Oskar Gloeckler

After studying in Stuttgart, the medal designer Oskar Gloeckler worked in Berlin beginning in 1925. In 1922, he became an early member of the Nazi Party (NSPAP) and in 1923 took part in the attempted Hitler-Ludendorff coup. In 1933 he was appointed Head of the Football Division in Berlin / Brandenburg and from 1936 belonged to the Cultural Committee of the para-military group Sturmabteilung (SA). In the SA, he made it to the rank of “Obersturmbannführer,” and called himself a professor for many years without authorization.

Following allegations of fraud, Gloeckler committed suicide after only a few months in office as the provincial head of the Reich’s Chamber of Fine Arts and nomination as future director of the Württemberg State School of Arts and Crafts. The actual reasons have been covered up by an “official” funeral arranged by the Nazi party leadership. For the Nazi regime he created numerous memorial and special occasion medals according to their taste in neoclassical design. He also designed the 1 RM coin of 1933.

The medal Boxer was issued as an official participant’s medal for the European tournament of amateur boxers on 22 November 1935 in Berlin. The 7 cm sized medal was made of bronze. The two plaques submitted in 1932 were approximately square bronze castings in the format 102 x 102 mm. The two bronze plaques from 1928 are unknown. In the German catalog the title of a badge is given with In the curve. The exhibition catalog of Amsterdam contains the term Football player. Probably the exhibit was replaced at short notice.