Hermann Görner

Hermann Görner

Hermann Görner, (April 13, 1891 June 29, 1956) was a famous German strongman. Görner performed in various countries and achieved feats of strength rarely matched to this day, most notably in lifts requiring exceptional gripping strength.

Early years

Görner was born in Hänichen, Saxony, Germany. He started lifting weights at the age of 10 and was able to perform a one-handed swing of 50 kg (110 lb) by the age of 14. Hermann was a good all round athlete with a powerful physique and worked at various times as a model for painters and sculptors. He was 185 cm (6-1) in height and weighed between 120 and 133 kg (265 and 293 lb) during his career.

From 1911 he competed in various weightlifting tournaments and placed fourth in the 1913 Weightlifting World Championships.

Professional strong man

Despite being injured by shrapnel and losing an eye during World War One, Görner continued his career to become a professional strong man in 1921, touring countries such as Germany, Britain and South Africa.

His act included wrestling with a 680 kg (1,500 lb) elephant and challenging any member of the audience to lift the 150 kg (330 lb) barbell with 7 cm (2.8 in) shaft which he had just raised above his head. Hermann and his wife Elsie stayed with the famous Pullum family while touring with their strength act and Hermann was known to be a witty and very personable individual whose bravery matched his physical strength.

Feats of Strength

Among Hermann Görner's many feats of strength were the following notable lifts:

Goerner The Mighty

Görner's life is documented in a 1951 book by Ed Müller, Goerner The Mighty.[2]

Later years

A hand injury from a fall in 1929 somewhat curtailed his career in favour of training rather than lifting, but Görner continued to lift until World War Two.[2] After the war he was for a time held in a Soviet run P.O.W camp, but settled later in a village near Hanover with his beloved wife Elsie, who died in 1949. Hermann was regularly visited by admirers at his small apartment and, despite the setbacks of losing his wife and war wounds, lived to the age of 65 before passing away in 1956.

References

General
    • Webster, David B. 1976. The Iron Game Irvine Press.
Specific
  1. Heaviest right hand deadlift - bar
    Hermann Goerner unofficially lifted a 330 kg (730 lb) bar with his right hand on 8 October 1920 at Leipzig, Germany. The bar was correctly lifted from the floor to the fully erect position.
    He officially performed a right-handed deadlift of 301 kg (663 12 lb) on 29 October 1920 also at Leipzig using a Berg Olympic revolving bar.
  2. 1 2 Goerner the Mighty, Edgar Mueller, Vulcan Publishing, Leeds, 1951
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