On 11 December 2024, Wilfried Harald Lausch, the former plant manager of the city of Frankfurt (Oder)'s own sports center, was honored with an entry in the city's Golden Book on the occasion of his retirement.
This high recognition was preceded by many years of outstanding work in the field of competitive sports, especially as head of the Brandenburg Olympic Training Center. For more than three decades, Wilfried Lausch played a decisive role in shaping the sporting infrastructure and performance of the Frankfurt (Oder) sports center.
He accompanied numerous athletes on their way to Olympic success and established the city nationally and internationally as one of the most important sports venues in Germany.
Wilfried Lausch has been involved in various sporting roles in Frankfurt (Oder) since 1977: After his own active time as a competitive boxer and his work as a coach and research assistant in the competitive sports department of ASK Vorwärts Frankfurt (Oder), he took on managerial roles at the Olympic training center and the sports center from 1991. His achievements include the promotion of numerous top athletes as well as the modernization and expansion of the sports facilities.
Under his leadership, investments of around 73 million euros were made in the sports infrastructure of Frankfurt (Oder). Significant construction measures such as the new construction of the Brandenburg Hall, the conversion of the modern cycling track in the Oderlandhalle and the expansion of the shooting facilities have made the sports center an important training facility for national and international top-class sport in the sponsored Olympic sports.
Mayor René Wilke: "Thanks to Wilfried Lausch's tireless work, outstanding sporting successes have been achieved. Many athletes who trained under his aegis won medals at the Olympic Games, World Championships and European Championships. These successes reflect the outstanding sporting expertise and support he provided as head of the sports center. In addition to his professional activities, Wilfried Lausch's voluntary work on various sports committees, including as Vice President of the Brandenburg State Sports Association and as an international boxing judge, also extended far beyond the city limits – for example, he was a judge at three Olympic Games. On behalf of the people of Frankfurt, I would like to thank him for his decades of service, which is a sign of a very special passion that has had a lasting impact on us as an urban society."