Wolf-Dieter Montag (10 December 1924 – 21 July 2018) was a German physician,

sports medicine Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness and the treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise. Although most sports teams have employed team physicians for many years, it is only since the ...

specialist,

mountain rescue Mountain rescue refers to search and rescue activities that occur in a mountainous environment, although the term is sometimes also used to apply to search and rescue in other wilderness environments. This tends to include mountains with tech ...

doctor, and international sports administrator. His medical career spanned 50 years in his native

Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total l ...

, and included being a lecturer, teacher and consultant for

orthopedic surgery Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics ( alternatively spelt orthopaedics), is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system. Orthopedic surgeons use both surgical and nonsurgical means to treat musculoskeletal ...

, and

physical therapy Physical therapy (PT), also known as physiotherapy, is one of the allied health professions. It is provided by physical therapists who promote, maintain, or restore health through physical examination, diagnosis, management, prognosis, pat ...

. He served as vice-president of the German Sport Medical Association, advised the

Landtag of Bavaria The Landtag of Bavaria, officially known in English as the Bavarian State Parliament, is the unicameral legislature of the German state of Bavaria. The parliament meets in the Maximilianeum in Munich. Elections to the Landtag are held every f ...

on medical matters, and was a mountain rescue doctor and instructor for 30 years. He was the chief physician of the German Ice Skating Union for eight years, then was its president for 16 years. He was a medical advisor to the

International Skating Union The International Skating Union (ISU) is the international governing body for competitive ice skating disciplines, including figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating, and short track speed skating. It was founded in Scheveningen, N ...

for 10 years, served as the

Chief Medical Officer Chief medical officer (CMO) is the title used in many countries for the senior government official designated head of medical services, sometimes at the national level. The post is held by a physician who serves to advise and lead a team of medical ...

of the

International Ice Hockey Federation The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF; french: Fédération internationale de hockey sur glace; german: Internationale Eishockey-Föderation) is a worldwide governing body for ice hockey. It is based in Zurich, Switzerland, and has 83 ...

for 23 years, and was a member of the medical committee for the

International Olympic Committee The International Olympic Committee (IOC; french: link=no, Comité international olympique, ''CIO'') is a non-governmental sports organisation based in Lausanne, Switzerland. It is constituted in the form of an association under the Swis ...

at all Summer and Winter

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a multi ...

from 1972 to 2002. He received multiple awards during his career, including the

Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany The Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (german: Verdienstorden der Bundesrepublik Deutschland, or , BVO) is the only federal decoration of Germany. It is awarded for special achievements in political, economic, cultural, intellect ...

first class, the

Bavarian Order of Merit The Bavarian Order of Merit (german: Bayerischer Verdienstorden) is the Order of Merit of the Free State of Bavaria. It is awarded by the Minister-President of Bavaria as a "recognition of outstanding contributions to the Free State of Bavaria ...

, the Olympic Order, induction into the

German Ice Hockey Hall of Fame The German Ice Hockey Hall of Fame, also called Eishockeymuseum in German, was founded in 1988 and is located in Augsburg. The hall honors individuals who have contributed to ice hockey in Germany, and displays memorabilia depicting contributions of ...

, and the inaugural

Paul Loicq Award The Paul Loicq Award is presented annually by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to honour a person who has made "outstanding contributions to the IIHF and international ice hockey". Named after Paul Loicq Paul Loicq (11 August 1 ...

Early life and education

Montag was born on 10 December 1924 in

Bamberg Bamberg (, , ; East Franconian: ''Bambärch'') is a town in Upper Franconia, Germany, on the river Regnitz close to its confluence with the river Main. The town dates back to the 9th century, when its name was derived from the nearby ' castl ...

, Germany. He completed undergraduate studies in

philosophy Philosophy (from , ) is the systematized study of general and fundamental questions, such as those about existence, reason, knowledge, values, mind, and language. Such questions are often posed as problems to be studied or resolved. ...

and

theology Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...

at the

University of Bamberg The University of Bamberg (german: Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg) in Bamberg, Germany, specializes in the humanities, cultural studies, social sciences, economics, and applied computer science. Campus The university is mainly housed in ...

. He went on to study medicine at University of Bamberg,

University of Erlangen–Nuremberg University of Erlangen–Nuremberg (german: Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, FAU) is a public research university in the cities of Erlangen and Nuremberg in Bavaria, Germany. The name Friedrich–Alexander comes from the univ ...

