Gustav Scholz: Difference between revisions

|birth_place = [[Berlin]], [[Weimar Republic|Germany]]

|death_place = Berlin, [[Germany]]

'''Gustav Wilhelm Hermann''' "'''Bubi'''" '''Scholz''' (12 April 1930 – 21 August 2000)<ref name=deutsche-biographie.de>{{cite web|title=Scholz, Gustav ("Bubi")|last=Marschalek|first=Oliver|url=http://www.deutsche-biographie.de/sfz115725.html|work=[[Neue Deutsche Biographie]]|volume=23|year=2007|pages=460-461460–461|accessdate=30 April 2014}}</ref> was a [[Germans|German]] boxer. He was popularly called '''Bubi'''.<ref name=cnnsi/>. In the 1950s and early 1960s he won the German National Boxing Championship and European Boxing Championship several times. After his retirement in 1964, he acted in six films and several TV series. Scholz married twice, and was imprisoned for three years on charges of murdering his first wife. He developed [[dementia]] and was diagnosed with [[Alzheimer's disease]] in his later life. He attempted suicide twice and died at the age of 70 due to [[cardiac arrest]].

Gustav Wilhelm Hermann Scholz was born to a blacksmith<ref name=archive>{{cite web|title=Die Stationen des "Bubi" Scholz |trans_titletrans-title=The Stations of 'Bubi' Scholz|work=[[Berliner Zeitung]]|url=http://www.berliner-zeitung.de/newsticker/die-stationen-des--bubi--scholz,10917074,9826716.html|accessdate=2 May 2014|language=German|date=22 August 2010|archive-date=20 December 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131220073152/http://www.berliner-zeitung.de/newsticker/die-stationen-des--bubi--scholz,10917074,9826716.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> and a housewife in [[Berlin]]. In 1944 he began an [[apprentice]]ship as a mechanic, and after the end of the Second World War he was trained as chef.<ref name=deutsche-biographie.de/>

In 1947, Scholz attended a boxing school in Berlin.<ref name=von/> On 8 October 1948, he was a last-minute replacement for a professional match against Werner Eichler, though he had not previously competed as an amateur, and he won the fight.<ref name=archive/><ref name=von/><ref name=cnnsi>{{cite webmagazine|last=Mulliken|first=John|title=The Bubi of Berlin|url=http://www.cnnsi.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1002984/index.htm|workmagazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]|accessdate=2 May 2014|date=20 October 1958|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502134352/http://www.cnnsi.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1002984/index.htm|archive-date=2 May 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref Hename=von/> loggedEicher hiswas firstinjured defeatso inbadly Marchthat 1958he inhad to postpone his 70thwedding professionalwhich fightwas scheduled to be held the next day.<ref name=muller>{{cncite web|datelast=Müller|first=Von Felix|title=Sportler-Tragödien : Auch Bubi Scholz erschoss seine Frau durch die Tür - Nachrichten Geschichte - DIE WELT|trans-title=Athlete tragedies: Even Bubi Scholz shot his wife through the door|url=https://www.welt.de/geschichte/article114163258/Auch-Bubi-Scholz-erschoss-seine-Frau-durch-die-Tuer.html|work=Die Welt|accessdate=14 May 2014|location=Germany|language=German|date=6 March 2013}}</ref> Scholz logged his first defeat on 10 March 1958 against Charles Humez.<ref name=boxrec/>

On 19 May 1951, Scholz won a points victory against defending champion [[Walter Schneider]] and became the German champion in the welterweight category for the first time.<ref name=archive/><ref name=von/> He defended his title successfully against Charles Oechsle and Leo Starosch in 1952.<ref name=archive/> At the end of 1952, Scholz put his championship title in the welterweight division and stepped down from the middleweight category. In 1954 he appeared in [[Madison Square Garden]] in his first U.S. match, defeating American boxer [[Al Andrews]].<ref name=cnnsi/> In 1955 he was diagnosed with [[tuberculosis]],<ref name=cnnsi/> which forced him to take a one and a half year sabbatical.

After recovering from his illness, he won a knockout match against defending champion [[Peter Müller (boxer)|Peter Müller]] in a 29 June 1957 German middleweight championship.<ref name=voncnnsi/><ref name=cnnsivon/> He defended the title with another knockout victory in May 1958 against Max Resch. On 4 October 1958, he defeated Charles Humez<ref name=von/><ref name=tagesspiegel/> in Berlin's [[Olympiastadion (Berlin)|Olympiastadion]] by technical knockout in the 12th round, and thus won the European Championship in the middleweight division. Humez announced his retirement on 18 January 1989.<ref name=boxrec>{{cite web|title=Gustav Scholz - Boxer|url=http://boxrec.com/list_bouts.php?human_id=28407&cat=boxer|publisher=boxrec.com|accessdate=3 May 2014}}</ref> Scholz successfully defended both titles against Hans Werner Wohlers (by point victory in July 1959) and against [[Peter Müller]]<ref name=tagesspiegel/> (by technical knockout in the first round in November 1959). He successfully defended his European title against Andre Drille in December 1959. In the same year, he published the book ''Ring Free'' with memories of the beginnings of his career.

