Otto Harder

Otto Fritz Harder (Nickname: Tull Harder) (born 25 November 1892 in Braunschweig, died 4 March 1956 in Hamburg) was a Footballer for Eintracht Braunschweig, Hamburger SV, and Victoria Hamburg. He won two German football championships and played 15 times in the German national team. Harder was a former SS officer and had been a warder at the Ahlem concentration camp in Hanover.

Career

Harder spent most of his career with Hamburger SV. His football fame in Germany was comparable with Uwe Seeler's fame. After his football career Harder was an SS-Untersturmführer (equivalent second lieutenant) and was a commander (Schutzhaftlagerführer) at the Ahlem camp. After World War II Harder was convicted of war crimes by the British military court at the Curio house in Rotherbaum. He was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment. After the trial the Hamburger SV excluded him for a short time. In 1951 His Majesty 's Government pardoned Harder. Harder moved to Bendestorf.

Harder died in a hospital in Hamburg after surgery in 1956. The Hamburger SV published an obituary

Er war (...) stets ein guter Freund und treuer Kamerad.

— Vereinsnachrichten des Hamburger Sport-Verein, April 1956

'He was (...) always a good friend and faithful comrade.'

For the world cup in 1974, the senate of Hamburg published the booklet Hamburg '74. Fußballweltmeisterschaft, which praised among others Josef Posipal, Uwe Seeler and Harder as role models for the young. The sheets mentioning Harder were removed.

International goals

Scores and results table. Germany's goal tally first: