Arnold Schwarzenegger - how it all began

WELCOME
1

CONTENT
1! WELCOME
2! THAL NEAR GRAZ
3! THE FIRST COACH
4! GRAZ
5! STUTTGART
6! MUNICH
7! LONDON
8! HIKING TRAILS
9! MUSEUM THAL
10! MUSEUM HOTEL PARADIES
11! THE ARNIE-PAINTER
12! FOREVER
2

HOW IT ALL BEGAN
Rudolf J. Strutz
Photographer and Author
To produce an e-book about Arnold Schwarzenegger
is a major undertaking. When this project
started to first gain shape, the plan was to only describe
the museum, which is housed in Arnold's
childhood home. After having taken all the necessary
pictures, the new management of the museum
prohibited me to publish these pictures.
But because "quitting" is not a word that is part of
my vocabulary, I extended my research and am
now proud to present to you an e-book that documents
the many important stages of the young Arnold
Schwarzenegger.
Many contemporary witnesses have helped me and
supplied me with material, advice and help in this
project. This resulted in a compendium of Arnold
Schwarzenegger's life "before the USA." In the past
months I have had the chance to meet countless
impressive people and to hear many stories about
the greatest bodybuilder of all times.
This e-book is not supposed to be a biography of
the great Styrian. "How it all began" documents the
years before Arnold's move to the United States.
This e-book will help fans of Arnold Schwarzenegger
to retrace his steps in Austria, Germany and
Great Britain. The pictures show a young Arnold
with many of his friends and supporters.
At this point I want to send warmest thanks to all
friends, who supported me in the completion of this
project.
Rudolf J. Strutz!
Photographer and Author
3

2
THAL NEAR GRAZ
The greatest son of Thal near Graz and one of the greatest
Austrians, Arnold Schwarzenegger, was born on
July 30, 1947 in Graz. Today, his childhood home houses
the Arnold Schwarzenegger Museum.

The village Thal is situated about 6 km
west of Graz and is currently home to
about 2,400 residents. The area re-
mains pristine and natural, farmers cul-
tivate the meadows, fields and forests,
which make the area a popular destina-
tion for people from Graz who are look-
ing for some rest and recreation. But
also many visitors from abroad find
their way to Thal to see the unique
sights and attractions.
The Lake Thalersee offers boating and
fishing in the summer and provides a
dreamy ambiance for ice skaters in the
winter. The golf course with its natu-
rally designed 27-hole course and
cross-country ski runs are other great attractions. These recreational
offers are now an indispensable part of the leisure facilities on the outskirts
of Graz. Beautiful hiking trails, such as the Arnold Schwarzenegger
trail, that meander
through our scenic countryside,
invite young and
old relaxation seekers to
open their hearts and
minds. Nature lovers who
enjoy biking tours will fall
in love with the bike trails,
leading from Graz to the
Thalersee and all the way
to the centre of the village.
Gourmets are getting a special treat in Thal. Some local farms produce
delicious homemade meat-products and sausages as well as
various pumpkin seed oils – a regional specialty of Styria. The delicacies
can be bought directly at the farms.
Of course the municipality of Thal also offers a very attractive social
life to its residents and visitors. More than 20 active clubs and organizations
cater to the villager's social, athletic, cultural and economic
needs and contribute to the Thal's feeling of mutual respect and selfless
service. The various clubs and organizations regularly host a
broad variety of events and festivities, ranging from soap box derbies
to concerts of the regional "Musikverein" or singing circles, to theater
performances by the regionally popular laymen's performance group
the "Stern-Thaler." The highlight of Thal's club life, however, is without
a doubt the yearly Jacobian Street Fair (Jakobikirtag). This event is organized
by a group of members of the regional clubs and takes place
in front of our beautiful parish church.
Education is also an impor-
tant topic in our village.
The elementary school
Thal currently teaches
seven classes of students
in four grades and even of-
fers an after-school-care
programme. A well trained
team of teachers and staff
lead the community Kindergarten,
which hosts three groups of children in the mornings and two
in the afternoons. The Agricultural College Grottenhof-Hardt is known
far beyond our municipal borders. I also want to point your attention
to our "Volkshochschule" (similar to a community college), which provides
a broad variety of classes for adult education.
Of course there are also many attractions which draw visitors to Thal.
There is the famous parish church St. Jakob (remodeled by Prof. Ernst
Fuchs) and the Arnold
Schwarzenegger
Museum. The privately
owned Castle
Oberthal and the ruins
of the Thal fortress
are also well
worth a visit. And
don't forget to see
the Steinberg observatory.
5

