Konrad von Wangenheim - German rider Berlin 1936

[FANGIO]

Please I'm looking for a good picture of Konrad von Wangenheim, gold medalist in Berlin 1936 Olympics.

He was part of the three-day equesterian competition. A tough competition, 50 horses started, three died and 20 others failed to get round. During the competition Leutnant von Wangenheim was thrown from his horse and broke his collarbone. In agony, he remounted his horse and completed the course. The following day (show-jumping) his horse reared up and Wangenheim fell. The only way the german team could win the gold medal was if the young Leutnant would stand and grab the reins and finish the rest of the course. This is exactly what von Wangenheim did (with great pain) in the middle of a standing ovation. The german team won the gold medal.
German team:
-Konrad von Wangenheim
-Rudolf Lippert
-Ludwig Stubbendorff
The end for von Wangenheim is really sad: he was taken prisoner by the soviets in 1944. In 1953 he comitted suicide.

The only pic I could find of von Wangenheim is this little one from http://www.pzg.biz/olympics.htm

[Dieter Zinke]

Dear Fangio,

in default of a better pic of von Wangenheim here

Rolf Lippert,
at last Generalmajor
KIA 01.04.1945
KC 09.06.1944

Oberstab

[FANGIO]

Hi Oberstab!
Great pic of Lippert, didn`t know he was a RKT.
Thanks for the pic, very much appreciated.
Hope somebody can post a pic of Wangenheim.
Best regards,

FANGIO

[Gareth Collins]

Here is von Wagenheim with his arm in a sling after a fall.

[FANGIO]

Thank you very much Gareth, that's exactly the image I saw yesterday on television about greatest moments in the olympics.

Anybody knows more about his army career? his last rank? units?

Best regards,

FANGIO

[JC]

Are Rudolf Lippert and Rolf Lippert one and the same?

BR..........JC

[Dieter Zinke]

Are Rudolf Lippert and Rolf Lippert one and the same?

BR..........JC

Yes,

Rolf is the short form of Rudolf, so as Hajo for Hans-Joachim or Sepp for Josef or Wim for Wilhelm.

Oberstab

[Vienna]

Hi Fangio!

A little completion from the book "Die Gefangenen"(The Prisoners) Paul Carell/G. Böddecker:

Last rank was Lt.Col. and they say- the suicide by hanging was a wilful deceit (an attempt to deceive), because W. was in the opinion of the russian guards permanent rebellious and so the kill him before hanging on a day in February 1953 in a camp near Stalingrad!? (A little ride-foto is also in the book).

Regards
Vienna

[FANGIO]

Hi Vienna!
Thanks for that info. Really sad ending for von Wangenheim. I wonder how many stories like this happened under soviet captivity?
What about Stubbendorff? anybody knows something else about him?
Regards,

FANGIO

[Wilfried Abenaschon]

Hi!

Have you notice that Rolf Lippert is on the right in your second pic?

Willab

[FANGIO]

Hi Willab!
So that's a younger Rolf Lippert?, thanks for the info.
Anybody has a pic of Stubbendorff?
Regards,

FANGIO

[JC]

Have you notice that Rolf Lippert is on the right in your second pic?

Umm maybe, but Rolf Lippert received the Allgemeines Sturmabzeichen on 30.8.40 and the Verwundetenabzeichen (Schwarz) on 18.9.41.

BR......JC

[JC]

sorry, double post.

BR......JC

[Halfdan S.]

Came across this info on Traces of War:
Von Wangenheim became a POW to the Soviets at the end of the war. He was found hanged in a POW camp near Stalingrad in February 1953. It is presumed he was murdered; https://www.tracesofwar.com/persons/202 ... Konrad.htm

Did the other inmates kill him? If it had been the NKVD, it would probably be said, that he was executed ... anyone knows any more?

Best
Halfdan S.

[JakeV]

Hello,

Quoting (that is, translating verbatim) from Stefan Karner: Im Archipel GUPVI: Kriegsgefangenschaft und Internierung in der Sowjetunion 1941-1956, R. Oldenbourg, 1995, p. 91:

[...] During his time in captivity, Wangenheim was greatly affected from his isolation and the obvious hopelesness of his situation. Three years after he was condemned, he hanged himself in a POW camp in the Stalingrad area.

From what I understand (see also Deutsche Kriegsgefangene in der Sowjetunion, 1941-1956 by Andreas Hilger, which, by the way, says that he died on 23.01.1953 im Abteilung 6124/II), the Soviets believed that Wangenheim was showing subversive activity and organizing a resistance network in the POW camp. This suspicion came, naturally, with interrogations and spells in solitary confinement.

I assume that many books like sensational takes like, say, a musterious murder in a Soviet POW camp, but the above explanation seems pretty reasonable to me. Bear in mind that Wangenheim was by then a Soviet POW for nearly 10 years and had been condemned to 25 years hard labor with no end in sight, so comitting suicide would be hardly unusual.

Regards