Manfred Ewald
Manfred Ewald
Born: May 17, 1926 in Podejuch [1], Germany (now part of Poland). Died: Age 76, on October 21, 2002, in Damsdorf [2], Germany.
Manfred Ewald served as German Democratic Republic's (GDR) minister of sport ('61 to '88) and president of his country's Olympic committee[3] ('73-'90). However, he is is best known for his role as the architect of his East Germany's state-sponsored system of using illicit performance-enhancing drugs to turn his country into an Olympic powerhose between 1972 through 1988.
On July 18, 2000, in Berlin, both Ewald and Dr. Manfred Hoeppner, who served as East Germany's top sports doctor, were convicted of being accessories to intentional bodily harm of athletes, including minors. Both received probation.
Noteworthy
- Member of the Hitler Youth.
- Member of the Nazi party.
- Captured by the Red army, 1944.
- Member of the Socialist Unity Party (A.K.A. the Communist Party).
- Awarded “the Olympic Order” (akin to the Nobel Peace Prize) by the IOC in 1985.
- Author of "Ich war der Sport" (1994), wherein he defended his role in sports doping.