In 1961 Scholz put down his two middleweight title and moved to the light heavyweight division. In this class, he lost a fight against [[Harold Johnson (boxer)|Harold Johnson]] for the championship on 23 June 1962,<ref name=archive/><ref name=tagesspiegel>{{cite web|title=Bubi Scholz ist tot: Eine Nation lag ihm zu Füßen |trans_titletrans-title=Bubi Scholz is Dead: A nation lay at his feet|url=http://www.tagesspiegel.de/sport/bubi-scholz-ist-tot-eine-nation-lag-ihm-zu-fuessen/160812.html|work=[[Der Tagesspiegel]]|accessdate=30 April 2014|language=German|date=21 August 2000}}</ref> but on 4 April 1964, he won the European light heavyweight championship against defending champion [[Giulio Rinaldi]].<ref name=von>{{cite web|last=Ehrenberg|first=Von Peter|title=Siege, Tränen, Tod: Die Tragödie des Bubi Scholz |trans_titletrans-title=Victory, Tears, Death: The Tragedy of Bubi Scholz|language=German|url=httphttps://www.welt.de/print-welt/article529563/Siege-Traenen-Tod-Die-Tragoedie-des-Bubi-Scholz.html|work=[[Die Welt]]|accessdate=2 May 2014|date=22 August 2010}}</ref><ref name=tagesspiegel/> After that, Scholz finished his boxing career.

Between 1948 and 1964 Scholz had a total of 96 fights, of which he won 88, including 46 by knockout; only two times he lost,<ref name=von/> both on points. His success as a boxer earned him great popularity in Germany, especially in the 1950s and 1960s when he was compared to [[Max Schmeling]], the most prominent boxing star of Germany.{{cn|date=May<ref 2014}}name=muller/>

==1965-19841965–1984==

Following his career as a professional boxer, Scholz opened the advertising agency Zühlke and Scholz in Berlin, trying to build on his popularity as an athlete. In 1971, he was seen in a supporting role as a police officer in Thomas Engel's teleplay ''Lucky''. In 1977, he made a guest appearance as a boxing coach in the 20th episode of the TV comedy series ''Odds and Ends''. In 1980, he published his autobiography, ''The Way Out of Nowhere'',<ref name=archive/> but received negative publicity in those years due to his drinking habits.<ref name=von/>

==1984-20001984–2000==

On the evening of 22 July 1984, Scholz shot his 49-year-old wife Helga,<ref name=archive/><ref name=von/> whom he had married in 1955, in their Berlin villa. He was arrested the following day. Helga was buried two weeks later in the presence of approximately 1,000 people.<ref>{{cite web|last=Nestler|first=Stefan|title=23.7.1984: Bubi Scholz verhaftet|trans_titletrans-title=23 July 1984: Bubi Scholz Arrested|language=German|url=http://www.kalenderblatt.de/index.php?what=thmanu&manu_id=591&tag=23&monat=7&weekd=&weekdnum=&year=2012&dayisset=1&lang=de|work=Kalenderblatt|accessdate=2 May 2014}}</ref> Scholz claimed the shooting was an accident and that the "shot had been loosened during the cleaning of the gun".<ref name=von/> On 1 February 1985, the court sentenced him to custodial arrest for three years on the charge of manslaughter and violation of the Arms Act of Germany.<ref name=tagesspiegel/> The case was the subject of an episode of the documentary series "The Major Criminal Cases" in 2012. Scholz was released in August 1987.<ref name=von/>

In October 1993, Scholz married Sabine Arndt.<ref name=archive/><ref name=von/> During 1997-981997–98, he suffered several strokes, and developed [[dementia]].<ref name=tagesspiegel/> He tried to commit suicide twice. He had also been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease.<ref name=von/> He died of [[cardiac arrest]] on 21 August 2000<ref name=tagesspiegel/> at a nursing home in Hoppe GardenHoppegarten.<ref name=archive/><ref name=von/> He was was buried in the Woodland Cemetery in [[Zehlendorf (Berlin)|Zehlendorf]], Berlin. His widow Sabine married actor Klaus Jürgen Wussow in 2004. In August 2008, at the request of Sabine, Scholz's body was reburied at the Berlin CemeteryHeerstraße highwayCemetery.

In 1997--98, director [[Roland Suso Richter]] filmed ''{{Ill|The Bubi Scholz Story|de|Die Bubi-Scholz-Story}}'' for television from a screenplay by [[Uwe Timm]], with [[Benno Fürmann]] in the role of young Scholz and [[Götz George]] playing the adult Scholz.<ref name=von/> Scholz himself could not attend the premiere of the film in May 1998 due to his poor health. BennoThis was Fürmann's breakthrough starring<ref name="ReimerReimer2010">{{cite book|last1=Reimer|first1=Robert Charles|last2=Reimer|first2=Carol J.|title=The A to Z of German Cinema|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=nqCa1YYd9ncC&pg=PA120|year=2010|publisher=Rowman & Littlefield|isbn=978-0-8108-7611-8|page=120}}</ref> and he received the German TV Award as Best Actor in a telefilm, for the role of Scholz.<ref>{{cite web|title="Speed Racer"|url=http://emol.org/film/archives/speedracer/cast.html|publisher=emol.org|accessdate=14 May 2014}}</ref>

* ''Ring Free: The way a boxer''. Recorded by Harvey T. Rowe. Copress-Verlag, Munich 1959.

* ''The Road Out of Nowhere''. Krüger, Frankfurt am Main 1980, {{ISBN |3-8105-1802-6}}. (New edition: ''The Way Out of Nowhere: The Autobiography''. Fischer Taschenbuch Verlag, Frankfurt am Main 1998, {{ISBN |3-596-14291-1}})