Fred Oberlander

{{Short description|Austrian/British/Canadian wrestler (1911–1996)}} {{Use dmy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Use British English|date=September 2013}} {{Infobox sportsperson | name = Fred Oberlander | image = File:F.Oberlander.jpg | image_size = 150px | caption = | nationality = Austrian, British, Canadian | birth_date = 23 May 1911 | birth_place = Vienna, Austria | death_date = 6 July 1996 | death_place = Montreal, Canada | sport = Amateur wrestling | event = Heavyweight | club = | height = | weight = | medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's freestyle wrestling}} {{MedalCountry|{{CAN}}}} {{MedalCompetition|Maccabiah Games}} {{MedalGold|1953 Israel|Heavyweight}} }}

'''Fred B. Oberlander''' (23 May 1911 – 6 July 1996)<ref name="Obituary">{{cite news|title = Oberlander, Fred B.|newspaper = Montreal Gazette|publisher = Postmedia Network|page = 7|date = 8 July 1996|url = https://www.newspapers.com/clip/26927800/oberlander_obituary/|via = Newspapers.com|accessdate = 13 January 2019}} {{free access}}</ref> was an Austrian born wrestler who represented Great Britain and Canada. He competed at 1948 Summer Olympics.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/58222 |title=Biographical information |website=Olympedia |access-date=31 December 2025}}</ref>

== Biography == Oberlander was born in Vienna, Austria. After winning the World Championships in 1935, Oberlander was offered a chance to compete for Austria at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Nazi Germany, but declined.<ref name="Hall of Fame"/>

Living in England at the time, he fought in Cornish wrestling tournaments in the 1940s<ref name="CG05091946">''Cornish young wrestlers'', Cornish Guardian, 5 September 1946, p5.</ref> and represented Great Britain as the wrestling team captain at the 1948 Olympic Games in London. He was an eight-times winner of the British Wrestling Championships at heavyweight from 1939 to 1945 and 1948.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://britishwrestling.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/List-of-British-Senior-Champions-1904-2001.pdf |title=List of British Senior Champions from 1904 to 2001 |website=British Wrestling |access-date=31 December 2025}}</ref>

Oberlander later emigrated to Canada, where he founded the Canadian Maccabi Association. He won a silver medal in wrestling at the 1950 Maccabiah Games, and the heavyweight wrestling title at the 1953 Maccabiah Games and was named Outstanding Jewish World Athlete.<ref name="Hall of Fame"/>

Oberlander was named to the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1991.<ref name="Hall of Fame">{{cite web|url=http://www.jewishsports.net/BioPages/FredOberlander.htm|title=Fred Oberlander|publisher=International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame|accessdate=10 October 2015}}</ref>

== Family == His son Ron served as president and CEO of Abitibi Consolidated. His son Philip followed in his father's footsteps, wrestling as a welterweight in the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, but did not win a medal.

== See also == *List of select Jewish wrestlers

== References == {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oberlander, Fred}} Category:1911 births Category:1996 deaths Category:Austrian male sport wrestlers Category:British male sport wrestlers Category:Canadian male sport wrestlers Category:Olympic wrestlers for Great Britain Category:Wrestlers at the 1948 Summer Olympics Category:Sportspeople from Vienna Category:20th-century Austrian Jews Category:20th-century English Jews Category:Jewish Canadian sportspeople Category:Jewish sport wrestlers Category:Maccabiah Games silver medalists for Canada Category:Maccabiah Games gold medalists for Canada Category:World Wrestling Champions Category:Maccabiah Games medalists in wrestling Category:Competitors at the 1950 Maccabiah Games Category:Competitors at the 1953 Maccabiah Games Category:20th-century Canadian sportsmen Category:20th-century Austrian sportsmen