# Heinrich Keimig

**Heinrich Keimig** (12 June 1913 in Leiselheim, Worms, Germany – 15 January 1966 in Offenbach am Main) was a German field handball goalkeeper who won the gold medal with the German national team at the 1936 Berlin Summer Olympics, the only Olympic field handball tournament ever held.<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/32081)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://archive.ihf.info/upload/matchresuts/SReihe_Olympic_Games.pdf)</sup>

| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born / died | 12 June 1913, Leiselheim (Worms), Rheinland-Pfalz; 15 January 1966, Offenbach am Main, Hessen<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/32081)</sup> |
| Position | Goalkeeper; second choice behind Heinz Körvers on the 1936 Olympic team<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/32081)</sup> |
| Olympic result | Gold, Field Handball, Men, Berlin 1936; played one match<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/32081)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://www.olympedia.org/results/34500)</sup> |

## Club career
Olympedia records his affiliation as Militär-SV Darmstadt.<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/32081)</sup>

## 1936 Berlin Olympics
[Field handball](https://www.edgepedia.org/field-handball), the eleven-a-side outdoor form of the game, appeared on the Olympic program once, at the 1936 Berlin Games, from 6 to 14 August, with six nations participating.<sup>[2](https://archive.ihf.info/upload/matchresuts/SReihe_Olympic_Games.pdf)</sup> Ten nations originally intended to enter, but Denmark, the Netherlands, Poland, and Sweden withdrew, leaving Germany, Austria, Hungary, Switzerland, Romania, and the United States.<sup>[3](https://www.olympedia.org/results/34500)</sup>

Germany dominated the preliminary round, beating Hungary 22-0 and the United States 29-1, then won all three matches of the final round, including a 10-6 win over Austria in the deciding match played before a crowd of 100,000 in the [Olympic Stadium](https://www.edgepedia.org/olympic-stadium).<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/32081)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://archive.ihf.info/upload/matchresuts/SReihe_Olympic_Games.pdf)</sup> Austria took silver and Switzerland bronze.<sup>[2](https://archive.ihf.info/upload/matchresuts/SReihe_Olympic_Games.pdf)</sup>

Keimig was the second-choice goalkeeper behind [Heinz Körvers](https://www.edgepedia.org/heinz-korvers) and played just one match, the game against Hungary on 10 August 1936; he scored no goals.<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/32081)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://www.olympedia.org/results/34502)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[3](https://www.olympedia.org/results/34500)</sup> The squad of 22 players was coached by Otto Kaundynia.<sup>[2](https://archive.ihf.info/upload/matchresuts/SReihe_Olympic_Games.pdf)</sup>

## World War II
During the Second World War Keimig served as a Feldwebel and was severely wounded in North Africa in September 1941.

## Commemoration
Keimig was a member of Turnverein 1863 e.V. Worms-Leiselheim. The medal recognizes people who have rendered special service to handball in Worms; recent honorees include Florian Stenner and Michael Hierse.<sup>[5](https://hsgworms.com/2026/05/wormser-handball-ehrt-verdiente-persoenlichkeiten-mit-der-heinrich-keimig-medaille/)</sup>

## Birth year discrepancy
Most reference works give 12 June 1913 as Keimig's birth date, including Olympedia and the German-language biographical record.<sup>[1](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/32081)</sup> A 2026 report by HSG Worms on the medal named after him states he was born in 1912.<sup>[5](https://hsgworms.com/2026/05/wormser-handball-ehrt-verdiente-persoenlichkeiten-mit-der-heinrich-keimig-medaille/)</sup>

## References

1. [Olympedia – Heinrich Keimig](https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/32081)
2. [International Handball Federation – The Medal Winners at Olympic Games (Berlin 1936)](https://archive.ihf.info/upload/matchresuts/SReihe_Olympic_Games.pdf)
3. [Olympedia – Field Handball, Men (Berlin 1936)](https://www.olympedia.org/results/34500)
4. [Olympedia – Field Handball, Men, Match #1 (Germany–Hungary, 10 August 1936)](https://www.olympedia.org/results/34502)
5. [HSG Worms – Wormser Handball ehrt verdiente Persönlichkeiten mit der Heinrich-Keimig-Medaille](https://hsgworms.com/2026/05/wormser-handball-ehrt-verdiente-persoenlichkeiten-mit-der-heinrich-keimig-medaille/)

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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Basketball and court team sports › Handball › Field handball*

*Initially written Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 25, 2026*

*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*

License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license