Franz Rydz

Franz Rydz (27 May 1927 – 20 November 1989) was an East German high-ranking sports official and party functionary of the Socialist Unity Party (SED).

Rydz started his career in the SED apparatus, later serving as a high-ranking official in several East German sports organizations, including as vice president of both the German Gymnastics and Sports Federation and the East German German Football Association.

Early on during the Peaceful Revolution, Rydz shot himself.

Life and career Rydz was born on 27 May 1927 in Salsitz, then part of the Prussian Province of Saxony. Following the establishment of East Germany, Rydz served as chairman of the State Sports Committee of Saxony-Anhalt from 1950 to 1952. This made him the highest-ranking party official for sports at the time.

In May 1959, he was transferred to the German Gymnastics and Sports Federation (, DTSB), the recently created mass organization for all East German sports. He was succeeded as sector head by Rudolf Hellmann. Additionally, he was a member of the Central Council of the Free German Youth from 1959 to 1976. Rydz had previously been accused of repeatedly having been to West Germany to buy shoes for top East German athletes in 1970.

In the early 1970s, Rydz unsuccessfully tried to pressure East Germany national football team member Jürgen Croy to transfer from his club BSG Sachsenring Zwickau to a more prominent Bezirk-level club.

Death During the Peaceful Revolution, many high-ranking East German sports officials came under intensive public scrutiny, facing accusations of corruption and embezzlement. On 20 November 1989, Rydz destroyed potentially incriminating documents for one and a half hours and later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Kienbaum, seat of the Olympic National Training Centre. After his death, 291,000 West German marks in cash were found in his East Berlin office.

After German reunification, many high-ranking East German sports officials were convicted for their involvement in the mass doping of East German athletes.