Manfred Ewald

{{Infobox officeholder

|name = Manfred Ewald

|image = Bundesarchiv Bild 183-W1214-0016, Berlin, Auszeichnung 'DDR-Sportler des Jahres 1980 3.jpg

|caption = Manfred Ewald, 1980

|office1 = President of the German Gymnastics and Sports Federation

|term_start1 = 1961

|term_end1 = 1988

|predecessor1 = Rudi Reichert

|successor1 = Klaus Eichler

|office = President of the National Olympic Committee of East Germany

|term_start = 1973

|term_end = 1990

|predecessor = Heinz Schöbel

|successor = Günther Heinze

|birth_date = {{Birth date|1926|05|17|df=y}}

|birth_place = Podejuch, Weimar Germany (now part of Szczecin, Poland)

|death_date = {{Death date and age|2002|10|21|1926|05|17|df=y}}

|death_place = Damsdorf, Germany

|other_names =

|known_for =

|occupation =

|nationality =

|awards = Order of Karl Marx
Olympic Order
Patriotic Order of Merit

}}

Manfred Ewald (17 May 1926 – 21 October 2002) served as German Democratic Republic's (GDR) Minister of Sport (1961–1988) and president of his country's Olympic committee{{cite web|url=http://www.olympic.org/ |title=Olympics | Olympic Games, Medals, Results, News | IOC |accessdate=2015-07-05 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150705032224/http://www.olympic.org/ |archivedate=2015-07-05 }} (1973–1990). He was convicted for his role in the state-sponsored system of the use of illicit performance-enhancing drugs that increased East Germany's Olympic successes from 1972–1988.

Life

Ewald was born in Podejuch, Province of Pomerania, Weimar Germany (now Podjuchy, Poland), he was a member of the Hitler Youth, the Nazi party and, after World War II, the Socialist Unity Party. He was captured by the Soviet Red Army in 1944.{{cite news|url=https://www.welt.de/print-welt/article522699/Vom-Alt-Nazi-zum-fuehrenden-SED-Funktionaer.html |title=Vom Alt-Nazi zum führenden SED-Funktionär |first=Giselher| last=Spitzer |newspaper=Die Welt |date=2000-07-12|language=German}}{{cite web|url=http://www.spiegel.de/sport/sonst/ddr-sportfuehrer-manfred-ewald-ist-tot-a-219360.html |title=Manfred Ewald ist tot |publisher=Der Spiegel |date=2002-10-22|language=German}}

He was awarded the Olympic Order by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in 1983.{{Cite web |url=http://www.la84foundation.org/OlympicInformationCenter/OlympicReview/1983/ore190/ORE190n.pdf |title=Olympic Order (23rd IOA Session) |access-date=2011-12-21 |archive-date=2013-05-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130502070912/http://www.la84foundation.org/OlympicInformationCenter/OlympicReview/1983/ore190/ORE190n.pdf |url-status=dead }}

In 1985, as president of the National Olympic Committee of East Germany, Ewald authored a letter to the IOC for the 90th IOC session being held in East Berlin that year.http://www.la84foundation.org/OlympicInformationCenter/OlympicReview/1985/ore211/ore211f.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}

Ewald defended his role in sports doping in his 1994 book, Ich war der Sport.

Doping

On 18 July 2000, in Berlin, Ewald and Dr. Manfred Höppner, East Germany's top sports doctor, were convicted as accessories to "intentional bodily harm of athletes, including minors." Both received probation. During the trial, Höppner testified that they had received approval from the highest level of government.

References

External links

[http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_20021025/ai_n12658822 The (London) Independent]
[http://original.britannica.com/eb/article-9391038/Ewald-Manfred#758648.hook Britannica Online Encyclopedia ]
[https://www.theguardian.com/news/2002/oct/29/guardianobituaries.sport The Guardian UK]
[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-dec-06-sp-drugs6-story.html The LA Times ]
[http://www.sherdog.com/news/articles/Fistic-Medicine-The-Benefit-amp-Cost-of-Steroids-24114 "Fistic Medicine: The Benefit & Cost of Steroids" by Matt Pitt]

Category:1926 births

Category:2002 deaths

Category:Politicians from Szczecin

Category:Politicians from the Province of Pomerania

Category:Nazi Party members

Category:Communist Party of Germany politicians

Category:Members of the Central Committee of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany

Category:Government ministers of East Germany

Category:Members of the 4th Volkskammer

Category:Members of the 5th Volkskammer

Category:Members of the 6th Volkskammer

Category:Members of the 7th Volkskammer