University of Vienna The University of Vienna (german: Universität Wien) is a public research university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world. With its long and rich hi ...

, and

Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich The Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (simply University of Munich or LMU; german: Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München) is a public research university in Munich, Germany. It is Germany's sixth-oldest university in continuous operatio ...

. He passed the state doctor's examination on 5 May 1952, and was promoted to a

Doctor of Medicine Doctor of Medicine (abbreviated M.D., from the Latin ''Medicinae Doctor'') is a medical degree, the meaning of which varies between different jurisdictions. In the United States, and some other countries, the M.D. denotes a professional degree. ...

on 6 May 1952.Wolf-Dieter Montag CV (2014) p. 1

Medical career

Montag was associated primarily with institutions in

during his career. He worked at hospitals in

Vilsbiburg Vilsbiburg (, regional: Vib ɪb is a town on the river Große Vils, 18 km southeast of Landshut, in the district of Landshut, in Bavaria, Germany. The city owes its name to the river Große Vils which runs through Vilsbiburg. As of 2019 ...

Rosenheim Rosenheim is a city in Bavaria, Germany. It is an independent city located in the centre of the district of Rosenheim (Upper Bavaria), and is also the seat of its administration. It is located on the west bank of the Inn at the confluence of th ...

, and Murnau am Staffelsee, and practiced as a sports doctor in

Munich Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and ...

and Weilheim from 1956 to 1990. He also served as an assistant to Fritz Lange at the , part of the University of Munich. He also lectured, taught and consulted for

, and

. At the national level, Montag was involved in the renaming of the German Orthopedic Society (''Deutsche Orthopädische Gesellschaft'') into the German Society for Orthopedic Traumatological Sports Medicine (''Deutsche Gesellschaft für Orthopädisch-Traumatologische Sportmedizin'') in 1962. He was a founding member of the German Society for Sports Physiotherapy in 1973, to further the education of sport physiotherapists in preparation for the

1976 Winter Olympics The 1976 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XII Olympic Winter Games (german: XII. Olympische Winterspiele, french: XIIes Jeux olympiques d'hiver) and commonly known as Innsbruck 1976 ( bar, Innschbruck 1976, label= Austro-Bavarian), was a ...

in Innsbruck, and the

1976 Summer Olympics Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 ...

in Montreal. He later served as the first vice-president of German Sport Medical Association from 1976 to 1980. He organized the 32nd German Sports Medicine Congress in Munich in 1990, and joined the sports medicine advisory board for

Bayer Bayer AG (, commonly pronounced ; ) is a German multinational pharmaceutical and biotechnology company and one of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the world. Headquartered in Leverkusen, Bayer's areas of business include pharmaceutic ...

in 1990.Wolf-Dieter Montag CV (2014) p. 4 Montag was a member of many institutions in his native state of

during his career. He was a member of the

standby team in Weilheim, as a rescue doctor and an instructor from 1960 to 1990. He became executive director of Bavarian Sports Medical Association in 1972, and the treasurer of the Bavarian Sports Doctors Association in 1975.Wolf-Dieter Montag CV (2014) p. 2 He also served on the sports medicine

advisory board An advisory board is a body that provides non-binding strategic advice to the management of a corporation, organization, or foundation. The informal nature of an advisory board gives greater flexibility in structure and management compared to th ...

to the

from 1976 to 1998. He was a lecturer for orthopedics, sports medicine and sports physiotherapy at the Sebastian Kneipp school in Bad Wörishofen from 1980 to 2000, and was president of the Bavarian Association of Sports Physicians from 1988 to 1998.

Sports administrator

Montag became the chief physician for the German Ice Skating Union, and the German Ice Sport Federation in 1972. In these roles he oversaw medical concerns for figure skating events hosted in Germany; which included the 1973 European Figure Skating Championships, the

1980 World Figure Skating Championships The 1980 World Figure Skating Championships were held in Dortmund, West Germany from March 11 to 16. At the event, sanctioned by the International Skating Union, medals were awarded in men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dance ...

, and the

1983 European Figure Skating Championships The 1983 European Figure Skating Championships was a senior-level international competition held in Dortmund, West Germany from February 1 to 6, 1983. Elite skaters from European ISU member nations competed in the disciplines of men's single ...

