{ "id": "ep1y93w23t", "slug": "gerhard-auer", "title": "Gerhard Auer", "updated": "2026-10-25", "topic_path": [ { "id": "play", "label": "Sports, games, and recreation", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/play" }, { "id": "play.individual", "label": "Individual sports and outdoor recreation", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/play.individual" }, { "id": "play.individual.water", "label": "Water sports", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/play.individual.water" }, { "id": "play.individual.water.rowing.people", "label": "Rowers and coxswains", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/play.individual.water.rowing.people" }, { "id": "play.individual.water.rowing.people.german-and-east-german-rowers", "label": "German and East German rowers", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/play.individual.water.rowing.people.german-and-east-german-rowers" }, { "id": "play.individual.water.rowing.people.german-and-east-german-rowers.west-german-rowers", "label": "West German rowers", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/play.individual.water.rowing.people.german-and-east-german-rowers.west-german-rowers" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.weu.t1946.play.individual.water.rowing.people.german-and-east-german-rowers", "label": "Western Europe · 1946 to 2000: German and East German rowers", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1946.play.individual.water.rowing.people.german-and-east-german-rowers", "path": [ { "id": "geo.weu", "label": "Western Europe", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t1946", "label": "Western Europe · 1946 to 2000", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1946" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t1946.play", "label": "Sports, games, and recreation", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1946.play" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t1946.play.individual", "label": "Individual sports and outdoor recreation", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1946.play.individual" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t1946.play.individual.water", "label": "Water sports", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1946.play.individual.water" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t1946.play.individual.water.rowing.people", "label": "Rowers and coxswains", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1946.play.individual.water.rowing.people" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t1946.play.individual.water.rowing.people.german-and-east-german-rowers", "label": "German and East German rowers", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1946.play.individual.water.rowing.people.german-and-east-german-rowers" } ] } ], "excerpt": "Gerhard Auer (1943–2019), German rower for West Germany, Ulmer RC Donau; member of the Bullenvierer coxed four, Olympic gold at Munich 1972 in 6:31.85, European champion 1969 and 1971, world champion 1970.", "snippet": "Gerhard Auer (1943–2019), German rower for West Germany, Ulmer RC Donau; member of the Bullenvierer coxed four, Olympic gold at Munich 1972 in 6:31.85, European champion 1969 and 1971, world champion 1970.", "node": "play.individual.water.rowing.people.german-and-east-german-rowers.west-german-rowers", "markdown": "# Gerhard Auer\n\n**Gerhard Auer** (29 June 1943 – 21 September 2019) was a German rower who competed for [West Germany](https://www.edgepedia.org/west-germany) and won the gold medal in the men's coxed four at the 1972 Summer Olympics in München, the only rowing gold medal for West Germany at those Games.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37750) He rowed for Ulmer RC Donau in Ulm.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37750)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Born / died | 1943, Teplá, Karlovarský kraj (now Czech Republic); 21 September 2019, Rodalben, Rheinland-Pfalz, Germany[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37750) |\n| Club | Ulmer RC Donau, Ulm[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37750) |\n| Measurements | 189 cm / 95 kg[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37750) |\n| Olympic result | Gold, men's coxed four, 1972 München, final won on 2 September 1972 in 6:31.85[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37750) |\n| Crew | Peter Berger, Hans-Johann Färber, Gerhard Auer, Alois Bierl, coxswain Uwe Benter[2](https://www.olympedia.org/results/158626) |\n| Other titles | European champion 1969 and 1971; world champion 1970 in St. Catharines[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37750) |\n\n## The Bullenvierer\n\nAuer came to Ulm in 1966 as a student from Waltenhofen in the Allgäu, where he had competed as a decathlete. Through his landlords in Ulm he found his way to the rowing club, where the head coach, Dr. Heinrich Steinle, recognized his talent, and he turned fully to rowing.[3](https://www.rudern.de/news/2019/zum-tod-von-gerhard-auer) At the end of 1968 the German Rowing Association formed a coxed four around Auer, Peter Berger, Hans-Johann Färber, and [Alois Bierl](https://www.edgepedia.org/alois-bierl) under the Konstanz coach Karl-Heinz Bantle. Because of the four rowers' large physiques and strength, the boat was nicknamed the \"Bullenvierer\" (Bull's fours).[3](https://www.rudern.de/news/2019/zum-tod-von-gerhard-auer)\n\nAccording to crewmate Hans-Johann Färber, the boat won every race from 1969 to the Olympic victory on 2 September 1972, and was the only Western crew able to match the East German fours of that era.[3](https://www.rudern.de/news/2019/zum-tod-von-gerhard-auer)\n\n## Munich 1972\n\nThe coxed four event at the 1972 Olympics was raced on the artificial Olympia-Regattastrecke at Oberschleißheim, with 70 rowers from 14 countries.[2](https://www.olympedia.org/results/158626) In the final, rowing in a new plastic hull, the Bullenvierer took the lead against the East German boat with a mid-race push shortly before the 1,000-meter mark and extended it to the finish, winning in 6:31.85, ahead of East Germany in 6:33.30 and [Czechoslovakia](https://www.edgepedia.org/czechoslovakia) in 6:35.64.[4](https://portale.hdbg.de/olympia/sportlerinnen-und-sportler/1972-alois-bierl) • [5](https://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/olympic-games/1972-munich) The time set an Olympic record for the event, surpassing the 6:34.55 mark from 1960.[2](https://www.olympedia.org/results/158626) The gold was West Germany's only rowing title of the München Games, where East Germany led the rowing medal table with three golds among seven events.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37750) • [6](https://www.olympedia.org/editions/18/sports/ROW)\n\n## Later career\n\nIn 1976 Auer won his only West German national title.[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37750) In 1979 he moved from Ulm to the Palatinate, where, with a short interruption, he was the managing director of Wasa Wohnen GmbH & Co. KG in Waldfischbach-Burgalben for nearly 40 years, from 1979 to 2018; the company produced and sold high-quality solid-wood furniture.[3](https://www.rudern.de/news/2019/zum-tod-von-gerhard-auer) He died in a clinic in Rodalben on 21 September 2019 after months of declining health.[3](https://www.rudern.de/news/2019/zum-tod-von-gerhard-auer)\n\n## References\n\n1. [Gerhard Auer, Olympedia](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37750)\n2. [Coxed Fours, Men, Olympedia results](https://www.olympedia.org/results/158626)\n3. [Zum Tod von Gerhard Auer, rudern.de (German Rowing Association)](https://www.rudern.de/news/2019/zum-tod-von-gerhard-auer)\n4. [Alois Bierl, 1972, Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte](https://portale.hdbg.de/olympia/sportlerinnen-und-sportler/1972-alois-bierl)\n5. [1972 Munich Olympic Games, Australian Rowing History](https://www.rowinghistory-aus.info/olympic-games/1972-munich)\n6. [Rowing at the 1972 Summer Olympics, Olympedia](https://www.olympedia.org/editions/18/sports/ROW)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Water sports › Rowers and coxswains › German and East German rowers › West German rowers*\n\n*Initially written Oct 20, 2026 · Edited: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/gerhard-auer", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/gerhard-auer.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"Gerhard Auer\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/gerhard-auer. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[Gerhard Auer](https://www.edgepedia.org/gerhard-auer)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/gerhard-auer](https://www.edgepedia.org/gerhard-auer). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"Gerhard Auer\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/gerhard-auer. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "Gerhard Auer, German rower for West Germany, Ulmer RC Donau; member of the Bullenvierer coxed four, Olympic gold at Munich 1972 in 6:31.85, European champion 1969 and 1971, world champion 1970." }