Introduction

Abstract

This introductory chapter begins by establishing the aims of the book—to provide the first critical assessment of the cultural construction of Max Schmeling as a sports star, a role model and national hero. It surveys the existing publications focused on Schmeling. As a comparison, the chapter presents Muhammad Ali as a well-known example of an athlete who has transcended his sport to become a myth and briefly examines how this was achieved. The second part of the chapter focuses on perceptions of Max Schmeling as a symbol and examines responses to Schmeling’s death in 2005, citing obituaries and public tributes, to establish some of the key motifs that had come to define perceptions of Schmeling.