Rudolf Waldemar Harbig (8 November 1913 – 5 March 1944) was a German

athlete An athlete (also sportsman or sportswoman) is a person who competes in one or more sports that involve physical strength, speed, or endurance. Athletes may be professionals or amateurs. Most professional athletes have particularly well-de ...

. As a

middle distance runner Middle-distance running events are track races longer than sprints, up to 3000 metres. The standard middle distances are the 800 metres, 1500 metres and mile run, although the 3000 metres may also be classified as a middle-distance event. The 15 ...

he was best known for the

800 metres The 800 metres, or meters ( US spelling), is a common track running event. It is the shortest commonly run middle-distance running event. The 800 metres is run over two laps of an outdoor (400-metre) track and has been an Olympic event since th ...

world record A world record is usually the best global and most important performance that is ever recorded and officially verified in a specific skill, sport, or other kind of activity. The book ''Guinness World Records'' and other world records organization ...

that he set in

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city ...

in 1939. He also held the European record in the

400 metres The 400 metres, or 400-meter dash, is a sprint event in track and field competitions. It has been featured in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympics since 1896 for men and since 1964 for women. On a standard outdoor running track, it is o ...

from 1939 until 1955.

Life

Harbig was born in

Dresden Dresden (, ; Upper Saxon: ''Dräsdn''; wen, label= Upper Sorbian, Drježdźany) is the capital city of the German state of Saxony and its second most populous city, after Leipzig. It is the 12th most populous city of Germany, the fourth ...

, the son of a stoker. From an early age, he joined local sports clubs as an amateur runner and handball player. Having finished school, he began an apprenticeship as a

wheelwright A wheelwright is a craftsman who builds or repairs wooden wheels. The word is the combination of "wheel" and the word "wright", (which comes from the Old English word "''wryhta''", meaning a worker or shaper of wood) as in shipwright and arkwr ...

but did not obtain an employment due to the

Great Depression The Great Depression (19291939) was an economic shock that impacted most countries across the world. It was a period of economic depression that became evident after a major fall in stock prices in the United States. The economic contagio ...

. Instead he set out for his journeyman years traveling throughout Germany. Back in Dresden, to make a living, he joined the ''

Reichswehr ''Reichswehr'' () was the official name of the German armed forces during the Weimar Republic and the first years of the Third Reich. After Germany was defeated in World War I, the Imperial German Army () was dissolved in order to be reshape ...

'' armed forces in 1932. Harbig, as a professional soldier, continued to participate in track events. On 24 June 1934, he competed in an 800 metres event at the Dresdner SC stadium, won, and was asked to join the preparations for the

1936 Summer Olympics The 1936 Summer Olympics (German: ''Olympische Sommerspiele 1936''), officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad (German: ''Spiele der XI. Olympiade'') and commonly known as Berlin 1936 or the Nazi Olympics, were an international multi-s ...

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...

. He began a comprehensive

interval training Interval training is a type of training exercise that involves a series of high-intensity workouts interspersed with rest or relief periods. The high-intensity periods are typically at or close to anaerobic exercise, while the recovery periods invo ...

supervised by the

Dresdner SC Dresdner Sportclub 1898 e.V., known simply as Dresdner SC, is a German multisport club playing in Dresden, Saxony. Founded on 30 April 1898, the club was a founding member of the German Football Association (Deutscher Fussball Bund) in 1900. Th ...

officials and athletics coach Josef Waitzer. In summer 1935 he left the military to concentrate on his sporting career, while he still had to take on part-time jobs to earn money.

Olympian athlete

In July 1936, Harbig won the 800 metres final at the

German Athletics Championships The German Athletics Championships (german: Deutsche Leichtathletik-Meisterschaften) are the national championships in athletics of Germany, organised annually by the Deutscher Leichtathletik-Verband. The competition features track and field eve ...

at the

Mommsenstadion The Mommsenstadion is a multi-purpose stadium in the locality of Westend in Berlin, Germany, named after the historian Theodor Mommsen. It is currently used mostly for football and hosts the home matches of Tennis Borussia Berlin and SCC Berlin. ...

