David Mark Berger

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David Mark Berger (born June 24, 1944 in Shaker Heights , Ohio , † September 6, 1972 in Fürstenfeldbruck ) was an American-Israeli weightlifter who was murdered by Palestinian terrorists in the Munich Olympic attack . At the 1972 Summer Olympics , he competed for Israel as a weightlifter.

Career

Berger studied psychology at Tulane University from 1962 to 1966 , where he excelled both as a student and as a weightlifter. In his third year, he became an NCAA champion in the 148-pound class. He earned a master's degree in business administration from Columbia University , followed by a doctorate in law. At the same time he devoted himself intensively to weightlifting. In 1965 and 1969 he took part in the Maccabiade . If Berger had won bronze when he first participated, he won a gold medal in 1969. In 1970 he emigrated to Israel, where he became engaged to an Israeli student. After completing his compulsory military service, he wanted to work as a lawyer in Tel Aviv . In 1971 he won the silver medal at the Asian Games .

In 1972 he was accepted into the Israeli Olympic team. He was eliminated from the competition early on, but stayed in Munich to support his comrades. He and ten of his teammates were taken hostage by terrorists. He was the only hostage to die, not from gunshot wounds, but from the effects of smoke inhalation , which was an aftereffect of the hand grenade that was detonated by the terrorists in Fürstenfeldbruck.

While his comrades were being buried in Israel, a US Air Force machine brought Berger's body to the US, where he was buried in his hometown of Shaker Heights.

Others

The events surrounding the hostage-taking in Munich have been the subject of various films. The David Berger National Memorial was erected in 1975 to commemorate David Mark Berger.

See also

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Berger, David Mark
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American-Israeli weightlifter, victim of the 1972 Olympic attack
DATE OF BIRTH June 24, 1944
PLACE OF BIRTH Shaker Heights , Ohio
DATE OF DEATH September 6, 1972
Place of death Fürstenfeldbruck