Wolfgang Fürstner

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Marcus
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Wolfgang Fürstner

#1

Post by Marcus » 02 Mar 2011, 21:03

I am looking for information on the military career of Hauptmann Wolfgang Fürstner (1896-1936), well known as the commander of the Olympic village during the Berlin Olympic Games. He killed himself after learning he would be dismissed from the Wehrmacht due to the Nuremberg laws.

Thanks.

/Marcus

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Re: Wolfgang Fürstner

#2

Post by abaus » 02 Mar 2011, 22:48

Marcus,

There is no officer by the name of Fürstner (or alternate spelling such as Fuerstner) listed in the October 1935 Wehrmacht Rangliste. That could mean he was a reservist or entered the army sometime after the middle of October 1935 when the Rangliste was published.

Andy


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Marcus
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Re: Wolfgang Fürstner

#3

Post by Marcus » 05 Feb 2012, 13:03

Wikipedia has some information on him: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolfgang_F%C3%BCrstner

Can anyone add any additional information?

/Marcus

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Re: Wolfgang Fürstner

#4

Post by Heimatschuss » 08 Feb 2012, 20:26

Hello Marcus,

I've found some additional information on this site http://christian-goldmann.suite101.de/w ... 36-a108532 which references a 200 page biography of Fürstner by Kopp (2009) as its source.

Wolfgang Fürstner was born on April 4th, 1896 in Posen. He was the third child of Captain Ernst Fürstner and his wife Hildegard, nee Rupprecht. His father was a carreer officer in the Prussian military and had graduated from staff college. His father already died in 1904 and Fürstner grew up in Hirschberg (Silesia) together with his mother and his siblings.

In 1914 he volunteered for military service without completing highschool. Throughout WWI he belonged to Infanterieregiment 23 finally becoming a 2nd Lieutenant and company commander. He also was decorated with the IC 1st Class. After WWI he served in Infanterieregiment 16 in Neisse (Silesia) till May 1920 when he was discharged.

After his retirement he completed highschool and became a student at the University of Berlin attending courses in political sciences. After some terms he left without graduating and completed a traineeship at the Reichsbank. In 1925 he married Leonie von Schlick, his marriage certificate gives 'business clerk' as his profession. Despite trying he didn't advance much in civilian life, he really felt at home only in the monarchist veterans' organization Deutscher Offizier-Bund (DOB).

In 1928 Fürstner founded the sports association of the DOB and became its' president. The association focused on Wehrsport (para-military athletics) mainly. In April 1930 he became head of Verband Brandenburgischer Athletikvereine, the umbrella organization of all athletics clubs in Brandenburg. In this role he also was involved in ousting Jewish athletes and athletics clubs since January 1933.

Due to his reputation as an officer and sports functionary Fürstner was reactivated by the Reichswehr in May 1933 to plan and conduct the 1936 Olympic Games. This reactivation as Captain was made public in March 1935 only. Since May of the same year Fürstner belonged to the Olympic Committee also becoming chief planning official of the Organizing Committee set up in early 1936.

With the advent of the Nuremberg race laws in autmn 1935 a first shadow fell on Fürstner's future, one of his grandfathers had been Jewish. Fürstner still was confident though that his merits as an officer and sports functionary would even this out. The next blow happened just before the Olympic Games when large crowds of visitors rolled through the Olympic Village just completed and ruined some of the flower beds. Fürstner was accused of lacking energy and downgraded to deputy commander of the athletes' village though factually he still conducted all daily affairs there. During the Olympic Games anonymous posters appeared in the Olympic Village and its surroundings urging 'Down with the Jew Fürstner'. The straw that finally broke Fürstner's back seems to have been when his wife announced she'd seek divorce since she no longer believed in a succesful future with him in Germany.

References:

Kopp, Roland
Wolfgang Fürstner (1896 - 1936).
Der erste Kommandant des Olympischen Dorfes von 1936.
Peter Lang Verlag; Frankfurt/Main; 2009

Best regards
Torsten

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Re: Wolfgang Fürstner

#5

Post by Marcus » 12 Feb 2012, 16:20

Many thanks Torsten.

/Marcus

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