Josef Mosonyi

Josef Mosonyi was born in Hungary and was a talented volleyball player in his youth, but his political activities led him to flee his homeland after the Soviet Union crushed the Hungarian Revolution of 1956. He fled to West Germany, where his brother lived, and had to put his sporting career on hold to find work as an engineer. He returned to volleyball in 1962 with BffL Stuttgart, however, and after a brief playing career, took up coaching, becoming particularly involved with Volleyball Landesverband Württemberg.

Mosonyi also served as a referee, most notably at the 1972 Munich Olympics, where he acted as referee in three of the men’s matches as well as the women’s bronze medal game. His international career in this capacity lasted from 1970 through 1987 and, domestically, he held various positions with the German Volleyball Association from 1975 on.