Karl-Heinrich von Groddeck

The European champions from 1964, Groddeck is fourth from the right

Karl-Heinrich Erich Moritz von Groddeck (born July 19, 1936 in Tutow , Pomerania Province , Prussia ; † December 14, 2011 in Müllheim (Baden) ) was a German rower who represented the Federal Republic of Germany at all three Olympic appearances of the all-German Team won a medal. Alongside and after his sporting career, he worked as a journalist.

Career

Karl-Heinrich von Groddeck began his rowing career with the rowing company Wiesbaden-Biebrich in 1888 . In 1955 Horst Arndt and Groddeck won together with helmsman Achim Wernet at the German championships in two . In 1956 Arndt and Groddeck were able to defend the title with the helmsman Rainer Borkowsky . The three Wiesbadeners also won the European championships in Bled in 1956 in front of the boats from Switzerland and Austria. At the Olympic Games in 1956 , the three took second place behind the Americans Arthur Ayrault and Conn Findlay with helmsman Armin Seiffert . In 1957, Groddeck, Arndt and Borkowsky defended their German championship title and also won the European Championships in Duisburg.

When Karl-Heinrich von Groddeck changed his career to Hamburg, he joined the Ratzeburg rowing club and trained with Karl Adam . After Karl Adam had read the rather rare name Moritz on a transit form, Karl-Heinrich von Groddeck was only called Moritz von Groddeck among his teammates . In 1959, Groddeck won his first German championship title in the eighth with the Ratzeburg eight and immediately became European champion in his new boat class at the European championships in Mâcon (crew: Klaus Bittner , Karl-Heinz Hopp , Hans Lenk , Manfred Rulffs , Frank Schepke , Kraft Schepke , Walter Schröder and Karl-Heinrich von Groddeck with the helmsman Willi Padge ). Also in 1960 Groddeck won the German championships with the Ratzeburg eighth. In addition, the oarsman also competed in a scull boat : together with Manfred Rulffs, Karl-Heinrich von Groddeck won the German championships in double sculls . At the Olympic Games in 1960 , Rulffs and Groddeck competed with the eighth. The Germany eight won in less than six minutes by four seconds ahead of the Canadian boat. In the election for Team of the Year , the Germany eight was able to successfully defend the title won the year before after the Olympic victory in 1960.

In 1961 Karl-Heinrich von Groddeck only competed in scull boats. He became German champion in single and together with Klaus Bittner also in double scull. In 1962 Groddeck returned to eighth, he won the German championships from 1962 to 1964 with the Ratzeburg eighth. In 1962 the first rowing world championships were held on the Rotsee near Lucerne . As the only rower from the Olympic championship boat from 1960, Groddeck sat in the Ratzeburg eighth which won the world championship title in front of the boats from the Soviet Union and France. When it was voted Team of the Year 1962, Groddeck was part of the successful team for the third time. In 1963, in addition to the German championship with the eighth, Groddeck also won the title with the four-man without a helmsman in the line-up of Karl-Heinrich von Groddeck, Klaus Behrens , Hans-Jürgen Wallbrecht and Klaus Aeffke . The four rowers competed at the European Championships in Copenhagen only as members of the eight and won the European title there. The German eighth also won the 1964 European Championships, which this time was held in Amsterdam. At the Olympic Games in Tokyo in 1964, the figure eight was defeated by the boat from the United States. After the Olympic Games, Karl-Heinrich von Groddeck ended his sporting career.

In 1958 Karl-Heinrich von Groddeck moved from Wiesbaden to Hamburg for Axel Springer Verlag , where he worked for many years as a journalist in the sports department of the Bildzeitung . In this role he was instrumental in describing the history of the Deutschland-Achters and in increasing the fame of this boat in general and the occupation from 1960 in particular. As one of the most famous German rowers, K. H. Moritz von Groddeck made two lists of the best rowers for Rowohlt's Bunte Liste in 1980. On the list of the 10 best eights of all time , he put the Germany eight of 1960 in second place behind the New Zealand eight of 1972. In his list of the 10 best rowers of all time , he put his Olympic opponent from 1956 Conn Findlay in second place behind Bob Pearce . After leaving the Bild newspaper, Groddeck worked as a freelance journalist.

Overview of successes

Olympic games

• 1956: Silver in two with helmsman
• 1960: Gold in the eighth
• 1964: silver in the eighth

World championships

• 1962: Gold in the eighth

European championships

• 1956: Gold in two with a helmsman
• 1957: Gold in two with a helmsman
• 1959: Gold in the eighth
• 1963: Gold in the eighth
• 1964: Gold in the eighth

German championship title

• One: 1961
• Double sculls: 1960, 1961
• Two with a helmsman: 1955, 1956, 1957
• Four without a helmsman: 1963
• Eighth: 1959, 1960, 1962, 1963, 1964

literature

• Bodo Harenberg (ed.): The stars of the sport from A-Z . Darmstadt 1970.
• Volker Kluge : Summer Olympic Games. The Chronicle II. London 1948 - Tokyo 1964. Sportverlag Berlin, Berlin 1998, ISBN 3-328-00740-7 .
• David Wallechinsky, Irving & Amy Wallace: Rowohlt's Colorful List . Reinbek 1980. ISBN 3-498-07289-7 .

Web links

• Karl-Heinrich von Groddeck in the Sports-Reference database (English; archived from the original )
• German successes at world championships
• German successes at European championships

Individual evidence

1. ^ Kraft Schepke : Moritz v. Groddeck - A big athlete's heart has stopped beating. German Rowing Association, January 14, 2012, accessed on January 2, 2016 . 
2. ^ Wilfried Hoffmann: German championships in two with. Rüsselsheimer Ruder-Klub 08 , accessed on January 2, 2016 . 
3. ↑ Volker Kluge, page 470, note 446
4. ^ Wilfried Hoffmann: German championships in the eighth. Rüsselsheimer Ruder-Klub 08 , accessed on January 2, 2016 . 
5. ^ Wilfried Hoffmann: German championships in double sculls. Rüsselsheimer Ruder-Klub 08 , accessed on January 2, 2016 . 
6. ^ Wilfried Hoffmann: German championships in one. Rüsselsheimer Ruder-Klub 08 , accessed on January 2, 2016 . 
7. ↑ Wilfried Hoffmann: German championships in four without a helmsman. Rüsselsheimer Ruder-Klub 08 , accessed on January 2, 2016 . 
8. ^ Rowohlt's Colorful List, pp. 355f