Protection of the environment is of crucial importance in our village,
because we consider it our responsibility to retain our outstanding
quality of life, not just for our own sake, but also for our children. One
can see even on the street signs that we take this commitment very
seriously: The signs inform that Thal is participating in the e5-
Programme. For example, after switching the entire street lighting to
more modern LED lamps, we were able to cut the system's energy
and power requirement in half, which saves about seven tons of CO2
every year. In addition, the new LED lamps provide better lighting for
Thal's streets, which subsequently led to a noticeable increase in traffic
safety in the village. The motto is: "See and be seen – in better lighting."
The broad variety of activities by the municipality has increased the
quality of life for Thal's residents tremendously. To connect the village
to the public transportation network, a bus route was created in cooperation
with the Holding Graz, a local communal service provider. The
social and health organization Gratkorn offers high-quality mobile
home car, which allows elderly or sick residents to be able to be cared
for in the privacy of their own home. This also ensures that caregiving
relatives have medically trained professionals to support them.
Well-planned residential construction by the municipality led to a
small increase in population and is another reason for the high quality
of life in our village.
Appropriate athletic offers
for Thal's residents are an
essential part of our munici-
pal politics. In recent
years, the village put spe-
cial efforts towards the
creation of a modern
sports and leisure facility.
Today, the two soccer
fields, the beach volleyball
field, and the curling rank are a popular meeting point for Thalers of all
ages, be it to participate in an athletic competition, or to simply enjoy
the action as a spectator.
Visitors and guests can enjoy
the high quality of life, the broad
variety of athletic and cultural
offers in the village, and the
beauty of the nature of Thal by
checking into one of the various
guesthouses, inns or B&Bs at
and around Lake Thalersee.
One of our most famous residents
of the village of Thal is definitely our honorary resident Arnold
Schwarzenegger. Former mayor Peter Urdl initiated the remodeling of
Arnold's childhood home into a museum, which today is one of the
most popular sights in Thal, next to the parish church St. Jakob.
Peter Schickhofer
Mayor of Thal near Graz
6

3
THE FIRST COACH
Kurt Marnul was born on May 30, 1929 in Graz. He is considered
to be the pioneer of the Austrian bodybuilding scene and
was the first coach of the most remarkable bodybuilder of all
times: Arnold Schwarzenegger.

In the year 1952, Kurt Marnul started his career in weightlifting. In
1958, he founded the Athletic Union in Graz. The training rooms
were located below the grandstands of the sport stadium in Graz
Liebenau.
Athletes worked their muscles hard with simple exercise equipment.
In 1961, Marnul was the first man to become Mr. Austria and was
able to defend it for four years in a row.
Because of his muscular body, Kurt soon became an idol for many
youngsters. The public response was tremendous and not long after,
many young talents came to the gym at the Athletic Union Graz
to workout under the instructions of Mr. Austria.
In the summer months, Marnul and his training partners often visited
the area around the Thalersee. The young, well-trained bodybuilders
were often the cause of amazement of other visitors.
At this time, Willi Richter worked as a lifeguard at the Lake Thalersee.
In May 1961, he spoke to Marnul and drew his attention to the
sons of the local police commander Gustav Schwarzenegger. When
Kurt Marnul met the brothers Meinhard and Arnold Schwarzenegger
for the first time, he was able to grant them one of their greatest
wishes: a signed photograph of the first Mr. Austria. After this meeting,
the two brothers were absolutely certain: One day, we want to
be as good looking and have the same body as our idol, Kurt Marnul.
In the same month in 1961, Meinhard and Arnold became active
members in the Athletic Union Graz.
Kurt Marnul quickly recognised Arnold Schwarzenegger's great talent.
His special ambition, his exceptional training endurance, and
his goals were unique. It was at the very gym of the Athletic Union
8

