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OnlinePoker

(5,722 posts) Tue Aug 16, 2016, 09:54 AM Aug 2016

A poignant letter from Luz Long (German Olympian) to Jesse Owens during WWII

I'll put the opening of the article here, but the letter is in the link. Very moving.

To win four gold medals at a single Olympic Games is astonishing enough; however, to do so as a black person in 1936, at a tense Olympic Games hosted by Adolf Hitler, is almost beyond belief. Yet Jesse Owens did exactly that, somehow managing to ignore talk of Aryan superiority to take gold in the 100m, 200m, 4x100m relay, and long jump, all in the space of a few days. He also made a good friend in the form of German athlete Luz Long, the blond-haired, blue-eyed, long jump rival who swapped training tips with Owens and openly congratulated him after his final jump, in full view of Hitler.

http://www.lettersofnote.com/

6 replies

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Highlight:

A poignant letter from Luz Long (German Olympian) to Jesse Owens during WWII (Original Post) OnlinePoker Aug 2016 OP

Sobbing. n/t yellerpup Aug 2016 #1

I despair over vile people... StarlightGold Aug 2016 #2

Such eloquence in a language that... 3catwoman3 Aug 2016 #3

did you see this? you should watch it....compelling Gabi Hayes Aug 2016 #4

The rest of the story... trof Aug 2016 #5

Here is the video from around 1966 when Owens returns to Berlin. Elwood P Dowd Aug 2016 #6

yellerpup

(12,253 posts)

1. Sobbing. n/t

Reply to OnlinePoker (Original post)

Tue Aug 16, 2016, 09:58 AM

Aug 2016

StarlightGold

(365 posts)

2. I despair over vile people...

Reply to OnlinePoker (Original post)

Tue Aug 16, 2016, 10:04 AM

Aug 2016

and then this shows up on my screen.

And I smile again.

3catwoman3

(24,007 posts)

3. Such eloquence in a language that...

Reply to OnlinePoker (Original post)

Tue Aug 16, 2016, 11:09 AM

Aug 2016

...was not his native tongue.

Very moving. I hope his spirit was able to know that Mr. Owens was able to read the letter and act on the wishes expressed therein.

Gabi Hayes

(28,795 posts)

4. did you see this? you should watch it....compelling

Reply to OnlinePoker (Original post)

Tue Aug 16, 2016, 11:14 AM

Aug 2016

http://www.pbs.org/show/nazi-games-berlin-1936/

I knew Avery Brundage was a rat, but not a Nazi-enabling, anti-semitic crook to boot

trof

(54,256 posts)

5. The rest of the story...

Reply to OnlinePoker (Original post)

Tue Aug 16, 2016, 11:49 AM

Aug 2016

Long served in the Wehrmacht during World War II, having the rank of Obergefreiter. During the Allied invasion of Sicily, Long was killed in action on 14 July 1943.[9] He was buried in the war cemetery of Motta Sant'Anastasia,[10] in Sicily. He was survived by a son, Karl, born a year before his death.

Long and Owens corresponded after 1936. In his last letter, Long wrote to Owens and asked him to contact his son after the war and tell him about his father and "what times were like when we not separated by war. I am saying—tell him how things can be between men on this earth".[11] After the war, Owens travelled to Germany to meet Karl Long who is seen with Owens in the documentary Jesse Owens Returns To Berlin where he is in conversation with Owens in the Berlin Olympic Stadium.[12][13] Owens later served as Karl Long's best man at his wedding.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luz_Long

Elwood P Dowd

(11,443 posts)

6. Here is the video from around 1966 when Owens returns to Berlin.

Reply to OnlinePoker (Original post)

Tue Aug 16, 2016, 01:31 PM

Aug 2016

Includes a segment about this act of kindness from Luz Long and a meeting with his son.

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