Ernst Hoppenberg

Ernst Heinrich Hoppenberg was a German swimmer and water polo player, born on 26 July 1878 and killed in a traffic accident on 29 September 1937. He competed in the 200 metre events at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, where he won two gold medals for Germany, one in the 200 metre backstroke and one in the 200 metre team race. He was also a member of the German water polo team at the 1900 tournament, although he did not play in Germany's only match there. His Olympic victories came at the earliest modern Games to include swimming, which makes him one of the first Olympic champions of the sport.