Johann Trollmann was born in Germany before the first World War to Sinti parents. Sinti were referred to by the Nazis as: Gypsies - a derogatory term. Much like the Jews, they were a minority group that the Germans disdained. The Nazis viewed them as an inferior race to be detained and murdered.
Nazism and anti-semitism grew rapidly in the 1930s alongside Johanns boxing career. He became a professional boxer, known for his phenomenal footwork and won the German Light Heavyweight Championship. The Nazis revoked his title because he was Sinti. Johann was deported to concentration camps, and recognized as a famous boxer, forced to fight with his life on the line for the amusement of the SS. Besides death fights, Johann faced numerous other horrors including medical experimentation. This is a story of bravery and resilience. The story of Johann Trollmann.
Please visit our website for more information.
Contact: holocausthistories@gmail.com
Episode information and sources can be found here.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com