Graz where Arnold began to read American bodybuilding magazines
for the first time.
Arnold Schwarzenegger studied these magazines with great attention
and discovered some world famous bodybuilding icons. At that
time, the so-called "sandal movies" by Reg Park and Steve Reeves
were a big hit in the United States.
To train specific muscle groups effectively, Kurt Marnul rebuilt many
training devices according to the photographs he found in USmagazines.
Looking at these training machines today, they resemble veritable
torture devices. Many of the machines, which helped to start building
Arnold Schwarzenegger's body, are now in private ownership
and stored in a small village in the south-west of Romania. The
Schwarzenegger Museum in Thal as well as the Hotel Paradies also
house some of the originals.
Until 1967, Arnold successfully worked out at the gym of the Athletic
Union Graz.
He then left Graz to go to Munich, and later to London, to prepare
for his successful move to the United States.
Even today, countless posters and pictures of Arnold decorate the
walls of the gym at the Athletic Union Graz.
Over the years, many international television stations visited Kurt
Marnul in his gym to get background information about the amazing
career of the greatest bodybuilder of all times.
9

For his successful work towards the promotion of young bodybuilding
talents, Kurt Marnul was honoured with both, the Styrian as well
as the Austrian Cross of Honour.
For more than 52 years, Kurt managed and organized the Athletic
Union Graz. Besides Arnold Schwarzenegger, many other successful
bodybuilders have emerged from there.
Kurt Marnul and Arnold Schwarzenegger have been tied by a now
decade-old friendship since their first training day in May 1961.
10

ATHLETIK-UNION-GRAZ
Hüttenbrennergasse 31a
8010 Graz
+43 676 628 44 60
13

4
GRAZ
The first competitions in which Arnold Schwarzenegger took
part were held in Graz in April 1964. With an impressive biceps
circumference of 43 cm, Arnold gained much attention at the
Mr. Styria competition.

At the competition, which was held in the
"Spiegelsaal" of the famous Hotel Steirerhof
in Graz, Arnold reached considerable honours
in various categories:
! Forth - Mr. Styria
! Third - Mr. Hercules
! Third - Mr. Austria
Arnold Schwarzenegger was only 17 years
of age. All newspapers commented his
achievement above average.
At that time, some bodybuilders used dark
paint, which was spread all over the entire
body. This had the purpose to reveal the
muscle contours better. Some of the participants
overdid it with the "coloring."
The press and visitors responded rather
negatively.
• Left Top: Mr. Styria - left to right: Gobetz,
Maurer, Schwarzenegger, Tauchner, Horvath
and more.
• Right Top: Mr. Austria - left to right: Helmut
Cerncic (second), Kurt Marnul (Mr. Austria
1964) and Arnold Schwarzenegger (third).
• Left bottom: Mr. Hercules - left to right: Arnold
Schwarzenegger (third), Helmut Cerncic
(Mr. Hercules 1964) and Adolf Ziegner (second).
The cover on the previous page shows the
magazine "Der Muskelbilder," number 21,
published in the year 1966.
fitnessfachwirt.com
15

5
STUTTGART
In autumn 1965, the international fall championships in
bodybuilding took place in Germany. The event was held at
the "Wülle Banquet Hall" in Stuttgart. At this competition, the
awardees for "Best-Built Athlete 1965" for Juniors and Seniors

were chosen. Part of the competition was also a power lifting
triathlon.
At this time, the surprise winner of the competition, Arnold
Schwarzenegger, was relatively unknown in Germany.
His upper arm had grown to a circumference of 45 cm and his
defined and toned body earned him an overwhelming victory with
263 points.
• BEST BUILD Athlet 1965
The success of the then 18-year-old, however, was accompanied
by a bitter aftertaste: Completing his mandatory military service at
tht time, Arnold had to leave his troop without authorization. When
the news of his victory made it all the way to his barracks, he had to
face the consequences.
But his success could not be prevented by a punishment.
The two photographs on the left show the award ceremony for the
Juniors. Left to right: Peter Wirth, Franz Dischinger, Arnold Schwarzenegger,
Helmut Fluck and Harald Schmitz-Mancy.
The cover on the previous page shows the magazine "Der Muskelbilder,"
number 36, published in the year 1966. fitnessfachwirt.com
17

6
MUNICH
What is today's Hotel Brunnenhof in Munich, then hosted the
first training site of Arnold Schwarzenegger in Munich. Rolf
Putzinger's sport studio was located on the second floor, and
was one of the very first gyms in Germany.

