Rudolf Klupsch

Rudolf Klupsch started his sport career first as a track cyclist, then played hockey and ice hockey. At age 22 he turned to track & field, becoming one of the best 400 metre runners in Germany before World War II. At the time he worked in the materials laboratory of Carl Zeiss Jena. Domestically he placed fourth at the 1936 German Championships, losing bronze in a photo finish, but almost 50 years later, the Frenchman Perdinaut determined that some photos showed that Klupsch was the true winner of the race. This would have qualified him for the 4×400 relay in Berlin, but he only started in the 400, where he was eliminated in the semifinals.

After World War II Klupsch was accused by the Soviet Red Army of having committed sabotage activities during the disassembly of the Carl Zeiss plant in 1946. The military court sentenced him to 10 years, of which he spent six years (1947-53) in the Sachsenhausen Concentration Camp, which was then led by the Soviets. After his release, he became involved as a track & field coach and sports administrator with BSG Motor Jena. In his family the sports tradition was pursued further by his son Dietrich (middle- and long-distance runner), his daughter-in-law Rita (sprinter, hurdler and high jumper), his grandson Volker (400 hurdler), and his granddaughter Martina (hurdler and high jumper).

Personal Best: 400 – 48.5 (1936).