Daniel Prenn
Daniel Prenn ( born September 7, 1904 in Vilnius, Lithuania, † September 3, 1991 in Dorking, Surrey, UK ) was a German tennis and table tennis player. Until his escape from Germany in April 1933, the Jewish Prenn was one of the most successful tennis player.
Life
Prenn came in 1904 in the then Russian-occupied Vilnius born and grew up in Saint Petersburg. Later he moved to Berlin, studied at the Technical University and was as a tennis player Member of Red-White Berlin. He also played for SV Zehlendorfer wasps. In 1928 he won the men's singles at the International Tennis Championships in Hamburg, Germany to Hans Moldenhauer. From that time until 1932 he was ranked 1 in the German ranking list.
In Berlin Prenn 1929 reached the final of the German team in the Davis Cup. In the game against the English team ( Fred Perry ), he won after great struggle against top English player Henry "Bunny" Austin in 5 sets. He played a key role in the victory of the German team, so the winner in the Europe zone was. Overall, he played 31 games from 1928 to 1932 in the Davis Cup ( 22 single and 9 double ) of which he won 21 games. Was also observed his victory in 1932 over the American Frank Shields, after which designated him an American tennis magazine as "Europe's number one man". In the world rankings, he was now out of the top ten: 8th place in the ranking of Bill Tilden (1929 ), Rank 7 in the list of Arthur Wallis Myers ( 1932).
The incision in Prenns career and life took place in 1933. According to the seizure of power by the National Socialists DTB detained in April 1933 Jewish players for international matches. For Prenn, at this time, sixth in Myers ' world rankings, this meant the end of his career in Germany. Prenn, who was abroad in April 1933, no longer returned to Germany, but emigrated with his wife Charlotte to England and adopted British citizenship. The exclusion Prenns sparked some reactions from abroad. Henry Austin and Fred Perry - members of the opposing British Davis Cup team last year - have criticized this process in an open letter in The Times. The Swedish King Gustav V is said to have passed by a reception at Hindenburg and Hitler at a tennis match with Prenn.
Prenn played in England for some years tennis, but without obtaining the prior skill level again. The graduate engineer opened an office for communication technology and brought it hereby to great prosperity. 1955 won his eldest son Oliver ( born 1938 ), the junior title at the Wimbledon Championships. Daniel Prenn died in 1991 a few days before his 87th birthday as a wealthy man in England.
Table tennis
Prenn took part in 1926 with the German team at the first World Table Tennis Championships in London, we finished 7th. In 1928, he was out in the German ranking on the second rank.