The facade and staircase are sights of historic
importance and therefore under monument
protection. They still look the same as at the time
when Arnold worked at the studio as a trainer.
Therefore, if you book into a room on the third floor of
this cozy hotel, you can almost feel Arnold's "training
spirit." There are countless anecdotes about the
Terminator's time in Munich, but those are for another
story. Arnold lived at the time in a small studio
apartment at Christophstraße 1.
19

Here is my master, my
mentor and father Hans
Hauser. Do you know why
you should visit our fitness
studio to work out? Because
we are using the
training techniques of the
very best (Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Rightmost)
Photographed at Herkulesstudio
in Munich.
Munich October 67
21

HOTEL BRUNNENHOF
Schillerstraße 36
80336 Munich
Tel.: +49 89 54 510-0
Fax +49 89 54 510-555
hotel@brunnenhof.de
www.brunnenhof.de
22

7
LONDON
In 1966 Arnold Schwarzenegger took his first airplane trip,
which took him to London. In the NABBA Mr. Universe (National
Amateur Bodybuilders' Association) competition, he was
defeated only by the American Chester Yorton.

At the first major competition in which Arnold participated in London,
Charles "Wag" Bennett served as one of the judges. Schwarzenegger
made such a strong impression on him, that Wag offered to coach him.
At 19 years, Arnold did not have a much money, thus Bennett invited
him to stay in his small apartment on the top floor of one of his two fitness
centres in Forest Gate. The Bennetts had six children and thus
there was not much space in the apartment. Arnold ended up sleeping
on a sofa in the living room.
Wag Bennett and his wife Dianne helped and supported Arnold and
played an important role in his life Arnold Schwarzenegger referred to
Wag and Dianne often as his "English parents."
Chester Yorton was chosen as the winner of the Mr. Universe competition
mainly because of his leg muscles and their definition. Bennett
worked with Arnold to target these muscles specifically.
In his new home, the East End of London, Arnold Schwarzenegger
worked to improve his English language skills. In the same year, he was
able to meet his idol Reg Park. Reg and Arnold developed a deep
friendship and Reg became his mentor.
The training programme of Wag Bennett paid off in a big way, when
only one year later, Arnold Schwarzenegger became the youngest ever
to receive the title Mr. Universe.
When he returned to Munich as Mr. Universe to train four to six hours
every day, he continued to go to school and kept working in Rolf
Putzinger's fitness centre as a trainer.
In the year 1968, Arnold Schwarzenegger returned to London and
earned his next Mr. Universe title, this time in the category "professionals."
When he spoke to his friend and English tutor Roger C. Field in
Munich, he often said, "One day, I will be the greatest movie star!"
The studio of Wag Bennett was at 353 Romford Road. Dianne owned
and managed a fitness studio for women, "Dianne Bennett's Glamour
Girls," at the corner of Green Street and Romford Road.
Over the door of Wag's fitness centre a sign proclaimed "Here we build
men" and "Quitters NEVER Win .... Winners never quit!"
Besides Arnold Schwarzenegger, there were other great bodybuilders
who worked out with Wag Bennet: Reg Park, Robby Robinson and
Lou Ferrigno.
24

After Wag Bennett's passing, the former temple
of fitness was transformed into a church.
Diane Bennett stayed true to her love for fitness
and owns a studio in the south of Great Britain.
There are countless photographs from the time
of Arnold's stay in London. Many of these pictures
can also be found on the internet. Unfortunately
I was not able to find the people who held
the rights to these images.
Follow the link and you will find some photographs
dating back to this time: Wag Bennet
The picture on the right was taken after the competition
in London, when Arnold returned to Munich.
Schwarzenegger, the youngest ever Mr. Universe,
and his friend Kurt Marnul.
25

8
HIKING TRAILS
The village of Thal is a popular destination for people from Graz
who are looking for some rest and recreation. There are three
"Schwarzenegger hiking trails" of different lengths, starting with
a small tour of 3.5 km up to a long hiking trail of 13.5 km.

