Herbert Sander

Herbert Sander, the son of a wholesaler, entered a military career in 1899 as a second lieutenant. As a first lieutenant he attended the French military school in Joinville-le-Pont from 1902-04 and subsequently became instructor at the gymnastics school of the Danish Army (1904-09). Pursuing his military career, he served as commander at the 15th Infantry Battalion 1912-16 and 1922-24, interrupted by his service as adjutant of the Danish King Christian X. Sander then returned to the gymnastics school as an instructor and, from 1926-31, as its chief. In addition to other military posts, he was Garrison Commander in Sønderborg from 1931 and eventually resigned in 1939. He received various orders and awards in Denmark and from other Nordic countries.

In parallel, Sander had a career as a fencer and later as a sports official. He received fencing lessons from the age of 15 and then while serving in France. In addition to various other prizes, he won 11 Danish individual championships with the foil (1907-09, 1911, 1912 and 1914) and épée (1907, 1908, 1911-13). He competed in the 1906 Intercalated Games (foil, sabre) and in the 1908 Olympics (foil, épée). In Antwerpen (Antwerp) in 1920 he was the leader of the Danish modern pentathlon team.

Sander was a member of the board of several associations and committees: the Danish Fencing Association (1907-21, including chairman 1918-21), the Danish Sports Association (1918-31, and later as its chairman from 1941-47), the Friends of Fencing (1918-30, chairman 1927-30), and the Danish Olympic Committee (1918-37). As an officer, he was also active in the Danish Military Sports Association.

He lived in København (Copenhagen) for almost all of his life and married actress Polly Hertha Schmidt in 1910. In 1947, he died of cerebral hemorrhage.