Nickolaus Hirschl
Encyclopedia
Nickolaus "Mickey" Hirschl (March 20, 1906 – October 10, 1991) was an Austrian Olympic-medal-winning wrestler, European Heavyweight Wrestling Champion, and for 10 years held the title of Austrian Heavyweight Wrestling Champion. He was also an Austrian Shotput and Discus Junior Champion, Austrian Heavyweight Weightlifting Junior Champion, and for seven years the Austrian Pentathlon Champion.
, Austria. His parents were kosher butchers, and his father was president of a synagogue
.
. At 16 years of age, he won the Austrian Junior Championship in heavyweight weightlifting. At 17 years of age, he became the pentathlon
champion of Austria, winning the title in 1923 and holding it for for seven years.
At 18 years of age, he won the Austrian heavyweight wrestling championship. He was the Austrian champion for the following 10 years. In 1932, Hirschl won the gold medal in the European Wrestling Championships Heavyweight Championship. He wrestled for the Hakoah Vienna wrestling team, which won 127 international titles from 1929 to 1934.
At the 1932 Olympics
in Los Angeles, he won a bronze medal
in heavyweight freestyle
, and a bronze medal in heavyweight Greco-Roman.
In 1936, he boycotted the Olympics
which were to be held in Berlin
, Germany, refusing to participate because of the racial policies of the Nazis.
He first moved to pre-Israel Palestine, and then ultimately joined the British army as a commando, and fought the Germans in North Africa. After the war he married, and moved to Australia where he ran a meat business.
He was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
in 1993.
Early life
Hirschl was Jewish, and was 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...
, Austria. His parents were kosher butchers, and his father was president of a synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
.
Sports career
At 15 years of age, he won the Austrian Junior Championship in shotput and discusDiscus
Discus, "disk" in Latin, may refer to:* Discus , a progressive rock band from Indonesia* Discus , a fictional character from the Marvel Comics Universe and enemy of Luke Cage* Discus , a freshwater fish popular with aquarium keepers...
. At 16 years of age, he won the Austrian Junior Championship in heavyweight weightlifting. At 17 years of age, he became the pentathlon
Pentathlon
A pentathlon is a contest featuring five different events. The name is derived from Greek: combining the words pente and -athlon . The first pentathlon was documented in Ancient Greece and was part of the Ancient Olympic Games...
champion of Austria, winning the title in 1923 and holding it for for seven years.
At 18 years of age, he won the Austrian heavyweight wrestling championship. He was the Austrian champion for the following 10 years. In 1932, Hirschl won the gold medal in the European Wrestling Championships Heavyweight Championship. He wrestled for the Hakoah Vienna wrestling team, which won 127 international titles from 1929 to 1934.
At the 1932 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, he won a bronze medal
Bronze 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...
in heavyweight freestyle
Freestyle wrestling
Freestyle wrestling is a style of amateur wrestling that is practised throughout the world. Along with Greco-Roman, it is one of the two styles of wrestling contested in the Olympic games. It is, along with track and field, one of the oldest organized sports in history...
, and a bronze medal in heavyweight Greco-Roman.
In 1936, he boycotted the 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...
which were to be held in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
, Germany, refusing to participate because of the racial policies of the Nazis.
Life after sports career
Hirschl left Austria to escape the Nazis before World War II began. Most of his family was killed in the Holocaust.He first moved to pre-Israel Palestine, and then ultimately joined the British army as a commando, and fought the Germans in North Africa. After the war he married, and moved to Australia where he ran a meat business.
He was inducted into 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 1993.
Further reading
- Persson, Gunnar; translated by Mirja ItkonenHakoah: tähdet paossa (Hakoah – Exiled Stars), Like, 2006. ISBN 978-9524717274