Start and finish of the trails is the impressive
parish church St. Jakob. The first
documentary evidence of the parish Thal
dates back to 1322. The current church was
designed by Ernst Fuchs. Bishop Johann
Weber dedicated the parish church on May
15, 1994.
The parish church St. Jakob is the starting
point for the Styrian Camino de Santiago to
Santiago de Compostela.
27

The Arnold Schwarzenegger hiking trail
invites you to retrace Arnold's childhood and
teenage years, his way to school, or a walk
to Lake Thalersee, where he made his first
experiences with bodybuilding. The forests
are wonderfully green and fragrant.
Even though Thal is close to Graz, visitors
can truly enjoy the unspoiled nature around
the village.
28

When walking the trail, you will see multiple
signs with interesting background information
on the various stations of the trail.
The sign at the elementary school in Thal
also shows clearly, who is the idol of young
people in Thal.
29

9
MUSEUM THAL
At the museum, hundreds of personal souvenirs and keepsakes
of Arnold Schwarzenegger's three world careers are on
display. Peter Urdl and Helmut Gombocz have worked together
to make this fantastic museum a reality.

The new management of the museum
has threatened me with legal
action if I published pictures
of the museum. To comply with
their demands, the museum is
only shown from the outside and
there will not be any pictures
from the inside.
The museum comprises two stories and about
200 m². In the year 1806, the Count Herbertstein
had this house built in the district Linak for his forest
ranger.
Opposite of the museum is the tower of Castle Unterthal,
which dates back to the 13th century. The
tower with his impressive walls that are 1.5 m
thick is the only remains of the former castle.
Gustav Schwarzenegger, Arnold's father, was the
local police commander. This is why the family
was able to live in company housing above the police
station.
Arnold lived with his parents until August 8, 1966
and then left Thal to go to Munich, later to London,
and finally in 1968 to the United States.
His parents decided to move to the town of Weiz
in Eastern Styria in the year 1967.
31

It has been many years since I at-
tended the elementary school in Thal
together with Arnold. At that time, Ar-
nold and I shared many common inter-
ests, like for example soccer. Arnold
decided to work towards a career in
power lifting very early in his life and
dedicated every waking minute to his
goal.
When Arnold left Thal in the year 1966
to go to Germany, him and I lost touch
for quite some time. Arnold returned
to visit Thal and his childhood friends
every now and then. In the meantime, I was elected the mayor of Thal.
In February 1997, I petitioned to honour Arnold Schwarzenegger with
the honorary residency of the municipality Thal. My petition was accepted
unanimously.
In 2001 I had the idea to honour my childhood friend, who by now has
become an internationally acclaimed superstar, with a suitable monument.
It was very important to me that the facility will be visible and
accessible to everybody. The necessary preparations started in May
of the year 2004.
The first step was to create the Arnold Schwarzenegger hiking trails,
which can be walked in one of the three varieties: 3.5 km, 9.5 km or
13.5 km. While walking the trail, interested hikers can retrace Arnold
Schwarzenegger's most important life stations.
Over the years, Arnold kept giving me personal gifts and presents,
which I collected. I kept thinking about making them available to be
seen by the public someday.
In February of 2005, I opened an "Arnold Schwarzenegger Special Exhibition"
in Thal, which took place right next to the famous St. Jakob
church and opposite the elementary school. The exhibition lasted several
years and many of the visitors kept asking about Arnold's childhood
home.
In the year 2007, I met Helmut Gombocz who became my partner in
crime and contributed significantly to the success of our joint project.
He put time, effort, and his whole heart in the creation of a permanent
facility in Thal.
It took until the year 2009, until the house at the address Thal 145 was
up for sale. The superfund-owner Christian Baha generously offered to
contribute the necessary financial means to buy the house.
All people involved in this project contributed a tremendous effort and
Arnold also sent multiple shipments with personal pieces for the exhibit.
Additionally, Christian Baha worked towards buying several original
film props at auctions.
We were especially proud when we managed to find and assemble Arnold's
original childhood bed, which is made out of steel pipes.
It is of utmost importance to me to express my sincerest thanks to all
friends and supporters of Arnold. Without you, we would never have
been able to retrace and find all those long lost artifacts and exhibits
that are now on display.
My special thanks go out to Arnold Schwarzenegger himself, for his
friendship, his trust, and for showing us time and time again that big
dreams do come true. Last but not least, I want to thank our investor
Christian Baha, Alfred Gerstl, Kurt Marnul, Karl Kainrad, Werner Kopacka,
and all friends and supporters of this project.
This e-book will show you how precious and interesting a visit to the
Arnold Schwarzenegger Museum in Thal near Graz can be. Feel free
to flip through the pages of this book and you will notice that the
whole region is well worth a visit.
In the museum you will find a detailed catalog with background information
and specifics.
Welcome at the museum
Peter Urdl
Initiator of the Arnold Schwarzenegger Museum
32

