Gisela Mauermayer

All-round athlete Gisela Mauermayer had a difficult time after World War II, because she had been a member of the Nazi Party since 1932. After she was released from teaching in 1945, she studied to be a biologist, and later became chief librarian at the Zoological State Library in München from 1954-75. In 1952 she served as supervisor of the women’s Olympic team in Helsinki. She was also a long-term member of the German National Olympic Committee, beginning in 1967.

Mauermayer won the discus gold medal at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Shot put and pentathlon were not on the Olympic Program in 1936, but she would have been favored in both events, as she was unbeaten since 1935, and remained unbeaten until 1942. Additionally she had won two gold medals at the 1934 Women’s World Games in the shot put and the pentathlon, adding a silver medal in the discus. In 1936 she held the world records in the discus, shot put and pentathlon, and she set 10 world records in her career. She won discus gold and shot put silver at the 1938 European Championships. From 1933-42 Mauermayer won 20 German titles in different disciplines. Her sister Trude Hermine “Wiltrud” was also a shot putter.

Personal Best: DT – 48.31 (1936).