Erich Rademacher

Fritz Albert Erich "Ete" Rademacher (9 June 1901 – 2 April 1979) was a German breaststroke swimmer and water polo goalkeeper who competed at the 1928 and 1932 Olympics. In 1928 he was a member of the German team that won the gold medal, he also won a silver medal in the 200 m breaststroke. Four years later he won another silver medal with the German water polo team. His younger brother Joachim was his teammate in both water polo tournaments.[1]

Erich Rademacher

Rademacher in 1932
Personal information
Born	9 June 1901 Magdeburg, Germany
Died	2 April 1979 (aged 77) Stuttgart, Germany
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Breaststroke
Club	SC Hellas Magdeburg
Medal record Representing  Germany Water polo Olympic Games 1928 Amsterdam Team 1932 Los Angeles Team European Championships 1926 Budapest Team 1931 Paris Team Swimming Olympic Games 1928 Amsterdam 200 m breaststroke European Championships 1926 Budapest 200 m breaststroke 1927 Bologna 200 m breaststroke

At the European championships Rademacher won two gold medals in swimming (1926–1927) and two medals in water polo (1926 and 1931). He set world records in 1920, 1921, 1923, 1925 and 1926 in the 400 m breaststroke, in 1922 and 1927 in the 200 m breaststroke, in 1924 in the 200 yards breaststroke, and in 1925 in the 100 and 500 m breaststrokes. He also set 15 national records and appeared in 42 international water polo matches. He missed the 1920 and 1924 Olympics because Germany was not allowed to compete there.[1][2]

Rademacher toured the United States in 1926 and Japan in 1927 as an exhibition swimmer. During World War II he fought against Russia, was captured, and remained in a prison camp until 1947. During that period he suffered a permanent face injury and did not like to be photographed afterwards. After returning to Germany he worked as an insurance clerk in Braunschweig and then in Stuttgart.

Rademacher was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1972[3] and into the Germany's Sports Hall of Fame in 2008.[4] A street and an indoor swimming pool in Magdeburg are named after him. His son Ulrich won 11 German swimming titles in 1954–58 and set 37 national records, and his another son Peter played for the German water polo team.[1]