Siegfried Eifrig
Encyclopedia
Siegfried Eifrig was a German
track and field
athlete who ran the last leg of the inaugural Olympic Torch rally in the 1936 Summer Olympics
.
At the age of 26, Siegfried Eifrig was chosen to carry the Olympic Flame
which lit the cauldron at the 1936 Summer Olympics
. His relay began at Unter den Linden
and made its way to Olympiastadion in Berlin, where he lit two urns which burned until the end of the summer games. From the urns, the flame was then transferred to Fritz Schilgen
, who lit the Olympic Cauldron in Olympiastadion. Even with his athletic talent, Eifrig did not make the German Olympic team
. With his blond hair, blue eyes, and tall athletic physique, Eifrig was chosen to embody the Nazi's ideal Aryan athlete
. Even though he had been chosen as a tool of political propaganda
, Efrig never belonged to the Nazi party.
Several years after the Olympic Games, Eifrig was placed into the Wehrmacht
(the German Army), where he fought in North African Campaign
. During World War II
, he was captured as a Prisoner of war
by the British Army, where he was held for the rest of the war.During his time of internment
, he organized soccer and track events as recreation for the other inmates.
After World War II, Eifrig returned to Berlin
, where he married and had five children, eight grandchildren and seven great-grand children. He rebuilt his former team, Sports Club Charlottenburg, and became a key figure in the rebirth of the state bank, Berliner Sparkasse. For years, Eifrig served as the Berliner Sparkasse’s director
, and later became the treasurer
for the Berlin Marathon
, where he continued his passion for sport and athletic competition.
The torch which Eifrig bore in the 1936 Summer Olympics
was buried with other mementoes of his athletic youth in a suitcase under a bowling lane. Secret from the turbulent times in Berlin
, Efirig later returned to reclaim his relic with its remaining magnesium
candle, which he placed on his livingroom mantle. Currently, the torch is scheduled to reside at the Berlin Sports Museum within the AIMS Marathon Museum of Running.
Eifrig became critical of politicians who sought to exploit the flame. He saw China
's 2008 plan to carry the torch across the summit of Mount Everest
as a "pointless gesture that makes a nonsense of the relay as an athletic challenge." Eifrig told the BBC
that he had been "saddened by the controversy this year's relay [had] attracted ... it ought to be kept a purely sporting affair."
Eifrig died on 23 June 2008, at the age of 98.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
track and field
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
athlete who ran the last leg of the inaugural Olympic Torch rally 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...
.
Biography
As a member of the Sport Club Charlottenburg (SCC), Eifrig was a talented sprinter and became the 1935 4x400m relay champion. His personal best times were 11.0 seconds for the 100m and 49.8 seconds for the 400m. He also competed in the traditional Berlin-Potsdam relay 40 times throughout his life.At the age of 26, Siegfried Eifrig was chosen to carry the Olympic Flame
Olympic Flame
The Olympic Flame or Olympic Torch is a symbol of the Olympic Games. Commemorating the theft of fire from the Greek god Zeus by Prometheus, its origins lie in ancient Greece, where a fire was kept burning throughout the celebration of the ancient Olympics. The fire was reintroduced at the 1928...
which lit the cauldron at 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...
. His relay began at Unter den Linden
Unter den Linden
Unter den Linden is a boulevard in the Mitte district of Berlin, the capital of Germany. It is named for its linden trees that line the grassed pedestrian mall between two carriageways....
and made its way to Olympiastadion in Berlin, where he lit two urns which burned until the end of the summer games. From the urns, the flame was then transferred to Fritz Schilgen
Fritz Schilgen
Fritz Schilgen was a German athlete and the final torchbearer of the first Olympic torch relay at the 1936 Summer Games....
, who lit the Olympic Cauldron in Olympiastadion. Even with his athletic talent, Eifrig did not make the German Olympic team
Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund
Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund was founded on 20 May 2006 by a merger of the Deutscher Sportbund , and the Nationales Olympisches Komitee für Deutschland which dates back to 1895, the year it was founded and recognized as NOC by the IOC.Seated in Frankfurt , it represents 89,000...
. With his blond hair, blue eyes, and tall athletic physique, Eifrig was chosen to embody the Nazi's ideal Aryan athlete
Aryan race
The Aryan race is a concept historically influential in Western culture in the period of the late 19th century and early 20th century. It derives from the idea that the original speakers of the Indo-European languages and their descendants up to the present day constitute a distinctive race or...
. Even though he had been chosen as a tool of political propaganda
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
, Efrig never belonged to the Nazi party.
Several years after the Olympic Games, Eifrig was placed into the Wehrmacht
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
(the German Army), where he fought in North African Campaign
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
. During 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...
, he was captured as a Prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
by the British Army, where he was held for the rest of the war.During his time of internment
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
, he organized soccer and track events as recreation for the other inmates.
After World War II, Eifrig returned to 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...
, where he married and had five children, eight grandchildren and seven great-grand children. He rebuilt his former team, Sports Club Charlottenburg, and became a key figure in the rebirth of the state bank, Berliner Sparkasse. For years, Eifrig served as the Berliner Sparkasse’s director
Executive director
Executive director is a term sometimes applied to the chief executive officer or managing director of an organization, company, or corporation. It is widely used in North American non-profit organizations, though in recent decades many U.S. nonprofits have adopted the title "President/CEO"...
, and later became the treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
for the Berlin Marathon
Berlin Marathon
The Berlin Marathon is a major running and sporting event held annually in Berlin, Germany. The official marathon distance of 42.195 kilometers is set up as a city-wide road race where professional athletes and amateur runners jointly participate...
, where he continued his passion for sport and athletic competition.
The torch which Eifrig bore 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...
was buried with other mementoes of his athletic youth in a suitcase under a bowling lane. Secret from the turbulent times 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...
, Efirig later returned to reclaim his relic with its remaining magnesium
Magnesium
Magnesium is a chemical element with the symbol Mg, atomic number 12, and common oxidation number +2. It is an alkaline earth metal and the eighth most abundant element in the Earth's crust and ninth in the known universe as a whole...
candle, which he placed on his livingroom mantle. Currently, the torch is scheduled to reside at the Berlin Sports Museum within the AIMS Marathon Museum of Running.
Eifrig became critical of politicians who sought to exploit the flame. He saw China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
's 2008 plan to carry the torch across the summit of Mount Everest
Mount Everest
Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, with a peak at above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international boundary runs across the precise summit point...
as a "pointless gesture that makes a nonsense of the relay as an athletic challenge." Eifrig told the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
that he had been "saddened by the controversy this year's relay [had] attracted ... it ought to be kept a purely sporting affair."
Eifrig died on 23 June 2008, at the age of 98.
See also
- 1936 Summer Olympics1936 Summer OlympicsThe 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...
- Olympia (1938 film)Olympia (1938 film)Olympia is a 1938 Nazi propaganda film by Leni Riefenstahl documenting the 1936 Summer Olympics, held in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin, Germany. The film was released in two parts: Olympia 1. Teil — Fest der Völker and Olympia 2. Teil — Fest der Schönheit . It was the first documentary feature...
- Olympic Torch Relay