Andre Spitzer
A passionate fencing coach whose life and dreams were brutally cut short while nurturing Israeli athletes on the Olympic stage.
1945–1972 (age 27)·Israeli fencer and Munich massacre victim·Birthday: July 4·The Silent Generation
Biography
Andre Spitzer’s story is one of promise and profound tragedy. Born in Romania, he survived the Holocaust as a child and later immigrated to Israel, where his love for fencing flourished. He became a skilled fencer and, more significantly, a dedicated coach, committed to building the sport in his new homeland. His dedication earned him a spot as the coach of Israel’s fencing team at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich, a symbol of post-war hope and normalcy. In the early hours of September 5, Palestinian terrorists from the Black September group invaded the Israeli team’s quarters in the Olympic Village. Spitzer was among the eleven Israelis taken hostage. For hours, he was used as a negotiator, seen on balconies speaking with German officials, before being moved to a military airfield. There, in a failed rescue attempt, all the hostages were killed. Spitzer’s death, at just 27, transformed him from a coach into a permanent symbol of the Munich massacre, a stark reminder of the violent intrusion of politics into the Olympic ideal.
The Silent Generation
1928–1945
Born between the Depression and the end of WWII. Too young to fight, old enough to remember. They became the conformist middle managers of the 1950s — and the civil rights leaders who quietly dismantled Jim Crow.
Andre was born in 1945, placing them squarely in The Silent Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Andre Was Born
The biggest hits of 1945
#1 Movie
The Bells of St. Mary's
Best Picture
The Lost Weekend
Andre's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1945Born
WWII ends; atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $4,600Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Sentimental Journey" — Les Brown & Doris DayBest Picture: The Lost Weekend
1950Started school
Korean War begins
Gas: $0.27/galHome: $7,354Min wage: $0.75/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Goodnight Irene" — Gordon Jenkins & The WeaversBest Picture: All About Eve
1958Became a teenager
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1961Could drive
Yuri Gagarin becomes the first human in space
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $12,500Min wage: $1.15/hrPresident: John F. Kennedy"Tossin' and Turnin'" — Bobby LewisBest Picture: West Side Story
1963Could vote
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1966Turned 21
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1972Died at 27
Watergate break-in; last Apollo Moon mission
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $19,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" — Roberta FlackBest Picture: The Godfather
Key Achievements
- Served as the fencing coach for the Israeli team at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich.
- Was a respected figure in Israeli fencing, helping to develop the sport in the country.
- His life and death brought international attention to the vulnerability of athletes and the geopolitical tensions intersecting the Olympics.
Did You Know?
He was a sabre fencer and served as an officer in the Israeli Army.
Spitzer was married to Ankie Spitzer, who became a prominent journalist and a relentless advocate for commemorating the Munich victims.
He was the first hostage to be seen by the world during the siege, appearing on a balcony of the Olympic apartment.
A documentary film, "One Day in September," chronicles the events of the massacre and features his story.
“Fencing is not just sport; it is discipline for the mind and body.”