ACTOR ROOM
On the second floor, you will find the so-called
"Actor Room," which houses many souvenirs and
keepsakes from Arnold Schwarzenegger's
impressive career as a movie actor.
Original drawing by Helmut Gombocz
33

KITCHEN
During Arnold's childhood and teenage years, the
kitchen was considered the most important room in
the house. The furniture shows typical pieces from
the 1950s. I particularly want to point out the corner
with the small cross and the picture of Aurelia
Schwarzenegger, Arnold's mother. When you enter
the room, just look to your right, across the table.
Original drawing by Helmut Gombocz
34

BODYBUILDING ROOM
Here is a life-sized statue of Mr. Universe and several
of his original training machines. Many of these
workout machines were hand-built by Arnold
himself. On the walls, you will find many
photographs and memorabilia reminding of Arnold's
time as a bodybuilder.
Original drawing by Helmut Gombocz
35

GOVERNORS ROOM
Here his political side comes to the surface. In the
time from November 2003 until January 2001,
Arnold was the 38th Governor of California.
Original drawing by Helmut Gombocz
36

ARNOLD’S BED
In this bed Arnold dreamed the very dreams that
later made him the most successful bodybuilder of
all times, an actor and even politician.
His discipline and self-control and his iron will are the
keys to Arnold's success.
Original drawing by Helmut Gombocz
37

RECEPTION
Back then, Arnold went to Munich to conquer the
world. Even though it is pure coincidence, Peter Urdl
arranged for the famous coffee producer, Munich's
Alois Dallmayer, to supply the high-quality coffee for
the Schwarzenegger Museum.
Enjoy a good cup of coffee and if you happen to find
your way to Munich, visit Alois Dallmayer. It is not
simply shopping, but it is a whole experience.
Painting Helmut Gombocz
38

10
MUSEUM HOTEL PARADIES
Franz Jauk, the owner of the Hotel Paradies, is a long-time
acquaintance of Arnie's supporter and mentor Alfred Gerstl.
For many years, he has had an affinity to sport, fitness, and
anything about Arnold Schwarzenegger.

At the Hotel Paradies, sport is an important
part of the typical hospitality that is practiced
by Franz Jauk and his team members. It was
therefore not a far-fetched decision to honour
the great Styrian, who practically was born
and grew up "right around the corner," with a
collection of original workout machines and
photographs.
42

The artist Michael Greil from Linz created an
oil painting of Arnold Schwarzenegger in
2009. The original of this work of art has a
special pace at the Hotel Paradies. The price
of this work was not publicised. But for Franz
Jauk there is no doubt that the painting is an
important part of the Arnold Schwarzenegger
Museum inside the Hotel Paradies.
43

Over the years, Arnold Schwarzenegger and
Franz Jauk have met many times and
continue to meet.
If you want to combine a visit at the Arnold
Schwarzenegger Museum with a relaxing
vacation, we highly recommend the Hotel
Paradies.
44

Hotel PARADIES
Straßganger Straße 380b
8054 Graz
Tel.: +43 316 28 21 56
Fax: +43 316 28 21 56 6
info@hotelparadies.at
www.hotelparadies.at
45

11
THE ARNIE-PAINTER
Helmut Gombocz, a Graz native, can look back on an eventful
and tumultuous life. The former competitive athlete had the opportunity
to meet Arnold Schwarzenegger at the Liebenauer
Stadium in Graz in the 1960s.

