Oszkár Gerde
Encyclopedia
Dr. Oszkár Gerde, also spelled "Oskar" (July 8, 1883 – October 8, 1944, in Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp
, Oberösterreich, Austria), born in Budapest, Hungary, was a Hungarian sabre
fencer
.
fencer who first competed in the Olympics at the 1908 London Games in both the individual and team events. In the team competition, he won a gold medal
as Hungary defeated Germany (9–0), Italy (11–5), and Bohemia (9–7). In the individual sabre, Gerde won both his first- and second-round pools to advance to the semifinals. In his semifinal pool, however, he finished in 5th place (4 contestants tied for first); he officially finished in 11th place.
Gerde returned to the Olympics 4 years later at the 1912 Stockholm
Games and won another gold medal as the Hungarians took the team sabre event. In the individual sabre, Oszkar again advanced to the semifinals before being eliminated; this time, he finished 23rd overall.
Among his teammates on Hungary's sabre team at both the 1908 and 1912 Olympics were Dezsö Földes
, Jenö Fuchs
, and Lajos Werkner
.
He was killed by the Nazis the same year at Mauthausen
concentration camp. He was one of 119,000 prisoners who died in that camp.
in 1989.
Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp
Mauthausen Concentration Camp grew to become a large group of Nazi concentration camps that was built around the villages of Mauthausen and Gusen in Upper Austria, roughly east of the city of Linz.Initially a single camp at Mauthausen, it expanded over time and by the summer of 1940, the...
, Oberösterreich, Austria), born in Budapest, Hungary, was a Hungarian 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...
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...
.
Olympics
A member of two Olympic fencing teams for Hungary, Gerde was a sabreSabre
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...
fencer who first competed in the Olympics at the 1908 London Games in both the individual and team events. In the team competition, he won a 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...
as Hungary defeated Germany (9–0), Italy (11–5), and Bohemia (9–7). In the individual sabre, Gerde won both his first- and second-round pools to advance to the semifinals. In his semifinal pool, however, he finished in 5th place (4 contestants tied for first); he officially finished in 11th place.
Gerde returned to the Olympics 4 years later at the 1912 Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
Games and won another gold medal as the Hungarians took the team sabre event. In the individual sabre, Oszkar again advanced to the semifinals before being eliminated; this time, he finished 23rd overall.
Among his teammates on Hungary's sabre team at both the 1908 and 1912 Olympics were Dezsö Földes
Dezso Földes
The title of this article contains the characters ő and ö. Where they are unavailable, the name may be represented as Dezso Foldes.Dr. Dezső Földes was a Hungarian saber fencer...
, Jenö Fuchs
Jeno Fuchs
Dr. Jenő Fuchs was a Hungarian Olympic champion sabre fencer.-Fencing career:...
, and Lajos Werkner
Lajos Werkner
Lajos Werkner was a Hungarian sabre fencer.- Olympic career :He won gold medals in Team Sabre at the 1908 and 1912 Olympic Games....
.
Fencing Judge
After retiring from international competition, Gerde became a judge at international fencing competitions.Concentration Camp and Death
Gerde was deported from Hungary by the Nazis in 1944.He was killed by the Nazis the same year at Mauthausen
Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp
Mauthausen Concentration Camp grew to become a large group of Nazi concentration camps that was built around the villages of Mauthausen and Gusen in Upper Austria, roughly east of the city of Linz.Initially a single camp at Mauthausen, it expanded over time and by the summer of 1940, the...
concentration camp. He was one of 119,000 prisoners who died in that camp.
Hall of Fame
Gerde, who was Jewish, was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of FameInternational 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 1989.
