Dear NYHIST-L members, I received the query found below and other than referring him to the Boxing Hall of Fame I'm at a loss. Can anyone else help him find people to interview? The documentary film-maker did a quite good short film on Grand Central Terminal a couple of years ago ( _Endstation Manhattan_ was the German title of that film). Edward Knoblauch, Webmaster New York History Net http://www.nyhistory.com "Iīm a German documentary-filmmaker, currently doing research on a film about a boxer, the former German World-Heavyweight-Champion Max Schmeling, who fought most of his important fights (Joe Louis, Jack Sharkey) in the New York in the old Madison Square Garden. The film will be 45 minutes long and broadcasted by public television late this year. Mr. Schmeling is now close to 98 years old but still in quite good health. As his international career took place in the 1930s, it is very hard to find any "first-hand witness" to the events that marked his life, persons who could be interviewed. The stories around Scheming's most important bouts, among them the two fights against the "brown bomber" Joe Louis, were not merely sports-stories but such of high political importance. As the US-public perceived Schmeling (who definitely was not a Nazi and helped many people get out of the country in time) as the fighter who as "Hitlerīs darling" was meant to demonstrate "white supremacy", there was tremendous tension in the city when he came to New York for his second fight in 1938, demonstrations etc.. The first fight in 1936, in which Schmeling won by a surprise knock-out decision, had already caused violence in the streets of Harlem and the ghettos of other cities. There was - especially in the black community - a lot of emotion involved and when Louis won the second fight, people danced in the streets. My problem is, like I said, to find somebody, who actually was touched by these events, who could tell them first-hand. My question is: Would you know of any "old to very old" (85 and up) boxing-expert or just plain boxing-lover or just a normal New York or Harlem citizen, somebody old enough to remember the (socio-political) stories, the hype around the Louis-fights (or the Jack Sharkey-fights or other Schmeling-fights in the NYC)? Or would you have a good hint who or what organization I should turn to? I will go on a extensive US-trip (Chicago, San Francisco, Miami, New York) somewhere around end of April, beginning of May and it would be great if I would find 1 or 2 persons to interview in front of the camera. Please let me know if you can help. Thank you very much in advance." Michael Wulfes <[log in to unmask]>