Johann Trollmann

Johann Wilhelm "Rukeli" Trollmann (27 December 1907 – April 1944) was a German Sinti boxer.[2]

Johann Trollmann
Trollmann in 1928
Statistics
Real nameJohann Wilhelm Trollmann
Nickname(s)Rukeli[1]
NationalityGerman
Born(1907-12-27)27 December 1907
Wilsche near Gifhorn, German Empire
Died9 April 1944(1944-04-09) (aged 36)
Wittenberge, Nazi Germany

Trollmann became famous in the late 1920s.[3] On 9 June 1933, he fought for the German light-heavyweight title and although he clearly led by points over his opponent Adolf Witt, the fight was judged "no result".[3] The audience rebelled, and the Nazi officials were forced to acknowledge Trollmann as the victor. However, six days later he was stripped of the title. A new fight was scheduled for 21 July, with Gustav Eder as Trollmann's opponent. Trollmann was threatened that he had to change his "dancing" style or lose his licence. Trollmann arrived the day of the match with his hair dyed blonde and his face whitened with flour, the caricature of an Aryan. He took the blows of his opponent as he was asked for five rounds before he collapsed.[4]

The persecution of Sinti and Roma in Germany dramatically increased in the following years.[5] Sterilization often preceded their internment in concentration camps, and Trollmann too underwent this operation. In 1939 he was drafted into the Wehrmacht, and fought on the eastern front.[6] He was wounded in 1941 and was returned to Germany as a result.[7] The Gestapo arrested him in June 1942, and he was interned in Neuengamme concentration camp. He tried to keep a low profile, but the camp commandant had been a boxing official before the war and recognized Trollmann.[7] He used Trollmann as a trainer for his troops during the nights. The prisoners committee decided to act, as Trollmann's health deteriorated. They faked his death and managed to get him transferred to the adjacent camp of Wittenberge under an assumed identity. The former star was soon recognized and the prisoners organized a fight between him and Emil Cornelius, a former criminal and hated Kapo (a prisoner given privileges for taking on responsibilities in the camp, often a convict working for a reduced sentence or parole). Trollmann won, Cornelius sought revenge for his humiliation and forced Trollmann to work all day until he was exhausted, before attacking and killing him with a shovel. Trollmann was 36 years old.[1]

Rehabilitation and commemoration
9841- Temporary memorial for Johann Rukeli Trollmann in Berlin-Kreuzberg, 2010

In 2003, the German boxing federation officially recognised Trollmann as the winner of the 1933 championship.[1]

On 9 June 2010, the anniversary of his championship fight,[8] the German artist collective Bewegung Nurr erected a temporary memorial "9841" in the Berlin Victoria Park to honour Trollmann.[9] The memorial was also displayed the following year in Hannover and in Dresden in 2012 for six weeks. The title refers to Trollmann's prison number.[1]

In 2015, the Italian alternative rock band C.F.F. e il Nomade Venerabile released the song Come fiori dedicated to Trollmann. This song was the inspiration for the theathral show My Inv(f)erno... gypsy life which opened the X edition of the International TeatroLab Festival at the Tagliavini theatre in Novellara in March 2019.

In 2016, Dario Fo, recipient of the 1997 Nobel Prize in Literature, published the book Razza di zingaro based on Trollmann's life.

In 2022, the German television series Babylon Berlin season four, a fictional version of Trollmann is portrayed by Hannes Wegener and is revealed to be the half-brother of one of the series' leads, Lotte Ritter. A fight takes place between Trollman and Willy Bolze, who in real life was Trollman's first professional boxing opponent. The dates are different in the show with their fight taking place in 1931 instead of 1929.

