Franz Beckert

Franz Ernst Beckert (born March 13, 1907 in Neustadt in the Black Forest ; † September 7, 1973 there ) was a German gymnast .

Life

Gravestone of Franz Beckert and his wife in Hinterzarten

Franz Beckert joined the Neustadt gymnastics club at the age of 13. Soon he was one of the best gymnasts in Baden in the 1930s and became a member of the German national team. At the World Championships in Budapest in 1934, he took 5th place in ring gymnastics, making his international breakthrough.

As a member of the Deutschlandriege, he did gymnastics on June 17, 1934 in Karlsruhe. He also took part in the gymnastics Reichsheer-Deutsche Turnerschaft in 1935 for the German Gymnastics Association .

The highlight of his career was the Olympic victory in 1936 in Berlin in team gymnastics , where his strengths lay on the pommel horse and the rings. Franz Beckert achieved another great sporting success in 1937 in an international match in Budapest with 3rd place.

During the Second World War Beckert was taken prisoner by the Soviets, from which he did not return until 1949.

Franz Beckert died on September 7, 1973 at the age of 66. Beckert is buried in Hinterzarten .

The Hamburger Abendblatt referred to him in 1949 as an "ace in ring gymnastics". His special strength was gymnastics on the quiet rings.

Successes (selection)

World Championships 1934

3. Team all-around
11. Individual all-around

Olympic Games 1936

1st team all-around
15. Individual all-around
5. Ring gymnastics

Offices

Beckert was

Oberturnwart of his gymnastics club,
Gymnastics supervisor in the Breisgau Turngau
Artistic gymnastics supervisor at the Baden Gymnastics Federation and
Chairman of the Badischer Turnerbund Süd 1965 to 1966

honors and awards

The sports hall in Neustadt on Friedhofstrasse was named after him "Franz-Beckert-Halle" in his honor.
In 1957 he was awarded the honorary letter of the German Gymnastics Federation .

Web links

Page at the Neustadt gymnastics club.
Franz Beckert in the Sports-Reference database (English; archived from the original )
Franz Beckert short biography in: Hamburger Nachrichten of March 22, 1937.
Peter Stellmach, Annemarie Zwick: The Neustädter Olympic Champion , in: Badische Zeitung from August 17, 2012

Individual evidence

^ Badische Presse of June 18, 1934 Online and Badische Presse of June 6, 1934 (with photo) .
↑ Hamburger Abendblatt, February 23, 1949 Online .
↑ See e.g. B. Hamburger Abendblatt of February 23, 1949 Online .
↑ Andreas Götze (ed.): Andreas Götze / Eckhard Herholz - The German gymnastics century: Olympic Games, World Championships, European Championships and World Cup competitions from 1896 Athens to 1992 Barcelona, Berlin 1992, p. 257.

personal data
SURNAME	Beckert, Franz
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Beckert, Franz Ernst
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	German gymnast
DATE OF BIRTH	March 13, 1907
PLACE OF BIRTH	Titisee-Neustadt
DATE OF DEATH	7th September 1973
Place of death	Titisee-Neustadt

[1] Badische Presse of June 18, 1934 Online and Badische Presse of June 6, 1934 (with photo) .

[2] Hamburger Abendblatt, February 23, 1949 Online .

[3] See e.g. B. Hamburger Abendblatt of February 23, 1949 Online .

[4] Andreas Götze (ed.): Andreas Götze / Eckhard Herholz - The German gymnastics century: Olympic Games, World Championships, European Championships and World Cup competitions from 1896 Athens to 1992 Barcelona, Berlin 1992, p. 257.