Iron History

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05/27/2004 Entry: "5/28/2004: Hermann Goerner: Reading references- compiled by Joe Roark"

Here are selected reading references regarding Herman Goerner. Please note that @ means a paragraph or paragraphs rather than an article. Pho means photo.

I am not indicating that I agree with everything here referenced, but you should have access, or at least a guide to these articles so you can determine how you feel about Hermann's place in strength history. I further realize that this is a map to nowhere if you lack access to these sources. Nonetheless, the list can serve as an aid for you to decide which old mags or books you need to read more about Goerner.

If you have not joined us at the forums at ironhistory.com, there is a thread there about Goerner's Birthday in which several of his lifts are being debated. Sign-up is free but real name registration is required- we have debates and discussions of a mature not a manure nature.

I should mention my agreement with Leo Gaudreau who wrote in Your Physique, July 1950, 'Some terrific deadlift claims have been made for Goerner and without wishing to discredit such claims, their lack of authenticity does not merit inclusion herein.' Leo was not taken in by Goerner as were others who studied iron history, including, regrettably me, when I simply repeated, without fresh investigation, what so many had presented before me. But refs to his deadlifts are included for completeness.

Hermann Goerner Apr 13, 1891 to Jun 29, 1956

Strength & Health: Aug 1933 p 9 @ pho lifting 300 lbs

Feb 1935 p 22 HG- monarch of strength- Van Diggelin

Apr 1936 p 11 @- Miller

Sep 1937 p 32 WAP is shown measuring the 18" arm of HG, @

May 1940 p 42 @ pho

Jul 1941 p 17 @ drawing of 793.75 lb deadlift- Venables

Dec 1941 p 17 @ drawing pushed 387lbs in Vienna in 1907

Feb 1946 p 5 pho obit; died two years ago, news just received; this of course is incorrect

Apr 1947 p 12 @ pho Pullum measuring 18" arm of HG

Jan 1948 p 32 letter (not presented) from HG indicates his dire circumstances; he was not a Nazi

Apr 1948 p 22 @ 1927 movie short of HG in England in 1927

Dec 1948 p 22 @ pho sitting on top of a globe 'on top of the world'

Apr 1949 p 10 @ Elsie had died, Hermann was in dire straits

Jun/Jul 1949 p 8 letter to editor about John Dawe visiting HG; pho, 3@

Nov 1949 p 37 John Dawe 'recently' measured HG; right arm cold 17.5 (approaching age 59) forearm straight 14-1/8, wrist 8-1/4 [Dawe told Roark this did not take place]

May 1951 p 49 @ pho at age 17

Dec 1951 p 16 pho and story; pho one shoulder support of 4 men p 23 pho HG and Mueller

May 1952 p 23 pho in street clothes, with Van Diggelin; p 46 HG sings in his community's glee club

Mar 1953 p 19 An oldtimer looks at HG- Hasse

Jun 1953 p 26 @ drawing of deadlift 793.25 lbs on Oct 29, 1920 in Leipzig in connection with article by Richard V. Gaslen 'Modern Athletes Are Sissies'.

Aug 1953 p 9 HG was the strongest of them all- Van Diggelin

Oct 1956 p 22 @ obit, Jun 29, 1956 [cf Feb 1946 p 5]

Feb 1958 p 15 @ pho plank supporting 16 men

Jun 1958 p 12 @ his 602.25 lbs right hand deadlift witnessed by Paul Getty

Jan 1962 p 22 @ pho 'wrestling' elephant

Feb 1963 p 42 Description of HG's 727.50 lbs one hand deadlift - Willoughby

Apr 1963 p 46 @ about his offset-hand snatch of 132.50 lbs

Jun/Jul 1974 p 66 @ deadlift 793.75 in 1920

Hermann Goerner: Muscle-Up magazine: Dec 1979 p 30 Yesterday's champ, 4 pho- Karras Aug 1980 p 43 @ one hand deadlift 727 in 1920

