Max Gumpel (building contractor)

Max Gumpel

Max Leonard Gumpel (born April 23, 1890 - † August 3, 1965 ) was a Swedish building contractor and competitive swimmer .

Gumpel was one of the founders and first sponsors of the Stockholm swimming club SK Neptun. At the Olympic Games of 1908 he took part in the 200 meter breaststroke. He was also a participant in the 1912 and 1920 Summer Olympics, and as a member of the Swedish team in water polo, won a silver and a bronze medal. From 1919 to 1931 Max Gumpel was chairman of the Swedish Swimming Federation.

Gumpel had a brief love affair with Greta Garbo before moving to Hollywood. They kept in touch all their lives.

During World War II , Max Gumpel was involved in double espionage through his friend Eric Erickson. With Eric Erickson's help, the Allies got the exact coordinates of all German oil refineries, whereupon they could be bombed. A book is about this espionage, and in 1962 the Hollywood film Treason on Orders with William Holden in the role of Eric Erickson and Ulf Palme as Max Gumpel emerged from it.

Gumpel was very interested in boats and cars. He was owner of the motorboat Laila and Schärenkreuzer La Liberté of 1934 built on the Swedish shipyard Kungsörs Kungsörs Båtvarv AB according to plans by Erik Salander.

Individual evidence

↑ Garboforever
↑ News article about Eric Erickson
↑ Alexander Klein, 83; Wrote Spy Thriller (obituary) . New York Times . August 24, 2002. Retrieved November 16, 2007.
^ New York Times

Web links

personal data
SURNAME	Gumpel, Max
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Gumpel, Max Leonard (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Swedish building contractor
DATE OF BIRTH	April 23, 1890
DATE OF DEATH	August 3, 1965

[1] Garboforever

[2] News article about Eric Erickson

[Klein-3] Alexander Klein, 83; Wrote Spy Thriller (obituary) . New York Times . August 24, 2002. Retrieved November 16, 2007.

[4] New York Times