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Ellen Preis

1912 – 2007

Austrian fencer

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About Ellen Preis

Lived 1912 – 2007 (aged 95). Ellen Preis was an Austrian fencer, university teacher and athlete.

Ellen Müller-Preis (née Preis; 6 May 1912 – 18 November 2007) was a German-born Austrian Olympic-champion foil fencer.

In 1949, she was named Austrian female athlete of the year.

Fencing career Preis was born in Berlin, and was Jewish. She moved to Vienna at the age of 18 in 1930, and began receiving fencing instruction from her aunt. In under two years she came in third in the European Championships in Vienna. and numerous national Austrian titles (17). In the individual women's foil competition, all three medals were won by Jewish women who are counted among the greatest women fencers of the 20th century. Ilona Elek, known also as Ilona Elek-Schacherer, from Hungary won gold. Elek defeated a German with a Jewish father, Helene Mayer, gold medalist at the 1928 Summer Olympics in Amsterdam, one of only two Jews allowed to compete for Germany by the Nazis, who admitted her under threat of boycott by the US. Mayer caused controversy by giving the Nazi salute on the medal stand while accepting the silver medal.

In 1956, at the age of 44, Preis reached the final round at the Melbourne Olympics and came in seventh.

Ellen Müller-Preis died on 18 November 2007 in Vienna of kidney failure.

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Important facts

Birth century
Nationality
Employers
University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna
Awards
Honour in Silver for services to the Republic of Austria; Bronze Olympic Order
Also known as
Ellen Müller-Preis

People in Ellen Preis's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Ellen Preis's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Ellen Preis?

Austrian fencer

When was Ellen Preis born?

Ellen Preis was born on 6 May 1912 in Berlin.

When did Ellen Preis die?

Ellen Preis died on 18 November 2007 in Vienna.

What was Ellen Preis's occupation?

Ellen Preis was a fencer, university teacher and athlete.

What nationality was Ellen Preis?

Ellen Preis was Austrian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Ellen Preis

· Wikidata: Q258645

· DBpedia: Ellen Preis

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Ellen Preis. https://biography.guide/ellen-preis/

MLA: "Ellen Preis." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/ellen-preis/.

Chicago: "Ellen Preis." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/ellen-preis/.

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