.Wolf-Dieter Montag CV (2014) p. 3 He was the team doctor for the West Germany men's national ice hockey team, and the primary physician for West German athletes at the 1972,

1976 Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 ...

, and

1980 Winter Olympics The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially the XIII Olympic Winter Games and also known as Lake Placid 1980, were an international multi-sport event held from February 13 to 24, 1980, in Lake Placid, New York, United States. Lake Placid was elected ...

. Montag served as president of the German Ice Skating Union from 1980 to 1996. In 1980, he opened the West German national figure skating training center in

Oberstdorf Oberstdorf ( Low Alemannic: ''Oberschdorf'') is a municipality and skiing and hiking town in Germany, located in the Allgäu region of the Bavarian Alps. It is the southernmost settlement in Germany and one of its highest towns. At the&nb ...

. He presided over the

hosted in Dortmund, and served as vice-president of the German Ice Sports Federation in 1988. He also acted as head of delegation for

West Germany at the 1984 Winter Olympics West Germany (Federal Republic of Germany) competed at the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Yugoslavia. The German Ice Skating Union president Wolf-Dieter Montag served as the head of mission for West Ger ...

, and led the West German delegation in figure skating at the

1988 Winter Olympics The 1988 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XV Olympic Winter Games (french: XVes Jeux olympiques d'hiver) and commonly known as Calgary 1988 ( bla, Mohkínsstsisi 1988; sto, Wîchîspa Oyade 1988 or ; cr, Otôskwanihk 1998/; srs, Guts� ...

, the

1991 World Figure Skating Championships The 1991 World Figure Skating Championships were held at the Olympiahalle in Munich, Germany from March 12 to 17. Medals were awarded in men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating, and ice dancing. Medal tables Medalists Medals by country ...

, and the

1995 European Figure Skating Championships The 1995 European Figure Skating Championships was a senior-level international competition held in Dortmund, Germany. Elite skaters from European ISU member nations competed in the disciplines of men's singles, ladies' singles, pair skating ...

. From 1974 to 1984, Montag acted as the medical advisor to the

, which included overseeing medical concerns at the

European Figure Skating Championships The European Figure Skating Championships is an annual figure skating competition in which figure skaters compete for the title of European champion. Medals are awarded in the disciplines of men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, an ...

, the

World Figure Skating Championships The World Figure Skating Championships (''"Worlds"'') is an annual figure skating competition sanctioned by the International Skating Union. Medals are awarded in the categories of men's singles, women's singles, pair skating, and ice dance. ...

, and

speed skating at the 1980 Winter Olympics Speed skating at the 1980 Winter Olympics, was held from 9 February to 18 February. Nine events were contested at James B. Sheffield Olympic Skating Rink. Medal summary Medal table The United States led the medal table with five gold medals, t ...

. He advised against starting the races over in distance at the outdoor

James B. Sheffield Olympic Skating Rink The James B. Sheffield Olympic Skating Rink is an outdoor artificial ice track for speed skating in Lake Placid, New York, United States (US). It hosted the speed skating events at the 1932 (plus six of twelve ice hockey matches) and 1980 Winter ...

in 1980, when temperatures dropped below and exposed athletes to

frostbite Frostbite is a skin injury that occurs when exposed to extreme low temperatures, causing the freezing of the skin or other tissues, commonly affecting the fingers, toes, nose, ears, cheeks and chin areas. Most often, frostbite occurs in t ...

. From 1975 to 1998, Montag served as the

(CMO) of the

(IIHF). He oversaw medical concerns at all

Ice Hockey World Championships The Ice Hockey World Championships are an annual international men's ice hockey tournament organized by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). First officially held at the 1920 Summer Olympics, it is the sport's highest profile annual ...

, and many of the corresponding Ice Hockey World Junior Championships during his tenure. At the 1978 IIHF general congress, he advocated for full face protection on hockey helmets for players, to reduce face and eye injuries at the World Junior Championships. Canadian doctor

Mark Aubry Mark John Aubry (born November 24, 1954) is a Canadian physician and sports medicine specialist. He is the team physician for the Ottawa Senators, and serves as the Chief Medical Officer of both the International Ice Hockey Federation, and Hock ...

followed Montag as the new CMO for the IIHF in 1998. Montag was a member of the medical committee for the

(IOC) at all Summer and Winter

from 1972 to 2002.Wolf-Dieter Montag CV (2014) p. 5 He was part of the IOC commission for women's sport, the IOC's commission to control

doping in sport In competitive sports, doping is the use of banned athletic performance-enhancing drugs by athletic competitors as a way of cheating in sports. The term ''doping'' is widely used by organizations that regulate sporting competitions. The use of ...

