Born: April 12, 1914 (Laupheim, Germany)
Biography:
Gretel Bergmann was a German Jewish track and field athlete who competed as a high jumper during the 1930s. Born Margarethe Bergmann on April 12, 1914, in Laupheim, Germany, she was the daughter of Edwin and Paula Bergmann, a businessman. Bergmann began her career in athletics in Laupheim and later joined Ulmer FV 1894 in 1930.
In 1931, during the South German Championships, Bergmann won her first title in high jumping by clearing a height of 1.51 meters. She successfully defended her title in 1932. However, with the Nazis coming into power in January 1933, Bergmann was expelled from the club due to her Jewish origins. This forced her parents to send her to the United Kingdom in April of 1933.
While in the UK, Bergmann participated in the British Championships in 1934 and emerged victorious in the high jump category, clearing a height of 1.55 meters. The German government, wanting to present the nation as unbiased in its Olympic-team selections, pressured Bergmann to return to Germany. Her family was threatened with reprisals if she did not comply, eventually leading her back to her home country.
In Germany, Bergmann was allowed to prepare for the 1936 Olympic Games, winning the Württembergian Championships in the high jump in 1935 and again in June 1936. Just one month before the Olympics, she tied the German record by jumping 1.60 meters. However, despite her impressive performance and qualification for the Berlin Olympics, Bergmann was banned from competing by the Nazis.
Two weeks before the opening of the Olympics, she received a letter from the German sports authorities, stating that she was being removed from the national team for under-performance. She was not replaced, and instead, Germany only fielded two high jumpers: Dora Ratjen, who was revealed to be a man raised as a girl, and Elfriede Kaun. Furthermore, Bergmann’s accomplishments were stricken from the record books.
In 1937, facing increased persecution, Bergmann decided to emigrate to the United States and settled in New York City. The following year, she married Bruno Lambert, a physician. Despite the challenges she faced, Bergmann continued her sports career in her new home country. In 1937, she won the U.S. women’s high jump and shot put championships, and in 1938, she again emerged victorious in the high jump.
Throughout her life, Gretel Bergmann remained a trailblazer and an inspiration to many. Her courage and determination in the face of adversity serve as a testament to the resilience and strength of women in sports history.
Awards:
– U.S. women’s high jump champion (1937)
– U.S. women’s shot put champion (1937)
– U.S. women’s high jump champion (1938)