1. Life
Erich Rademacher's life spanned a period of significant historical change in Germany, from the German Empire through World War II and into the post-war era. His early life was marked by an introduction to the sport that would define his career, while his later years saw him step away from the public eye after wartime experiences.
1.1. Birth and Early Life
Erich Rademacher was born on 9 June 1901 in Magdeburg, then part of the Kingdom of Prussia within the German Empire. His father was Heinrich Rademacher. At the age of nine, on Christmas Eve, Rademacher received an invitation to join the prestigious Hellas Magdeburg swim club, which was recognized as the best swim club in Germany at the time. The invitation, sent to his father, stated, "The board meeting of December 23 of the year has approved your application and accepted your son Erich into the youth department of our club." It further welcomed him warmly and requested that his father ensure his son's regular attendance at evening practices to fulfill the obligations of their reception conditions.
1.2. Education and Early Career
Rademacher pursued formal education to become an insurance clerk. This profession would later become his primary occupation after his athletic career. His early professional activities took place concurrently with his rise as a top athlete.
1.3. Family
Erich Rademacher came from a family deeply involved in aquatics. His younger brother, Joachim Rademacher, was also a prominent water polo player and was his teammate in both the 1928 Amsterdam and 1932 Los Angeles Olympic water polo tournaments. Erich's sons also followed in their father's footsteps: Ulrich Rademacher won 11 German swimming titles between 1954 and 1958 and set 37 national records, while his second son, Peter Rademacher, also played for the German national water polo team.
2. Swimming and Water Polo Career
Erich Rademacher's career was characterized by exceptional versatility and dominance in both swimming and water polo, marked by numerous national, European, and Olympic achievements, as well as several world records.
2.1. National Achievements
Rademacher accumulated a remarkable number of national titles throughout his career. In 1918, he secured his first national championship in the 100-meter backstroke. He subsequently dominated the 100-meter breaststroke event, winning the national championship seven times between 1919 and 1927, with the exception of 1922. In 1928, he became the national champion in the 200-meter breaststroke.
His prowess extended to team events, as he was a national champion in the 4x100-meter freestyle relay from 1924 to 1928. As the goalkeeper for the Hellas Magdeburg team, he led them to national championships in water polo from 1924 to 1926, and again from 1928 to 1931, and finally in 1933. He also held national titles in other less common disciplines. Throughout his career, Rademacher set 15 German national records. Beyond Germany, he also achieved success in other countries, winning two Hungarian national championships, one British national championship, one Czechoslovakian national championship, and one United States national championship.
2.2. European Championships Achievements
Rademacher's success extended to the European stage. At the 1926 European Aquatics Championships in Budapest, he earned a bronze medal with the German water polo team and became the European Champion in the men's 200-meter breaststroke. He successfully defended his 200-meter breaststroke title at the 1927 European Aquatics Championships in Bologna. His final European medal came at the 1931 European Aquatics Championships in Paris, where he won a silver medal with the German water polo team.
2.3. Olympic Achievements
Due to Germany's exclusion following World War I, Rademacher was unfortunately unable to compete in the 1920 Summer Olympics and 1924 Summer Olympics. However, he made a significant impact at the subsequent games.
At the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, Rademacher was widely considered the favorite to win the gold medal in the men's 200-meter breaststroke, holding the world record of 2:48 at the time. However, Yoshiyuki Tsuruta of Japan employed an innovative and unexpected strategy, which was allowed under the rules then, of staying underwater for a significant portion of the race. Tsuruta ultimately defeated Rademacher, setting a new world record of 2:45.4. Despite this, Rademacher's disappointment was short-lived, as he, serving as the goalkeeper, led the German water polo team to a gold medal in the men's water polo tournament.
Four years later, at the 1932 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Rademacher again served as goalkeeper for the German water polo team. He played in three matches during the tournament. The team secured another Olympic medal, winning silver in the men's water polo event.
2.4. World Records
Erich Rademacher was a dominant force in breaststroke swimming, setting numerous world records throughout his career. By 1925, he notably held every single breaststroke world record for events ranging from 50 yards to 500 meters.
Specifically, he set multiple world records in the 400-meter breaststroke in 1920, 1921, 1923, 1925, and 1926. In the 200-meter breaststroke, he established new world records in 1922 and 1927. He also set a world record in the 200-yard breaststroke in 1924. In 1925, he broke world records in both the 100-meter and 500-meter breaststroke events.
2.5. Flying Breaststroke Technique
Rademacher is recognized as one of the pioneers in using the overarm recovery technique for breaststroke. This innovative style was colloquially known as the "flying fish" and was a precursor to the modern butterfly stroke. The arm action developed by Rademacher, which involved recovering the arms out of the water, would later become a fundamental component of the butterfly stroke, distinguishing it from traditional breaststroke.
2.6. International Ventures and Career Summary
Rademacher's fame extended internationally through various tours and exhibition swims. In 1926, he toured the United States, where he remarkably set 10 records in just 11 days. The following year, in 1927, he traveled to Japan as an exhibition swimmer, showcasing his talent on the global stage. By the conclusion of his illustrious career, Rademacher had represented Germany in 42 international water polo matches and had achieved an impressive total of 1,012 first-place finishes across all competitions.
3. Later Life and Recognition
After his celebrated athletic career, Erich Rademacher's life took a different turn, heavily impacted by global events, and later, he received significant posthumous honors for his contributions to swimming.
3.1. World War II and Post-War Life
During World War II, Erich Rademacher served in the military and fought against the Soviet Union. He was captured and remained in a prisoner of war camp until 1947. During his internment, he sustained a permanent facial injury, which subsequently made him reluctant to be photographed. Upon his return to Germany after the war, he consciously distanced himself from swimming circles, choosing not to participate in the efforts to establish a new swim association with his former teammates from Hellas Magdeburg. Instead, he resumed his profession as an insurance clerk, first working in Braunschweig and later in Stuttgart.
3.2. Honors and Legacy
Despite his post-war desire for a quieter life, Erich Rademacher's immense contributions to aquatics were recognized through significant honors. In 1972, he was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame. His legacy was further cemented in 2008 when he was inducted into Germany's Sports Hall of Fame. To commemorate his achievements, a street and an indoor swimming pool in his hometown of Magdeburg have been named after him.
4. Death
Erich Rademacher passed away on 2 April 1979 in Stuttgart, West Germany, at the age of 77.