The Heinrich von der Becke Archive in the Berlin Sports Museum contains approx. 3000 exposed glass plates, 65000 black-and-white prints, approx. 2000 colour films and over 1.2 million negatives of sporting, cultural and political events and of all Olympic competitions in 1936, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1968, 1972 and 1976.
You will find a selection of about 400 pictures here, each of which is of particular importance. Some of them were awarded the title “Sports Photo of the Year” in Germany.
The pictures document, among other things, in small sections, the work of the photographer during his time as a war correspondent or as a photo reporter of cultural and social life. The larger part here is devoted to sports photography.
Note on use: Select a category, the pictures will sort themselves automatically. If you click on a picture to enlarge it for viewing, you can also use the right-left arrow keys on your keyboard to scroll backwards and forwards through the picture gallery!
- All
- Basketball
- Golf
- Handball
- Hockey
- Tennis
- Motorsport
- Rafting
- Photographers
- War coverage 1937
- Children
- Artists
- Fashion
- Cityscapes
- Post-war Berlin 1945
- Olympics 1936
- Politics 1945-1990
- Berlin Wall
- Politicians' collages
- Award-winning photos
- Sports 1945-1990
- Boxing
- Ice sports
- Fencing
- Football
- Weightlifting
- Athletics
- Biking
- Equestrian sports
- Roller skating
- Dance
- Table tennis
- Gymnastics
- Water sports
- Rowing
- Swimming
- Sailing
- High diving
- Water polo
- Winter sports
- Entertainment
- Olympic Games
- Wrestling
- Setback game
- Billards

Award-winning photo “The Pacemaker” Sports Feature Photo of the Year 1970, 5th place – When the dog jumps over the tree trunk without a sausage, the laurel of victory beckons to the master at the finish! (HvdB) | Heinrich von der Becke Picture Archive at the Berlin Sports Museum (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)
Award-winning photos, Athletics
Water polo, Hamburg-Berlin – Berlin goalkeeper Schunke defending a high ball. Matteus (6) on the right, Biermann behind him, Henry Kiel and Katzenstein, Hamburg, on the far right. (03.03.1962) | Heinrich von der Becke Picture Archive at the Berlin Sports Museum (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)
Sports 1945-1990, Water sports, Water polo
SCC Hellas achieved great success in water polo. Both games against BSV Bremen and SV Poseidon Hamburg were won. Berlin goalkeeper Wronker successfully defending in the match against Bremen. (12.03.1960) | Heinrich von der Becke Picture Archive at the Berlin Sports Museum (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)
Sports 1945-1990, Water sports, Water polo
Swimming lessons. Children of a swimming club in the district of Wedding. Especially valuable for children of growing age. But only those who are lucky enough to have a proper swimming hall in their district and an active swimming club can let their children learn and practise swimming. (09.07.1950) | Heinrich von der Becke Picture Archive at the Berlin Sports Museum (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)
Sports 1945-1990, Water sports, Swimming
Training, Charlottenburg mermaids. Fast mermaid at the “butterfly”. 14-year-old Angelika Bock (Nixe Charlottenburg) won three titles at the Berlin Youth Championships. (22.03.1964) | Heinrich von der Becke Picture Archive at the Berlin Sports Museum (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)
Sports 1945-1990, Water sports, Swimming
First Jitterbug Dance Tournament at the Berlin Sportpalast was a huge success. Karl-Heinz Gaffkus and Ingeborg Judetzki won 3rd prize. “Kalle” thrilled the audience with his facial expressions and grotesque jumps. (31.08.1952) | Heinrich von der Becke Picture Archive at the Berlin Sports Museum (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)
Sports 1945-1990, Dance
Spoke salad: Peter Vonhof (Olympic champion of Melbourne 1976) has not yet noticed the breakage of his front wheel at the 4-Day-Sport-Hits 1976 in the Deutschlandhalle, Behrendt and Colombo fall. | Heinrich von der Becke Picture Archive at the Berlin Sports Museum (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)
Sports 1945-1990, Biking
International indoor handball tournament at the Berlin Sportpalast. FA Göppingen against BSV. Edmund Meister (Göppingen) runs arm in arm with his comrade from BSV into the shooting circle after they had clashed earlier. (14.11.1959) | Heinrich von der Becke Picture Archive in the Berlin Sports Museum (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)
Handball, Sports 1945-1990
Handball: Reinickendorfer Füchse – Rostock. The Reinickendorfer Füchse remain in the Europa Cup. Jürgen Rohde, SC Empor Rostock can parry this shot on goal by Svonimir Serdarusic, Füchse. (15.01.1983) | Heinrich von der Becke Picture Archive in the Berlin Sports Museum (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)
Handball, Sports 1945-1990
Fencing: Training for the Int. fencing tournament at the weekend. The Berlin fencers train under the direction of fencing master Dunay. Miss Schlede (left) and Miss Marquardsen seen through the legs. (22.11.1960) | Heinrich von der Becke Picture Archive in the Berlin Sports Museum (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)
Sports 1945-1990, Fencing
Berlin Wall – Girl on roller skates at the corner of Sebastianstraße / Waldemarstraße. Sebastianstraße in the north-east of Kreuzberg was directly on the Wall from 1961. | Heinrich von der Becke Picture Archive in the Berlin Sports Museum (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)
Cityscapes, Politics 1945-1990, Berlin Wall