, ahead of his toughest rival Wolfgang Dessecker, and obtained the permission to start at the Summer Olympics in August. After three weeks of intensive training, he fell ill with a gastrointestinal infections. So weakened, he arrived in the Berlin Olympiastadion and took a disappointing sixth place in the first heat of the

, defeated by Canadian Olympian Phil Edwards. Contrary to some official's concerns, he nevertheless stood as a member of the German

4 × 400 metres relay The 4 × 400 metres relay or long relay is an athletics track event in which teams consist of four runners who each complete 400 metres or one lap. It is traditionally the final event of a track meet. At top class events, the ...

team, together with Friedrich von Stülpnagel, Helmut Hamann, and

Harry Voigt Harry Voigt (15 June 1913 – 29 October 1986) was a German athlete who competed mainly in the 400 metres. Voigt was born in Berlin. He competed for Germany in the 1936 Summer Olympics held in Berlin, Germany in the 4 x 400 metre relay ...

. They established themselves in the preliminaries and won the bronze medal in the

finals Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: *Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of cont ...

on August 9. Harbig was the final runner, closely followed by Canadian athlete

John Loaring John Wilfred Loaring (August 3, 1915 – November 21, 1969) was a Canadian athlete who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics. He was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba and died in Windsor, Ontario. In 1936 he won the silver medal in the 400 metre hurdle ...

. On 1 May 1937 Harbig joined the

Nazi Party The Nazi Party, officially the National Socialist German Workers' Party (german: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany active between 1920 and 1945 that created and supported t ...

, he also held the rank of a '' Sturmmann'' of the '' SA'' paramilitary forces. He regularly participated in the Party's Struggle Games during the Nuremberg Rallies and voluntarily served the

propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded ...

purposes of Nazi sports official

Karl Ritter von Halt Dr Karl Ritter von Halt, born Karl Ferdinand Halt (2 June 1891 – 5 August 1964) was a sport official in Nazi Germany and in the German Federal Republic. He was born and died in Munich. Biography Karl Ritter von Halt was a track and field a ...

. This was coupled with his ultimate rise to the top of German athletics, moving from victory to victory. In July he won the 800 metres at the German Athletics Championships for the second time, equalling the eleven-year-old German record of

Otto Peltzer Otto Paul Eberhard Peltzer (8 March 1900 – 11 August 1970) was a German middle distance runner who set world records in the 1920s. Over the 800 m Peltzer improved Ted Meredith's long-standing record by 0.3 seconds to 1:51.6 min in London in J ...

, and one week later made another German best time in the 400 metres at the Berlin Olympiastadion. One year later Harbig won the 400 metres at the ISTAF Berlin and again the 800 metres at the German Championships at the Hermann–Göring–Stadion in Breslau. On September 4 he defeated his long-time rival Mario Lanzi from

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

at the 1938 European Championships in Athletics in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

over 800 m in a time of 1:50.6 min. At the same championships he won the gold medal with the German 4x400 m relay team. In the same summer the

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies. ** Britishness, the British identity and common culture * British English, ...

runner Sydney Wooderson had set a remarkable new world record over 800 m at 1:48.4 min. When, in 1939, Harbig set a new national record of 1:49.4 he knew that the world record was not an unrealistic prospect. However, in the same season, Mario Lanzi ran a time of 1:49.5 in

Pisa Pisa ( , or ) is a city and ''comune'' in Tuscany, central Italy, straddling the Arno just before it empties into the Ligurian Sea. It is the capital city of the Province of Pisa. Although Pisa is known worldwide for its leaning tower, the ci ...

. The two rivals met in Milan in July for a much-celebrated race over 800 m on a 500 m-track. In his usual manner Lanzi took the lead and was still in front on the final bend. However, at the start of the 125 m-home-straight Harbig overtook him with an astonishing sprint. He finished with a new world record of 1:46.6 min. Lanzi, behind him, set a new Italian record of 1:49.0. In the following years Harbig's time turned out to be a very hard record to break. Even track legends

Arthur Wint Arthur Stanley Wint OD MBE (25 May 1920 – 19 October 1992) was a Jamaican Royal Air Force (RAF) pilot during the Second World War, sprinter, physician, and later High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. Competing at the 1948 and 1952 Olympi ...

and

Mal Whitfield Malvin Greston Whitfield (October 11, 1924 – November 19, 2015) was an American athlete, goodwill ambassador, and airman. Nicknamed "Marvelous Mal", he was the Olympic champion in the 800 meters at the 1948 and 1952 Summer Olympics, and a memb ...

could not threaten it. Not until August 1955 the

Belgian Belgian may refer to: * Something of, or related to, Belgium * Belgians, people from Belgium or of Belgian descent * Languages of Belgium, languages spoken in Belgium, such as Dutch, French, and German *Ancient Belgian language, an extinct languag ...

runner Roger Moens could set a new world record of 1:45.7. Also, in 1939 Harbig set a

over 400 m on a 500 m-track in

Frankfurt Frankfurt, officially Frankfurt am Main (; Hessian: , " Frank ford on the Main"), is the most populous city in the German state of Hesse. Its 791,000 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located on it ...

in 46.0 sec. In Dresden in 1941 he set a world record over 1000 m in 2:21.5.

