{
 "id": "epahpd6jd8",
 "slug": "oscar-go-ler",
 "title": "Oscar Goßler",
 "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.rowers-of-the-german-empire-and-weimar-era",
   "label": "Rowers of the German Empire and Weimar era",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/play.individual.water.rowing.people.german-and-east-german-rowers.rowers-of-the-german-empire-and-weimar-era"
  }
 ],
 "geo": [
  {
   "id": "geo.weu.t1800.play.individual.water.rowing.people",
   "label": "Western Europe · 1800 to 1945: Rowers and coxswains",
   "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1800.play.individual.water.rowing.people",
   "path": [
    {
     "id": "geo.weu",
     "label": "Western Europe",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.weu.t1800",
     "label": "Western Europe · 1800 to 1945",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1800"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.weu.t1800.play",
     "label": "Sports, games, and recreation",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1800.play"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.weu.t1800.play.individual",
     "label": "Individual sports and outdoor recreation",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1800.play.individual"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.weu.t1800.play.individual.water",
     "label": "Water sports",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1800.play.individual.water"
    },
    {
     "id": "geo.weu.t1800.play.individual.water.rowing.people",
     "label": "Rowers and coxswains",
     "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t1800.play.individual.water.rowing.people"
    }
   ]
  }
 ],
 "excerpt": "Oscar Goßler (1875–1953) was a German rower with Germania Ruder Club, Hamburg, who won Olympic gold in the coxed fours at the 1900 Paris Games and finished fourth in the eights.",
 "snippet": "Oscar Goßler (1875–1953) was a German rower with Germania Ruder Club, Hamburg, who won Olympic gold in the coxed fours at the 1900 Paris Games and finished fourth in the eights.",
 "node": "play.individual.water.rowing.people.german-and-east-german-rowers.rowers-of-the-german-empire-and-weimar-era",
 "markdown": "# Oscar Goßler\n\n**Oscar Goßler** (full name Carl Oscar Goßler, II; 26 June 1875 – 15 February 1953) was a German rower of the Germania Ruder Club in Hamburg who won a gold medal in the men's coxed fours (rowing boat with four rowers plus a coxswain steering) at the 1900 Paris Olympics and finished fourth in the men's eights at the same Games.<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37824)</sup>\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Born / died | 26 June 1875 in Hamburg; 15 February 1953 in Hamburg, aged 77<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37824)</sup> |\n| Club | Germania Ruder Club, Hamburg (GRC)<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37824)</sup> |\n| 1900 coxed fours | Gold in the second final (Race #2) on 27 August 1900, time 5:59.0<sup>[2](https://www.olympedia.org/results/157517)</sup> |\n| 1900 eights | Fourth and last in the final<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37824)</sup> |\n| Crewmates | Brothers Gustav Goßler and Carl Heinrich Goßler, plus Walther Katzenstein and Waldemar Tietgens in the coxed four<sup>[2](https://www.olympedia.org/results/157517)</sup> |\n| Later life | Businessman; owner of Goßler und Howaldt und John Monnington; founder of Goßler Glasgespinst Fabrik GmbH; secretary of the Deutscher Ruderverband<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37824)</sup> |\n\n## Family and early life\nTwo of his brothers rowed alongside him in Paris: Gustav Ludwig Goßler (1879–1940), who became a Hamburg businessman, and Carl Heinrich Goßler (1885–1914), who became a professional officer.<sup>[3](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37823)</sup>\n\n## The 1900 Paris Olympics\nRowing made its first Olympic appearance at the 1900 Games, with the events held on the Seine between the Pont de [Courbevoie](https://www.edgepedia.org/courbevoie) and the Pont d'Asnières in Paris from 14 to 27 August 1900.<sup>[4](https://www.olympedia.org/editions/2/sports/ROW)</sup>\n\n**The eights.** In the heats on 25 August the German eight finished third in its heat and did not qualify, but it was admitted to the final anyway as the fourth of four qualified boats, because the French Societé Nautique de la Marne did not finish its heat.<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37824)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[5](https://www.hermandw.be/FullOlym/biogo.htm)</sup> For the final on 26 August the crew replaced its regular coxswain, Alexander Gleichmann von Oven, with an unknown French boy who was younger and 45 pounds lighter. The crew could not adjust to the changed weight distribution and finished fourth and last.<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37824)</sup>\n\n**The coxed fours.** The 1900 coxed fours became the most controversial rowing event in Olympic history. Losers in two heats had posted faster times than the winner of the first heat, and after a disputed qualifying scheme the heat winners protested and refused to row in a six-boat final. Two finals were therefore held, and both are usually treated as valid Olympic championships.<sup>[2](https://www.olympedia.org/results/157517)</sup> The Hamburg crew won its heat in 5:56.2 on 25 August, then won the second final on 27 August in 5:59.0, ahead of Minerva Amsterdam of the Netherlands (6:03.0) and the Ludwigshafener Ruder Verein of Germany (6:05.0).<sup>[2](https://www.olympedia.org/results/157517)</sup> The winning four consisted of Oscar Goßler, Walther Katzenstein, Waldemar Tietgens, Gustav Goßler, and Carl Heinrich Goßler, so three brothers rowed in the same Olympic gold-medal boat.<sup>[2](https://www.olympedia.org/results/157517)</sup> Germany finished the 1900 rowing medal table with one gold and two bronze medals.<sup>[4](https://www.olympedia.org/editions/2/sports/ROW)</sup>\n\n## Later life\nOscar Goßler competed at only one Olympic Games, his only major international competition.<sup>[6](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/oskar-gossler/37013)</sup> He became a businessman in Hamburg, owned the company Goßler und Howaldt und John Monnington, and founded Goßler Glasgespinst Fabrik GmbH. For some years he served as secretary of the Deutscher Ruderverband, the German Rowing Association.<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37824)</sup> He died in Hamburg on 15 February 1953.<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37824)</sup>\n\n## References\n\n1. [Oscar Goßler, Olympedia](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37824)\n2. [Coxed Fours (Race #2), Men, Olympedia](https://www.olympedia.org/results/157517)\n3. [Gustav Goßler, Olympedia](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/37823)\n4. [Rowing at the 1900 Summer Olympics, Olympedia](https://www.olympedia.org/editions/2/sports/ROW)\n5. [Great Olympians, biographies GO](https://www.hermandw.be/FullOlym/biogo.htm)\n6. [Oskar Gossler, L'Équipe](https://www.lequipe.fr/fiche/oskar-gossler/37013)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Individual sports and outdoor recreation › Water sports › Rowers and coxswains › German and East German rowers › Rowers of the German Empire and Weimar era*\n\n*Initially written Oct 21, 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/oscar-go-ler",
 "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/oscar-go-ler.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": "\"Oscar Goßler\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/oscar-go-ler. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.",
 "credit_md": "\"[Oscar Goßler](https://www.edgepedia.org/oscar-go-ler)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/oscar-go-ler](https://www.edgepedia.org/oscar-go-ler). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).",
 "credit_html": "\"<a href=\"https://www.edgepedia.org/oscar-go-ler\">Oscar Goßler</a>\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), <a href=\"https://www.edgepedia.org/oscar-go-ler\">https://www.edgepedia.org/oscar-go-ler</a>. <a href=\"https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\">Edgepedia Community License 1.0</a>.",
 "speakable": "Oscar Goßler was a German rower with Germania Ruder Club, Hamburg, who won Olympic gold in the coxed fours at the 1900 Paris Games and finished fourth in the eights."
}