Alfred König

Alfred König was the son of a Jewish merchant who spent many years in the Turkish city of Istanbul – a fact that had major repercussions for him, both good and bad, throughout his athletic career. It is believed he was born in Wien (Vienna), but he certainly spent periods of his childhood in Turkey.

Insecurity amongst the Jewish population in Istanbul caused the family to move back to Austria in the late 1920s, ironically just as anti-Semitism was on the rise in Europe. A runner who competed at distances from 100m to 400m, König began to compete for the Hakoah club of Wien around 1930 and by 1932 was Austrian junior champion over 400m. With the rise of fascism in Austria new citizenship laws were enacted which affected the eligibility of Austrian athletes to compete in championships, set national records and represent Austria in international competition. König lost his junior titles retrospectively because of doubts over his citizenship and he reverted to being a Turkish national.

Ironically 1935 turned out to be his best year in Austrian colours when, representing the Jewish community in Austria at the Maccabiah Games, he won the 200 m, was part of the winning 4 x 400 m relay and won two other medals. In the Olympic year of 1936 citizenship issues with Austria seemed to have been solved as he won the national 400 metre title and earned a spot on the Olympic team. He made little impression in Berlin, finished last in his 200 m heat and next to last in his appearance at 400 m at an event where his appearance cost him his membership of the Hakoah club.

A recurrence of doubts over his citizenship ruined his season in 1937 but by the start of the summer of 1938 he had much more important things to worry about following the “Anschluss”, the invasion of Austria by Nazi Germany, and the subsequent removal of many of the rights of Jewish Austrians. He once again returned to Turkey and resumed his athletic career under the name Ali Ferit Gören. In his first season in Turkish colours he broke the national record to win the 1938 Balkan Games 400 m title then defended the gold medal in 1939. He also took a bronze medal at 200 m.

König/Gören continued to compete sporadically until 1944 and afterwards coached local athletes well into the 1970s. He was Austrian champion in 400 metres (1936), 4×100 relay (1937), and 4×400 relay (1934 and 1937), Maccabiah Games 200 metres and 4x400 relay gold medallist, 400 metres silver medallist and 4x100 relay bronze winner for Austria in 1935. For Turkey he was Balkan Games 400 metres champion in 1938 and 1939, and also won a bronze medal at 200 metres in 1939.

Personal Bests: 200 – 22.0 (1936); 400 – 49.1 (1936).