A life full of movement and always in the service of science, sports and good cooperation: Dr. Gertrude Krombholz has been closely linked to TUM for decades. In this photo she signs the contract for the establishment of the Dr. Gertrude Krombholz Foundation, with the help of which TUM awards outstanding work in Applied Sports Science (Image: Uli Benz/TUM).
At the age of two and a half she already stood on custom-made skis in the Giant Mountains and at the age of eighty-five she still presented the medals at the Paralympic Games in Pyeongchang. Movement is Gertrude Krombholz’s purpose in life. Her eventful life testifies to an inexhaustible enthusiasm and commitment to sports.
Unprecedented life dedicated to sports
Gertrude Krombholz studied Physical Education for Secondary Schools at the Bavarian Sports Academy, as well as Chemistry and Geography at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and at the Technische Hochschule München [Technical College of Munich] (later TUM). After completing her state examination, she first taught at a grammar school and was soon appointed as a lecturer at the Bavarian Sports Academy in Grünwald. At the age of just thirty she was appointed Head of Sports Philology Training at the academy, which became a part of TUM after the Olympic Games in 1972. “That was indeed extraordinary,” she says proudly. “After all I am a woman of movement.” But this came to no surprise, because she was an extraordinarily versatile and highly committed training manager, who transferred her passion for sports, her drive and verve to all students, in fact even to her entire environment.
I’ve been to over 40 countries and met wonderful people. I had a wonderful work life.
The Münchner Moriskentänzer [Munich Moresca Dancers] dancers of TUM have even performed their artistic jumps in the Swedish Royal Palace. The regular performances in Munich, at the festivities on the occasion of the city's foundation or at the Munich Costume and Hunters’ Parade are a matter of honour for Gertrude Krombholz' dance group. In this picture, TUM President Wolfgang A. Herrmann is riding in the carriage, too (Image: Andreas Heddergott/TUM).
Enthusiasm in its purest form and across all borders
Gertrude Krombholz’s professional competence and organisational talent not only gave decisive impetus to gymnastics and dance at TUM, but also influenced their style internationally. As a proven expert, she cocreated the festivities of the Olympic Games for several years as chief hostess and co-choreographer. For a further thirteen years she worked for the “International Paralympic Committee (IPC)” – as Chairwoman of the Wheelchair Dance Sport (today “Para Dance”), which she personally founded and established internationally. Someone being as dance-enthusiastic as Gertrude Krombholz would not want to see anyone excluded from the dance movement, would like to involve and support everyone, worldwide. “I was in over 40 countries with seminars, workshops and dance performances and met wonderful people”, she says, “I had a wonderful work life and I am grateful to God that I was able to experience all this”.
Far from retirement
Since 1999 Gertrude Krombholz is supporting talented students at TUM with the award named after her. In order to make sure that the funds for the annual award ceremony are ensured at all times, she also set up a foundation with TUM President Wolfgang A. Herrmann. Gertrude Krombholz simply doesn’t do things by halves. The residents of the retirement home, located at the beautiful Ammersee Lake, to where she moved in 2006 to spend her remaining years, have noticed that very quickly. Her life here is far from retirement. After Gertrude Krombholz, sprightly and always in a good mood, did not find any comrades-in-arms to join her on her self-tracked cross-country ski trail, she started a walking frame dance group without further ado. “If there’s wheelchair dance, there’s walker dance,” she says with full conviction.
Gertrude Krombholz (Image: Faces by Frank/TUM).
State Examination Sport Science 1957, Doctorate 1981
From 1952 to 1957, Gertrude Krombholz studied Physical Education for Secondary Schools at the Bavarian Sports Academy and Chemistry and Geography at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München and at TUM. She initially taught at the Gymnasium and Staatliche Landschulheim Marquartstein, before being appointed Head of Sports Philology at the Bavarian Sports Academy.
Gertrude Krombholz was Head of the Gymnastics, Dance, Music and Movement Department at the TUM Sports Centre. From 1973 she was Deputy Head and in the remaining years to her retirement in 1998 Head Academic Director of the Physical Education Teacher Training Department.
After her doctorate on “The Development of School Sports and the Training of Physical Education Teachers in Bavaria from the Beginnings to the End of the Second World War” (3,854 pages, awarded by Freunde der TUM), Gertrude Krombholz also reorganised the TUM archive on this subject.
Since 1998 she is donating a TUM award named after her, dedicated to the best scientific work in the field of Applied Sports Science, and has secured its existence for the future with a specially established foundation.
Gertrude Krombholz has received numerous awards for her tireless work, including the Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany, the Bavarian Order of Merit, the Golden Ring of Honour of the City of Munich and the Paralympic Order of the IPC. TUM awarded her the Golden Ring of Honour and the Golden Badge of Honour for her outstanding, far above-mandatory achievements and her decades of commitment in the training of physical education teachers and in university sports.
