German Boxing Legend Max Schmeling Dies

Folks, German boxing legend Max Schmeling, one of the greatest heavyweight fighters of all time, has died at age 99.

The former world champion, one of Germany's biggest sports idols, died Wednesday at his home in Hollenstedt, according to his foundation in Hamburg.

Schmeling, originally popular in the United States, was viewed as a symbol of the Nazis and the growing antipathy between the countries at the start of WWII.

Contrary to what I had always believed, Max Schmeling was not a a Nazi, although he was a propaganda tool used during the war and Shitler praised him as "a sign of Aryan supremacy." According to the AP article linked below, Schmeling hid two Jewish boys in his Berlin apartment during Pogrom Night in 1938, when the Nazis burned books in a central square and rampaged through the city, setting synagogues on fire.

Reportedly, Schmeling also used his influence to save Jewish friends from concentration camps.

If that is true, may he rest in peace.

Read the article here:
German Boxing Legend Max Schmeling Dies