Professional boxing record
64 fights 31 wins 19 losses
By knockout 11 7
By decision 19 12
By disqualification 1 0
Draws 14
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round Date Location Notes
64 Loss 31–19–14 Arthur Polter PTS 8 Mar 12, 1934 Palmengarten, Leipzig, Nazi Germany
63 Loss 31–18–14 Walter Müller PTS 6 Mar 9, 1934 Wilmersdorfer Tennishalle, Wilmersdorf, Nazi Germany
62 Loss 31–17–14 Walter Sabottke KO 6 (8) Feb 9, 1934 Spichernsaele, Nazi Germany
61 Loss 31–16–14 Rienus de Boer KO 6 (8) Dec 26, 1933 Rheinlandhalle, Cologne, Nazi Germany
60 Loss 31–15–14 Walter Sabottke PTS 8 Dec 3, 1933 Flora Theater, Nazi Germany
59 Loss 31–14–14 Erwin Bruch TKO 2 (8) Nov 25, 1933 Spichernsaele, Nazi Germany
58 Win 31–13–14 Gustav Eybel PTS 10 Nov 5, 1933 Flora Theater, Nazi Germany
57 Loss 30–13–14 Franz Boja PTS 8 Oct 27, 1933 Spichernsaele, Nazi Germany
56 Loss 30–12–14 Fred Boelck KO 2 (10) Oct 8, 1933 Flora Theater, Nazi Germany
55 Draw 30–11–14 Walter Sabottke PTS 8 Sep 1, 1933 Spichernsaele, Nazi Germany
54 Loss 30–11–13 Gustav Eder KO 5 (10) Jul 21, 1933 Bockbrauerei, Nazi Germany
53 Win 30–10–13 Adolf Witt PTS 12 Jun 9, 1933 Bockbrauerei, Germany Won German light heavyweight title
52 Win 29–10–13 Otto Klockemann TKO 2 (8) May 26, 1933 Konzerthaus, Hannover, Germany
51 Loss 28–10–13 Gustave Roth PTS 10 May 16, 1933 Rubenspaleis, Antwerpen, Belgium
50 Draw 28–9–13 Karl Eggert PTS 8 Apr 28, 1933 Spichernsaele, Germany
49 Draw 28–9–12 Walter Eggert PTS 8 Apr 21, 1933 Spichernsaele, Germany
48 Win 28–9–11 Johann Fraberger TKO 9 (10) Apr 12, 1933 Konzert-Haus, Vienna, Austria
47 Draw 27–9–11 Hans Seifried PTS 8 Mar 31, 1933 Neue Welt, Neukoelln, Germany
46 Win 27–9–10 Helmut Hartkopp DQ 3 (8) Mar 12, 1933 Flora Theater, Germany
45 Win 26–9–10 Fred Boelck TKO 2 (8) Feb 26, 1933 Flora Theater, Germany
44 Draw 25–9–10 Claude Bassin PTS 10 Feb 3, 1933 Neue Welt, Neukoelln, Germany
43 Draw 25–9–9 Karl Ogren PTS 8 Jan 20, 1933 Spichernsaele, Germany
42 Loss 25–9–8 Hein Domgörgen PTS 8 Dec 27, 1932 Spichernsaele, Germany
41 Loss 25–8–8 Adolf Witt PTS 10 Dec 11, 1932 Flora Theater, Germany
40 Draw 25–7–8 Adolf Witt PTS 8 Nov 27, 1932 Flora Theater, Germany
39 Win 25–7–7 Julian van Hoof TKO 6 (8) Nov 18, 1932 Kristallpalast, Magdeburg, Germany
38 Draw 24–7–7 Hein Domgörgen PTS 8 Nov 9, 1932 Neue Welt, Neukoelln, Germany
37 Win 24–7–6 Josef Czichos PTS 8 Oct 24, 1932 Ausstellungshalle, Dresden, Germany
36 Win 23–7–6 Rienus de Boer PTS 8 Oct 7, 1932 Spichernsaele, Germany
35 Win 22–7–6 Onofrio Russo TKO 2 (8) Sep 15, 1932 Neue Welt, Neukoelln, Germany
34 Win 21–7–6 Karl Ogren PTS 8 Aug 5, 1932 Bockbrauerei, Germany
33 Win 20–7–6 Walter Sabottke KO 2 (8) Jul 19, 1932 Saalbau Friedrichshain, Prenzlauer Berg, Germany
32 Loss 19–7–6 Eric Seelig PTS 10 Jun 3, 1932 Bockbrauerei, Germany
31 Win 19–6–6 Adolf Witt PTS 8 May 9, 1932 Ausstellungshalle, Dresden, Germany
30 Win 18–6–6 Josef Czichos PTS 6 Mar 31, 1932 Tennis Halle, Germany
29 Loss 17–6–6 Hans Seifried PTS 8 Mar 12, 1932 Spichernsaele, Germany
28 Loss 17–5–6 Claude Bassin KO 2 (8) Mar 4, 1932 Burghaus, Hannover, Germany
