Fallak, Heinz

Sports official

born: 24.05.1928 in Duisburg-Hamborn

died: 05.05.1999 in Wiesbaden

Fallak, the son of a miner, was drafted into the Wehrmacht in the spring of 1945 at the age of 16 and was a prisoner of war until 1946. He then attended evening school and passed his A-levels. After initially being active as a swimmer, he enjoyed some success in athletics as a long jumper. He studied sport and history in Marburg. He found his first job as a sports teacher at the Bergmännische Berufsschule in Hamborn. In 1958, he became head of the sports department in Münster, Westphalia. In 1964, he moved to Wiesbaden, where he worked in the Hessian Ministry of Social Affairs from 1964-93, most recently as Ministerial Director and Head of Department.

Fallak was involved in the German Athletics Association (DLV) and was elected sports director in 1965. From 1974-88, he was Chairman of the Federal Committee for Competitive Sports (BAL) and a member of the Presidium of the German Sports Confederation (DSB), the National Olympic Committee (NOK) and the German Sports Aid Foundation. In 1976 in Montreal, 1984 in Los Angeles and 1988 in Seoul, he was in charge of the West German teams at the Summer Olympics as "Chef de Mission". Following an embezzlement scandal, he took over as President of the Hesse State Sports Association in 1990-97 and was subsequently appointed its Honorary President. Fallak was awarded the Grand Federal Cross of Merit (1989) and the Hessian Order of Merit for his services. The University of Frankfurt awarded him an honorary doctorate in 1996.