Hans-Jürgen Bäumler became famous in pair skating with his skating partner Marika Kilius. Between 1958 and 1964 they won the German nationals four times, they became six times European champion and twice World champion in pair skating. Their coach was Erich Zeller. They won a silver medal at the 1960 Olympic Winter Games, and he became one of the youngest male figure skatingOlympic medalists. At 1964 they won a silver medal again. The skaters had signed professional contracts and skated as professionals with Holiday on Ice before the 1964 Olympics, a violation of their amateur status and strict IOC rules. In 1966, because the team had signed a professional skating contract before the 1964 Winter Olympics – against the rules at the time – they were stripped of the medal. As the New York Times reported, "prodded by two German members, the IOC "quietly re-awarded the West Germans their silver medals in 1987, 23 years after the Innsbruck Games, at an executive board meeting in Istanbul. The couple was deemed 'rehabilitated.'" In 1964 they turned professional and skated in the Vienna Ice Revue and later at Holiday on Ice. Also, after their amateur figure skating career both became singers of German Schlagers. In the mid-1960s they recorded some songs together. Hans-Jürgen Bäumler had also some songs as a solo singer. Bäumler's greatest success was the song "Wunderschönes fremdes Mädchen". The most successful songs of the duo Kilius/Bäumler were "Wenn die Cowboys träumen" and "Honeymoon in St. Tropez". From 1964 Hans-Jürgen Bäumler has also worked as an actor. Apart from some movies, the Eisoperette became famous. In 1969 he had a main role in The White Horse Inn and in 1970 in Maske in Blau, both operettas. He was also successful in the TV seriesSalto Mortale. In the mid-1970s he hosted several quiz shows, among others Der Apfel fällt nicht weit vom Stamm, Das waren Hits and Was wäre wenn on ZDF. Between 1990 and 1993 he worked for RTL. The name of the show was Riskant. Later he was also seen as a theater actor. Since 1974 he has been married to Marina, a teacher. The couple has two sons, Christoph and Bastian, and lives in Nice, France.
Awards
In 1965 Bäumler as a singer received the bronze "Löwe von Radio Luxemburg".
