Otto Harder
Encyclopedia
Otto Fritz Harder (born November 25, 1892 in Braunschweig
, died March 4, 1956 in Hamburg
) was a soccer player for the Hamburger SV
. He won two German football champions
hips and played 15 times in the German national team
. Harder was a former SS officer and had been a warder at the Ahlem concentration camp in Hanover
.
(equivalent second lieutenant
) and was a commander (Schutzhaftlagerführer) at the Ahlem camp. After World War II
Harder was convicted of war crime
s by the British military court at the Curio house in Rotherbaum
. He was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment. After the trial the Hamburger SV excluded him for a short time. In 1951 His Majesty 's Government pardoned Harder. Harder moved to Bendestorf
.
Harder died in a hospital in Hamburg after surgery in 1956. The Hamburger SV published an obituary
'He was (...) always a good friend and faithful comrade.'
For the world cup
in 1974, the senate of Hamburg published the booklet Hamburg '74. Fußballweltmeisterschaft, which praised among others Josef Posipal
, Uwe Seeler and Harder as role models for the young. The sheets mentioning Harder were removed.
Braunschweig
Braunschweig , is a city of 247,400 people, located in the federal-state of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located north of the Harz mountains at the farthest navigable point of the Oker river, which connects to the North Sea via the rivers Aller and Weser....
, died March 4, 1956 in Hamburg
Hamburg
-History:The first historic name for the city was, according to Claudius Ptolemy's reports, Treva.But the city takes its modern name, Hamburg, from the first permanent building on the site, a castle whose construction was ordered by the Emperor Charlemagne in AD 808...
) was a soccer player for the Hamburger SV
Hamburger SV
Hamburger Sport-Verein, usually referred to as HSV in Germany and Hamburg in international parlance, is a German multi-sport club based in Hamburg, its largest branch being its football department...
. He won two German football champions
German football champions
The German football champions are the annual winners of the highest association football competition in Germany. The history of the German football championship is complex and reflects the turbulent history of the country through the course of the 20th century.Brought to the country by English...
hips and played 15 times in the German national team
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
. Harder was a former SS officer and had been a warder at the Ahlem concentration camp in Hanover
Hanover
Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...
.
Career
His football fame in Germany was comparable with Uwe Seeler's fame. After his football career Harder was an SS-UntersturmführerUntersturmführer
Untersturmführer was a paramilitary rank of the German Schutzstaffel first created in July 1934. The rank can trace its origins to the older SA rank of Sturmführer which had existed since the founding of the SA in 1921...
(equivalent second lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
) and was a commander (Schutzhaftlagerführer) at the Ahlem camp. After World War II
World 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...
Harder was convicted of war crime
War crime
War crimes are serious violations of the laws applicable in armed conflict giving rise to individual criminal responsibility...
s by the British military court at the Curio house in Rotherbaum
Rotherbaum
Rotherbaum is a quarter of Eimsbüttel, a borough of Hamburg, Germany. In 2006 the population was 16,853.In German, "roter Baum" means red tree. The "th", which in general was abolished in the spelling reform of 1900, was preserved in names...
. He was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment. After the trial the Hamburger SV excluded him for a short time. In 1951 His Majesty 's Government pardoned Harder. Harder moved to Bendestorf
Bendestorf
Bendestorf is a municipality in Lower Saxony in Germany. It is situated ca. 30 km south of Hamburg and belongs to the Landkreis Harburg and the Samtgemeinde of Jesteburg....
.
Harder died in a hospital in Hamburg after surgery in 1956. The Hamburger SV published an obituary
'He was (...) always a good friend and faithful comrade.'
For the world cup
1974 FIFA World Cup
The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded...
in 1974, the senate of Hamburg published the booklet Hamburg '74. Fußballweltmeisterschaft, which praised among others Josef Posipal
Josef Posipal
Josef "Jupp" Posipal was a Romanian-born German footballer who was part of the 1954 FIFA World Cup winning German squad.Posipal was born to an ethnic German family in Lugoj, and lived much of his life in West Germany...
, Uwe Seeler and Harder as role models for the young. The sheets mentioning Harder were removed.
Further reading
- Repplinger, Roger (2008) Leg dich, Zigeuner. Die Geschichte von Johann Trollmann und Tull Harder. München, Piper, ISBN 3-492-04902-8
External links
- http://www.fussballdaten.de/spieler/harderotto/
- http://www.national-football-teams.com/v2/player.php?id=17559