Both men had big goal: Arnold wanted to go
to the United States to become a successful
bodybuilder, and Helmut Gombocz left Graz
to go to Frankfurt am Main for his career.
While Arnold ended up becoming an
American citizen and staying in California,
Helmut Gombocz decided to return to his
Styrian roots after 25 successful years in
Germany.
After 42 years, Arnold childhood friend
Helmut Gombocz and his old friend from
school Peter Urdl met again at Arnold's
childhood home in Thal near Graz, to work
together to realize the world's only Arnold
Schwarzenegger Museum. The opening
festivities of the Museum were held by Arnold
himself and reported by international media
(fall 2011).
Helmut Gombocz painted more than 25
paintings of Arnold especially for display at
the Arnold Schwarzenegger Museum. Due to
space restrictions, only nine paintings are on
display at the museum today.
The unique collection of paintings depicts the
three world careers of the Styrian in an
impressive way and was admired by Arnold
Schwarzenegger himself as well as countless
visitors.
47

Helmut Gombocz by right is enjoying his reputation as the
most successful painter of Arnie of all times.
In the year 2004, he was named a member of the professional
association of "Austrian Artists and Performers."
To honour his successful work for his home state Styria, Helmut
Gombocz was honoured by the Styrian governor Franz
Voves with the Golden Medal of Honour of Styria (May
2013).
48

FOREVER
12
In a small village in the south-west of Romania, I found this bust of
Arnold Schwarzenegger, which was created in July 1997 by Prof.
Alexander Diepold. It measures 2.25 m in height and weighs 400
kg. The chosen material was stainless steel, which guarantees the
work of art a lifespan of about 40,000 years.
Like everything else in the life of Arnold Schwarzenegger, this statue
is an extreme. To leave the small village Thal to go out into the world
and to become this successful, sounds almost like a modern
fairytale. His impressive endurance and strong will - as hard as
stainless steel - have made him a superstar and idol for millions.
61

HISTORIC PHOTOGRAPHS
At this point I also want to give very special thanks to the many
friends who supplied me with unique photographs and pieces of
information. The pictures stem from the private archives of Kurt
Marnul, Franz Jauk, Albert Busek, Peter Urdl, Peter Steinmüller,
Florian Voigt, Helmut Gombocz, Werner Pink and Michael König, to
just name a few.
Many thanks go out the municipality Thal as well, especially its
mayor Peter Schickhofer for the articles, photos and the friendly
help and support.
Should the content, design, or layout of this e-book violate the right
of third parties or rules and regulations, I kindly ask for written notice
(no e-mail) without a bill to my mailing address provided below.
I explicitly guarantee the immediate and complete removal of
righteously criticised content, therefore the inclusion of legal
representation will not be necessary. Should any financial costs be
caused via mail without prior written contact with the author, these
costs will be rejected in their entirety. If necessary, we will take legal
action if any of the above-mentioned regulations have been violated.
62

COPYRIGHT
© AuVi - Rudolf J. Strutz - 2015
This eBook is available free of charge.
All pictures and film material that show Arnold Schwarzenegger
stem exclusively from private archives of contemporary witnesses.
The pictures were provided exclusively for the publication in this e-
book. Rights to these pictures have to be inquired from their owners.
The book was licensed under the Creative
Commons License CC 3.0: attribution - noncommercial
- non-derivative - share alike.
All logos and company names without exceptions were used for information
purposes only. Any usage besides this e-book has to be
discussed with the owners.
AuVi eBooks !
admin@auvi.me
www.auvi.me
63