Photo: Wm. C. Greene - New York World-Telegram and the Sun / Public domain (source: Wikimedia Commons)
My Take
What grabs me about Max Schmeling is how a boxer became a symbol far bigger than the ring. He held the world heavyweight title from 1930 to 1932, and remarkably he remains the only man to win that crown on a foul. But it's the two fights with Joe Louis in 1936 and 1938 that fascinate me, loaded with national meaning neither man fully chose. I respect that he lived to 99, long enough to be remembered for more than the propaganda once piled onto him. The 1971 German Order of Merit and his Hall of Fame induction feel like overdue, earned recognition.
Overview
Maximilian "Max" Adolph Otto Siegfried Schmeling (German pronunciation: [maks ˈʃmeːlɪŋ], ; 28 September 1905 – 2 February 2005) was a German boxer who was heavyweight champion of the world between 1930 and 1932. His two fights with Joe Louis in 1936 and 1938 were worldwide cultural events because of their national associations. Schmeling is the only boxer to win the world heavyweight championship on a foul.
Summary adapted from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
1. Profile
- Name (English)
- Max Schmeling
- Name (Japanese)
- マックス・シュメリング
- Reading
- まっくす・しゅめりんぐ
- Born
- September 28, 1905 – February 2, 2005
- Zodiac / Chinese zodiac
- Libra / Snake
- Origin
- Klein Luckow, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Germany
- Blood type
- Private
- Height
- 185 cm
- Agency
- Private
- Occupation
- boxer / actor / film actor / entrepreneur / athlete
2. Background
- Elementary school
- Private
- Junior high
- Private
- High school
- Private
- University
- Private
Awards & achievements
- 1971 Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany
- Germany's Sports Hall of Fame
- 1992 International Boxing Hall of Fame
- WBA World Heavyweight Champion
- The Ring World Heavyweight Champion
- 1930 The Ring magazine Fighter of the Year
3. Relationships
- Spouse
- Private
- Children
- Private
- Parents
- Private
- Siblings
- Private
4. Personality
Motto
Private
6. Links
Boxer — see all → · Actor — see all → · More people from Germany →
7. About this entry
Tags
- Last updated
- 2026-06-02
Facts are limited to publicly available information up to 2024; non-public items are marked "Private / Unknown". English text is machine-assisted (facts translated by Sonnet, "My Take" written by Opus 4.8). The Japanese page is the source of record.