Arnd Krüger

Arnd Krüger was a German track athlete, sports historian and professor, and director of the sports scientific institute at the University of Göttingen. He was a middle distance runner with his best performances coming at the 1963 German Championships, placing second at 800 m, and in 1968 and 1969 when he was second at 1500 m. In 1966 and 1969 he was German Indoor 800 m Champion. In 1968, he was eliminated in the semifinals of the 1,500 m at the Mexico Olympics. After his athletic career he studied history, English, philosophy and sports at the University of Mainz and UCLA, graduating in 1967. He received his doctoral degree in 1971 from the University of Köln (Cologne). Afterwards he was a referent at the Deutscher Sportbund, from 1974-78 he was a scientific assistant at the Pädagogische Hochschule Berlin, from 1978-80 professor at the University of Hamburg, and since 1980 he has been professor at the Georg-August-University of Göttingen.

Prof. Krüger has published several books: Die Olympischen Spiele 1936 und die Weltmeinung. Ihre außenpolitische Bedeutung unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der USA (1972); Dr. Theodor Lewald. Sportführer ins Dritte Reich (1977); Ritual and Record. Sport in Pre-Industrial Societies (1990); The Story of Worker Sport (1996); and The Nazi Olympics: Sport, Politics, and Appeasement in the 1930s (2003 with William Murray).

Krüger achieved some unwanted notoriety in 2008 when he spoke at the Deutsche Vereinigung für Sportwissenschaft (DVS), discussing the murder of the Israelis at the 1972 München Olympics, in which he stated that the Israelis might have gone to their deaths voluntarily. After this speech there were detailed investigations by the DVS, which found that Krüger had falsified some quotations, and made up some historical facts. The DSV began an exclusion procedure but probably due to his advanced work, offered only a strong rebuke.

Personal Bests: 800 – 1:47.7 (1966); 1500 – 3:38.8 (1968 and 1972).