, and coordinating committee for the

1998 Winter Olympics The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the and commonly known as Nagano 1998 ( ja, 長野1998), was a winter multi-sport event held from 7 to 22 February 1998, mainly in Nagano, Japan, with some events taking place in th ...

in Nagano. He also raised concerns at the

1992 Winter Olympics ) , nations = 64 , athletes = 1,801 (1313 men, 488 women) , events = 57 in 6 sports (12 disciplines) , opening = 8 February 1992 , closing = 23 February 1992 , opened_by = President François Mitterrand , cauldron ...

regarding the elevation difference between the Olympic Village in

Brides-les-Bains Brides-les-Bains () is a commune in the Savoie department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France. It was an Olympic Village for the 1992 Winter Olympics, based in Albertville, France. There is easy accessibility via Euro ...

and the

Méribel Ice Palace Méribel Ice Palace is an indoor ice hockey arena in Méribel, France. It was built in 1991 and held 8,000 people when it opened. The ice hockey games from the 1992 Winter Olympics were held at this arena. After the Olympics the name of the are ...

, with respect to the endurance of the hockey players.

Later life and death

Montag retired in 2002. He later lived in the foothills of

Upper Bavaria Upper Bavaria (german: Oberbayern, ; ) is one of the seven administrative districts of Bavaria, Germany. Geography Upper Bavaria is located in the southern portion of Bavaria, and is centered on the city of Munich, both state capital and seat ...

, and made his final residence in

Riegsee Riegsee is a municipality in the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, in Bavaria Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is t ...

. He died at home on 21 July 2018, at age 93.

Awards and honors

In 1975, Montag received an honorary diploma from the IIHF, and the golden badge of honor with diamonds from the German Ice Sport Federation. He was a given a golden figure skating medal from the Finnish Amateur Athletic Association in 1983, and the golden badge of honor from the German Ice Skating Union in 1984. He was honored by the French Minister of Youth and Sport in 1985, with the Ordre du Mérite sportif of France. In 1987, Montag was given an honorary diploma from the University of Tokushima, a medal from the

Osaka University , abbreviated as , is a public research university located in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It is one of Japan's former Imperial Universities and a Designated National University listed as a "Top Type" university in the Top Global University Project. ...

, and a diploma of honor from the Japanese Orthopedic Society of Sports Medicine (JOSSM). He was made an honorary member of the JOSSM in 1988, and received honors from the Western Pacific Orthopedic Association in 1989. Montag was honored with the

first class in 1996, for his work in national sports and sports medicine. He was the inaugural recipient of the

in 1998, in recognition of "outstanding contributions to the IIHF and international ice hockey". During the opening ceremony of the 1998 Winter Olympics he received the Olympic Order for his work with the Olympic Games and sports medicine. Later in the same year, he was awarded the golden badge of honor by the German Sports Medical Association. Montag received the

in 2000, for his work in sports administration and sports medicine, and was inducted in the

in 2008. Other honors include receiving a silver decoration from the Bavarian Mountain Rescue, an honorary diploma from the Bavarian Wounded Sports Federation, and being named an honorary president of the Bavarian Sports Doctors Association.

References

Bibliography

External links

Wolf-Dieter Montag memorials
(in German)
German Ice Skating Union memorial
(in German) {{DEFAULTSORT:Montag, Wolf-Dieter 1924 births 2018 deaths 20th-century German physicians 20th-century surgeons 21st-century German physicians Bayer people Figure skating in Germany Figure skating officials German orthopedic surgeons German physiotherapists German sports executives and administrators German sports physicians Germany men's national ice hockey team executives International Ice Hockey Federation executives Lecturers Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich alumni Mountain rescue Officers Crosses of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany Olympic officials Olympic team doctors Paul Loicq Award recipients People from Bamberg People from Garmisch-Partenkirchen (district) Recipients of the Olympic Order Recipients of the Ordre national du Mérite Sportspeople from Upper Bavaria University of Bamberg alumni University of Erlangen-Nuremberg alumni University of Vienna alumni West Germany at the Winter Olympics