Josef MANGER

Manger debuted on the international weightlifting scene with a silver medal at the 1934 European Championships. In the following years, he would only do better. In 1935, he won the European Championships, followed by more gold medals at the 1936 Olympics, and the 1937 and 1938 World Championships. He reached his peak in 1939, with an unofficial world record of 437.5 kg, but by then international competition had ceased due to the outbreak of the Second World War. Manger was a six-time German heavyweight champion (1935-36, 1938-41) and broke a world record 20 times, although only 10 official. After ending his weightlifting career, Manger worked as a salesman. A street in his hometown, Bamberg, has been named for him.