World War II and death

Harbig's career declined upon the outbreak of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

in September 1939, whereafter he lost many of his training possibilities. Urged by Nazi official

Hans von Tschammer und Osten Hans von Tschammer und Osten (25 October 1887 – 25 March 1943) was a German sport official, SA leader and a member of the Reichstag for the Nazi Party of Nazi Germany. He was married to Sophie Margarethe von Carlowitz. Hans von Tschammer un ...

and

Guido von Mengden Guido von Mengden (1896–1982) was a German Sports officer. He was a key figure in the Nationalsozialistischer Reichsbund für Leibesübungen (NSRL), the Sports Office of the Third Reich. His role as a Nazi is the subject of controversy. Hist ...

, Harbig joined the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...

forces in occupied Poland, while he still prepared for the

1940 Summer Olympics The 1940 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XII Olympiad, were originally scheduled to be held from September 21 to October 6, 1940, in Tokyo City, Empire of Japan. They were rescheduled for Helsinki, Finland, to be held from ...

. In the winter of 1940-41 he was drafted to the ''

Fallschirmjäger The ''Fallschirmjäger'' () were the paratrooper branch of the German Luftwaffe before and during World War II. They were the first German paratroopers to be committed in large-scale airborne operations. Throughout World War II, the commander ...

'' (paratrooper) forces at the Broitzem airbase in

Braunschweig Braunschweig () or Brunswick ( , from Low German ''Brunswiek'' , Braunschweig dialect: ''Bronswiek'') is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany, north of the Harz Mountains at the farthest navigable point of the river Oker, which connects it to the ...

. On 24 May 1941 he set another world record over 800 metres at the Ilgen-Kampfbahn in Dresden. Later in 1941, Harbig was sent to the Eastern Front and fought in the

Battle of Moscow The Battle of Moscow was a military campaign that consisted of two periods of strategically significant fighting on a sector of the Eastern Front during World War II. It took place between September 1941 and January 1942. The Soviet defensive ...

. During the Soviet Dnieper–Carpathian Offensive against the Wehrmacht

Army Group South Army Group South (german: Heeresgruppe Süd) was the name of three German Army Groups during World War II. It was first used in the 1939 September Campaign, along with Army Group North to invade Poland. In the invasion of Poland Army Group So ...

, he was killed fighting with the 2nd Parachute Division at the

Voronezh Front The 1st Ukrainian Front ( Russian: Пéрвый Украи́нский фронт), previously the Voronezh Front ( Russian: Воронежский Фронт) was a major formation of the Soviet Army during World War II, being equivalent to ...

near Kirovohrad,

Ukraine Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inva ...

in 1944. Holding the rank of ''

Feldwebel ''Feldwebel '' (Fw or F, ) is a non-commissioned officer (NCO) rank in several countries. The rank originated in Germany, and is also used in Switzerland, Finland, Sweden, and Estonia. The rank has also been used in Russia, Austria-Hungary, occupi ...

'' (Sergeant) at the time, he served in ''Fallschirmjäger-Regiment'' 6 under the command of ''Hauptmann'' (Captain)

Friedrich August von der Heydte Friedrich August Freiherr von der Heydte (30 March 1907 – 7 July 1994) was a German paratroop officer during World War II who later served in the armed forces of West Germany, achieving the rank of General. Following the war, Heydte pursued aca ...

as a platoon leader. The exact circumstances of his death are not known.

References

Sources

Wallechinsky, David David Wallechinsky (born David Wallace, February 5, 1948) is an American populist historian and television commentator, the president of the International Society of Olympic Historians (ISOH) and the founder and editor-in-chief of AllGov.com and ...

(2004). ''The Complete Book of the Summer Olympics'',

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

: Sport Classic Books. {{DEFAULTSORT:Harbig, Rudolf 1913 births 1944 deaths German male middle-distance runners German national athletics champions Athletes from Dresden Eintracht Braunschweig athletes German military personnel killed in World War II Athletes (track and field) at the 1936 Summer Olympics Olympic athletes of Germany Olympic bronze medalists for Germany World record setters in athletics (track and field) European Athletics Championships medalists People from the Kingdom of Saxony Medalists at the 1936 Summer Olympics Olympic bronze medalists in athletics (track and field) German Army soldiers of World War II Sturmabteilung personnel Fallschirmjäger of World War II Reichswehr personnel