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German Sports Hall of Fame Keeps Inductees After Nazi-Era Review

Organizers plan updates to member biographies online, with a possible renaming under discussion following the historians’ findings.

Overview

  • A five-member expert group reviewed 15 member portraits connected to the Nazi period and presented its results in Berlin on September 15, 2025.
  • No exclusion procedures will be submitted to the Hall’s jury at this time, said Sporthilfe board member Max Hartung, who noted future action remains possible.
  • The inquiry documented NSDAP membership for Karl Adam, Gustav Schäfer, and Gustav Kilian, with Adam and Schäfer also linked to the SA.
  • Member profiles on the Hall’s website will be expanded with new research, reflecting the commission’s emphasis on contextualization.
  • Historian Armin Jäger called for dropping the Hall of Fame name, while commission lead Erik Eggers cited arguments for expulsions and colleague Jutta Braun favored annotation over removals.