Siegfried Eager

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Siegfried Eifrig (born February 6, 1910 in Berlin ; † June 23, 2008 there ) was a German athlete and was one of the first Olympic torchbearers .

biography

Eagerly joined the SC Charlottenburg on January 1, 1930 . In 1935 he was the Berlin and Brandenburg champion in the 4 x 400 meter relay . At that time he was considered a “running stylist and role model”.

In 1936 at the Olympic Games he, who was never a member of the NSDAP , was given the honor of completing the last stage of the newly introduced torch relay. His stage led through the street Unter den Linden . In the Lustgarten and at the Berlin City Palace , he lit the Olympic flame on one altar each. His appearance is considered controversial because the torch relay was misused for propaganda purposes.

“Afterwards it always looks very different, of course it was a propaganda event of the Nazis - but which country does not present itself at the Olympic Games? (...) 'I also never had an advantage from this run.' "

- Eagerly quoted from Benedikt Voigt : The course of life, in: Tagesspiegel from July 1, 2004

During the Second World War he served as a soldier and was taken prisoner by the British in Egypt . There he organized football games and athletics competitions.

After the end of the war he was one of the founders of the briefly dissolved SC Charlottenburg and became deputy chairman of the athletics department. He remained loyal to his club until his death.

In 1947 he ran the 4 x 100 meter relay together with Bert Sumser . In total he took part in the Potsdam-Berlin relay 40 times. He later became treasurer of the Berlin Marathon . He was supposed to take part as a torchbearer at the 2004 Olympic Games , but a stroke prevented his active participation.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Obituary in the Berliner Morgenpost
  2. ^ Historylearningsite.co.uk
  3. a b report in the daily mirror
  4. Honor on the SCC homepage on the occasion of his 95th birthday