Harald Tammer


Harald Tammer was an Estonian journalist, athlete and weightlifter. As a heavyweight weightlifter he won a world title in 1922 and a bronze medal at the 1924 Olympics. As an athlete he competed in the shot put at the [Athletics at the Athletics at the 1920 Summer Olympics - Men's shot put|1920 Summer Olympics - Men's shot put|1920] and [Athletics at the Athletics at the 1924 Summer Olympics - Men's shot put|1924 Summer Olympics - Men's shot put|1924] Olympics and came sixth and twelfth, respectively. He served as the Olympic flag bearer for Estonia in 1920, and as a representative of the Estonian Olympic team in 1928 and 1936.

Career

In 1915 Tammer graduated from Tallinn Commerce School and joined the Sports Association Kalev. Next year he placed within the podium at the Russian championships in shot put, discus throw and hammer throw. Soon after that he volunteered to fight in World War I and Estonian War of Independence as member of the Estonian Defence Leagues in Tallinn. After demobilization, from 1921 to 1928 he edited the Estonian sports newspaper Eesti Spordileht, and in 1923–33 was a journalist and in 1933–1940 editor-in-chief of Eesti Päevaleht. In 1928–40 he was a board member of Estonian Journalists Union, and in 1934–35 headed the Baltic Journalists Union. Tammer studied
law and diplomacy at the École Libre des Sciences Politiques in Paris in 1931–33. He was also a board member of the Estonian National Olympic Committee in 1933–40, and of the Estonian Parliament in 1937–40. In 1940 he briefly worked as editor of the magazine Revue Baltique. Next year he was accused of spying for the Estonian Defence Forces and deported to Russia. He died in 1942 in the Unzhlag corrective labor camp.

Awards