27 Win 17–4–6 Rudi Beier TKO 6 (8) Feb 26, 1932 Spichernsaele, Germany
26 Win 16–4–6 Heinrich Buchbaum PTS 8 Feb 5, 1932 Kasino, Germany
25 Draw 15–4–6 Jack Beasley PTS 8 Jan 29, 1932 Spichernsaele, Germany
24 Win 15–4–5 Franz Boja PTS 10 Jan 15, 1932 Burghaus, Hannover, Germany
23 Loss 14–4–5 Erich Tobeck PTS 8 Dec 27, 1931 Spichernsaele, Germany
22 Win 14–3–5 Paul Vogel PTS 8 Dec 11, 1931 Tennis Halle, Germany
21 Draw 13–3–5 Otto Hoelzl PTS 8 Nov 20, 1931 Spichernsaele, Germany
20 Loss 13–3–4 Hein Domgörgen PTS 8 Apr 17, 1931 Neue Welt, Neukoelln, Germany
19 Draw 13–2–4 Franz Krueppel PTS 8 Mar 1, 1931 Stadthalle, Hagen, Germany
18 Loss 13–2–3 Erich Tobeck PTS 8 Feb 13, 1931 Spichernsaele, Germany
17 Win 13–1–3 Paul Vogel PTS 6 Dec 5, 1930 Sportpalast, Schoeneberg, Germany
16 Draw 12–1–3 Arie van Vliet PTS 10 Nov 7, 1930 Etablissement Sagebiel, Germany
15 Draw 12–1–2 Otto Hoelzl PTS 8 Oct 10, 1930 Burghaus, Hannover, Germany
14 Draw 12–1–1 Hein Heeser PTS 8 Sep 19, 1930 Burghaus, Hannover, Germany
13 Win 12–1 Emil Koska PTS 8 Aug 29, 1930 Spichernsaele, Germany
12 Win 11–1 Walter Peter PTS 6 Jul 27, 1930 Lunapark, Germany
11 Win 10–1 Paul Vogel PTS 6 Jul 4, 1930 Bockbrauerei, Germany
10 Win 9–1 Franz Krueppel PTS 8 May 23, 1930 Stadthalle, Barmen, Germany
9 Win 8–1 Georg Gebstedt KO 4 (8) May 2, 1930 Burghaus, Hannover, Germany
8 Win 7–1 Erwin Stiegler PTS 6 Apr 12, 1930 Schuetzenhof, Bochum, Germany
7 Win 6–1 Walter Poehnisch PTS 8 Feb 28, 1930 Burghaus, Hannover, Germany
6 Win 5–1 Hans Thies TKO 5 (6) Feb 15, 1930 Schuetzenhof, Bochum, Germany
5 Loss 4–1 Erich Tobeck KO 1 (6) Jan 10, 1930 Spichernsaele, Germany
4 Win 4–0 Joseph Esteve PTS 8 Jan 5, 1930 Westfalenhalle, Dortmund, Germany
3 Win 3–0 Paul Vogel KO 2 (6) Dec 27, 1929 Spichernsaele, Germany
2 Win 2–0 Alex Tomkowiak KO 1 (8) Dec 4, 1929 Burghaus, Hannover, Germany
1 Win 1–0 Willy Bolze PTS 4 Oct 18, 1929 Spichernsaele, Germany

References
  1. Day Trust, Holocaust Memorial. "Johann 'Rukeli' Trollmann". Archived from the original on 5 January 2017. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
  2. "9841-Johann Trollmann-Temporäres Denkmal - Home". trollmann.info. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  3. "Lebenslauf des Johann "Rukeli" Trollmann | Johann Rukeli Trollmann e.V." Johann Rukeli Trollmann e.V. 2014-05-05. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  4. "Podcast Episode 297: A Sinto Boxer in Nazi Germany". Futility Closet. 2020-05-25. Retrieved 2020-05-26.
  5. "Sinti and Roma – Holocaust Teacher Resource Center". www.holocaust-trc.org. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  6. "9841-Johann Trollmann-Temporäres Denkmal - History". trollmann.info. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  7. "Stolpersteine in Berlin | Orte & Biografien der Stolpersteine in Berlin". www.stolpersteine-berlin.de. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  8. "BEWEGUNG NURR". www.nurr.net. Retrieved 2018-02-21.
  9. "A Fight for Memory: Monument Honors Sinti Boxer Murdered by the Nazis". Spiegel Online International. June 30, 2010. Retrieved 11 October 2013.
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