Sievekingspark, Hamburg, August 20-21, 1921
Germany faced difficult times after the First World War. The Weimar government held power but was weak, political extremism was on the rise, and the economy was in dire straits, worsened by war reparations. Hyperinflation caused the currency to begin losing its value in the summer of 1921.
Despite these problems, the German athletics championships were still held. Most events took place in mid-August at the Sievekingspark field in Hamburg, now used for American football. The weather was unfavourable: the first day brought strong winds, and the second saw temperatures reach 30 degrees Celsius.
Among the double winners was Hubert Houben, born near the Dutch border, who sprinted to victory in the 100 and 200 metres. Houben was one of the world's best sprinters in the 1920s. With Germany barred from both the 1920 and 1924 Olympics, he only had the chance to showcase his skills on the Olympic stage at the 1928 Amsterdam Games.
Olympic finalist Richard Rau from Stockholm was outperformed. He was eliminated in the heats of the 200 metres and opted not to start in the 100 metres final.
Karl Ritter von Halt, who had competed in the Stockholm Olympics, won the shot put and decathlon titles from memory. Later, he testified against Paavo Nurmi when Nurmi faced allegations of professionalism. He also joined the National Socialist Workers' Party and served as a sports leader in the 1930s, which led to his imprisonment in a Soviet camp for five years after the war.
The fiercest battle for a title occurred in the long jump. Ernst Söllinger leapt close to a world-class distance of 7.14 metres (23-5), Henry Schumacher reached 7.13 (23 4 ¾), and Karl Hornberger managed 7.11 (23-4). Finnish sports newspaper marveled at the event's remarkable competitiveness in its report. Earlier that season, Karl Dickel, ranked second in the world, set a German record of 7.32 (24-¼) but withdrew due to muscle cramps.
Physical education instructor Heinrich Buchgeister from the University of Freiburg also approached world-class levels, taking his fifth and final German javelin title with a throw of 60.73 metres (199-3).
Medalists (Wikipedia)
Idrottsbladet, September 5, 1921 (in Swedish)
Suomen Urheilulehti, September 15, 1921 (in Finnish)