
. Along with fellow swimmers Ruth Langer and Lucie Goldner, she refused to compete at the Berlin Games in protest of Adolf Hitler
, stating, "I refuse to enter a contest in a land which so shamefully persecutes my people." This angered Austrian sports authorities who banned her from competition.
Deutsch in turn emigrated to Palestine, where she became the Israel
i national champion. After her leaving Austria, the sporting authorities there stripped her of her titles and expunged her name from the record books.
In 1995, the Austrian parliament
apologized to Deutsch and reversed the sanctions imposed on her.
Haspel tells her story in Watermarks
, a 2004 documentary film about the Hakoah Vienna women's swim team.
At the age of 86, Judith Haspel died in Herzliya
, Israel
.
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...
– 20 November 2004, Herzliya
Herzliya
Herzliya is a city in the central coast of Israel, at the western part of the Tel Aviv District. It has a population of 87,000 residents. Named after Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism, Herzliya covers an area of 26 km²...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
) was a swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
champion who held every Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n women's middle and long distance 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...
record in 1935.
As a Jewish child, Deutsch was prohibited from joining most athletic clubs in Austria so she began her competitive swimming at Hakoah Vienna, a Jewish athletic club where she was soon winning swim meets and setting national records.
Deutsch was elected "Outstanding Austrian Female Athlete of 1935" by the Austrian Sports Authority.
In 1936, she was awarded Austria's "Golden Badge of Honor" as one of the country's top three athletes that year, and selected to represent her country in the 1936 Summer Olympics
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...
. Along with fellow swimmers Ruth Langer and Lucie Goldner, she refused to compete at the Berlin Games in protest of Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler
Adolf Hitler was an Austrian-born German politician and the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party , commonly referred to as the Nazi Party). He was Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, and head of state from 1934 to 1945...
, stating, "I refuse to enter a contest in a land which so shamefully persecutes my people." This angered Austrian sports authorities who banned her from competition.
Deutsch in turn emigrated to Palestine, where she became the Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i national champion. After her leaving Austria, the sporting authorities there stripped her of her titles and expunged her name from the record books.
In 1995, the Austrian parliament
Parliament of Austria
In the Parliament of Austria is vested the legislative power of the Republic of Austria. The institution consists of two chambers,* the National Council and* the Federal Council ....
apologized to Deutsch and reversed the sanctions imposed on her.
Haspel tells her story in Watermarks
Watermarks (film)
Watermarks is a 2004 documentary directed by Yaron Zilberman that features women from the Viennese Hakoah swim team during the rise of fascism in 1930s Austria. The film describes the women's success as athletes leading up to the Anschluss of 1938 when the swimmers fled Austria to disparate...
, a 2004 documentary film about the Hakoah Vienna women's swim team.
At the age of 86, Judith Haspel died in Herzliya
Herzliya
Herzliya is a city in the central coast of Israel, at the western part of the Tel Aviv District. It has a population of 87,000 residents. Named after Theodor Herzl, the founder of modern Zionism, Herzliya covers an area of 26 km²...
, Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
.