Ludwig Guttman – Father of the Paralympics
It was with great pride that we have learnt that Sir Ludwig Gutmann was a member of the Oxford Jewish Congregation for several years when he arrived with his family here from Breslau in May 1939, and played an active part in the OJC activities. Anyone watching the current Paralympics 2012 in London at the present time is awed by the ardour and bravery of the athletes, and much has been written and broadcast about them and their inspiration as a result of Dr Guttman’s concept of a sporting event for these enthusiastic but disabled athletes.
An article describing the history of Sir Ludwig Guttman’s achievements has been circulated to all members of the OJC as part of the community magazine, Menorah and it can be downloaded using the link below. In addition I have entered a link, below, to the article on Wikepedia which describes his life. Eva Leoffler, Ludwig Guttman’s daughter wrote a charming piece about their life in Oxford in Then and Now, Freda Silver’s compilation of recollections, which can be read on this website: Growing up in Oxford p 52
If anyone in the OJC has more information about the Oxford Connection please contact the webmaster on: info@oxfordjewishheritage.co.uk
The Wikipedia Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludwig_Guttmann
The Menorah Article: Prof Sir Ludwig Guttman
