Josef Manger

Josef Manger

Josef Manger around 1936

Personal information

Surname:

Josef Manger

Nationality:

German Empire

Date of birth:

May 26, 1913

Place of birth:

Bamberg , German Empire

Date of death:

March 13, 1991

Medal table

Medals

Olympic games
gold	1936 Berlin	410 kg
World Championships Olympic three-way fight
gold	1937 Paris	420 kg
gold	1938 Vienna	410 kg

Josef Manger (born May 26, 1913 in Bamberg ; † March 13, 1991 ) was a German weightlifter .

Career

Josef Manger grew up in Bamberg and joined SC Roland Bamberg at a young age. At first he practiced wrestling , and later weightlifting . In 1934 he started at the German weightlifting championships in Nuremberg and finished sixth in the pentathlon with 512.5 kg. On this occasion he was noticed by the 1932 Olympic champion Rudolf Ismayr , who brought him to SpVgg Freising that same year . Under Ismayr's training direction, his performance increased so quickly within three months that he was sent to the European Championships in Genoa by the German Athletics Association (DASV) in 1934 , where he immediately took second place in the heavyweight division. From then on, a career began that made him Olympic, European and world champion over the next few years. From 1935 to 1942 Manger remained undefeated. The war prevented further successes that Manger faced at the age of 26 in 1939. That year he also achieved his best performance with 435 kg in the Olympic three-way battle. As early as 1939, there were no more world championships because of the outbreak of war.

Rudolf Manger trained as a tax officer and later became an independent businessman. After the war, he rarely appeared at weightlifting events. Manger died in 1991 at the age of 77 and was buried in the forest cemetery in Starnberg .

International success

(OS = Olympic Games, WM = World Championships, EM = European Championships, OD = Olympic three-way fight, consisting of two-armed pushing, tearing and pushing, FK = pentathlon, consisting of OD and one-armed tearing and pushing, S = heavyweight, at that time over 82.5 kg body weight)

year	space	competition	Weight class	power
1934	2.	EM in Genoa	Heavy	382.5 kg (120-115-147.5)	behind Václav Pšenička , Czechoslovakia , 385 kg and in front of Josef Straßberger , Germany , 382.5 kg
1935	1.	EM in Paris	Heavy	395 kg (125-120-150)	ahead of Ronald Walker , England , 382.5 kg and Pšenička, 382.5 kg
1936	gold	OS in Berlin	Heavy	410 kg (132.5-122.5-155)	before Pšenička, 402.5 kg and Arnold Luhaäär , Estonia , 400 kg
1937	1.	World Cup in Paris	Heavy	420 kg (135-125-160)	before Pšenička, 405 kg and Heinz Schattner , Germany, 395 kg
1938	1.	World Cup in Vienna	Heavy	410 kg (135-122.5-152.5)	before Steve Stanko , USA , 397.5 kg and Luhaäär, 390 kg

Note: all competitions in the Olympic three-way fight

International battles

1937 in Vienna, Austria - Germany, OD, S, Zeman 370 kg - Manger 420 kg,
1937 in Munich , Germany - Austria, OD, S, Manger 400 kg - Zeman 372.5 kg,
1938 in Baltimore , USA - Germany, OD, S, Stanko 385 kg - Manger 430 kg,
1938 in New York , USA - Germany, OD, S, Stanko 385 kg - Manger 430 kg,
1938 in Munich, Germany - USA, OD, S, Manger 417.5 kg - Stanko 400 kg.
1938 in Essen , Germany - USA, OD, S, Manger 420 kg - Stanko 395 kg.

Success at German championships

1934 6th place , FK, S, with 512.5 kg, winner Paul Wahl , Möhringen, 545 kg, ahead of Josef Straßberger , Munich, 540 kg;
1935 1st place , OD, S, with 385 kg, in front of Straßberger, 380 kg and Wahl, 372.5 kg;
1936 1st place , OD, S, with 395 kg, before choice, 387.5 kg and Heinz Schattner , Munich, 380 kg;
1938 1st place , OD, S, with 415 kg, in front of Schattner, 395 kg and Wahl, 385 kg;
1939 1st place , OD, S, with 435 kg, in front of Schattner, 387.5 kg and Wahl, 382.5 kg;
1940 1st place , OD, S, with 400 kg, before Schattner, 385 kg and Hans Kallbach, Kamenz , 372.5 kg;
1941 1st place , OD, S, with 412.5 kg, in front of Schattner, 390 kg and Stropek, Vienna, 375 kg;
1942 2nd place , OD, S, behind Theo Aaldering , Essen, 380 kg after three failed attempts at pushing.