Hermann Goerner in Muscular Development magazine: Mar 1965 p 38 pho deadlift 595.50 with index fingers and forefingers only of each hand Jan 1968 p 62 @ deadlift almost 800, unofficially May 1968 p 27 @ pho rear double biceps pose Nov 1969 p 21 pho deadlift 595.50 with only four fingers @ Sep 1970 p 20 @, pho 4 men on bar on his shoulders p 58 @

Hermann Goerner in Health & Strength magazine: Mar 19, 1927 p 300 First impressions of HG - 'special correspondent'

Jul 23, 1927 p 97 HG to appear in Wales- Pullim

Jan 9, 1932 p 36 letter to editor from W.A. Howitt wondering where HG is, what he's doing, and why H&S should update this info. Also on p 36 is a @ about how HG used Pullum's 'special' bar and George Walsh saw HG jerk 390 for two reps behind the neck

Apr 23, 1932 p 487 @ about his wife Elsie's grip strength

Sep 24, 1932 p 393 Lowry's comments on HG's Mar 5, 1927 deadlift of 652.25 lbs. Lowry adjudicated the lift and said HG used the French grip (both palms toward knees but THE STRONGMAN magazine had mistakenly said he used a reverse grip)

April 1946 p 166 @ died [this was an error, see S&H Oct 1956 p 22]

Apr 10, 1947 p 232 HG- enigma of strength- Aston

Oct 9, 1947 p 798 in a letter to Van Diggelin, HG wrote of his circumstances in recent years.

Feb 12, 1948 p 113 @ address given

Sep 22, 1949 p 13 letter from J.P. Osborn saying he had seen HG perform in Pagel's circus

Dec 14, 1950 p 38 first ad for the book 'Goerner the Mighty' to be published soon

Jul 19, 1956 p 26 died Jun 29, 1956

Aug 2, 1956 p 32 Story- The passing of a king of Strength- Pullum [liver problems]

Mar 19, 1927 p 300 First impressions of HG- 'special correspondent'

Hermann Goerner in Iron Man magazine: Jan/Feb 1949 p 14 HG's deadlift record- Mueller

Mar 1950 p 10 @ about upright rowing- aka- high pull-up

Feb 1952 p 60 @ Van Diggelen compares HG to John Davis

Jun 1952 p 11 Training methods of HG, 3 pho- Mueller

Aug 1952 p 25 Training methods of HG, 2 pho-Mueller

Sep 1956 p 31 @ pho deadlift of 595.50 p 62 4@ obit June 29,1956

Nov 1956 p 13 When G broke the grip machine, 2 pho- Willoughby

Feb 1963 p 27 ran 100 meters in 18.5 seconds while carrying a 110.25 lb kettlebell in each hand

Jul 1972 p 30 lengthy @ about his feats

Sep 1972 p 21 @ about thick handled weight

Sep 1976 p 24 grip feats and 727.50 deadlift on Oct 8, 1920

Jul 1977 p 47 HG- Todd

May 1986 p 32 HG- man of super power- Charles A. Smith

Dec 1991 p 70 HG- Chapman

Other Hermann Goerner reading refs: Superman Apr 1934 story by Irving Clark

PLUSA Jun 1989 p 38 Paragraphs of History- Roark

Muscle & Fitness Sep 1991 p 170 HG- Jan & Terry Todd

Your Physique Jul 1950 p 35 Gaudreau declines to include or comment on some of HG's claims.

Iron Grip Apr 2003 p 5 HG in Britain- Talbot & Horne

The Strength Athletes by Willoughby. See pages 90, 93-96, 97, 105, 114, 131, 134-136, 138, 153, 169, 171-172, 175, 181, 184,198-199, 208, 209, 213, 216, 231, 233, 243, 247, 286, 287, 349, 471, 544.

Mighty Men of Old pages 1, 12 - Venables

Bodybuildingn An Illustrated History pages 45, 50- Webster

The Iron Game by Webster: 56-57, 58, 67, 84, 109,113, 152

The above should be helpful in undertaking a serious study of Goerner and his lifts. Of course, I lack many articles that have been written about him, so any refs that you care to share would be welcome.

Please consider joining us at ironhistory.com for our forums.