Maxi Herber & Ernst Baier (GER) - Gleichklang der Bewegung 1941 - ISU Archives

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Two excellent soloist, 13 years old Maxi Herber (GER) and Ernst Baier (GER) fifteen years her senior, came together in 1933. The joining of their hands has been extremely important for the whole development of Pair Skating and Ice Dance. Maxi Herber won the Ladies Bavarian Championships at the age of 7 and became the Ladies champion of Germany when she was only 12 years old. In those times, Ernst Baier had already earned three silver medals from the European Championships and one from the World Championships. As soon as in the first year of their joint skating they placed third in Pair Skating at the World Championships in Helsinki.

Ernst Baier educated as an architect was very talented not only for technics but also for his painting. He designed the Free Skating for the 1936 Olympics on the drawing board. He didn't use any existing music, he engaged an accompanist. He claimed "The skating is dominant, and the music must be subordinated to it". He planned exactly every second of their skating, every step, lifted figure, solo jump, spin, just everything as he used to do in his profession.

Despite of their strict planning, their skating was full of fun, freshness, perfect harmony, rhythm and grace, and was performed with great speed as well. Their performance was no more a composition of two solo Skaters, their motions were perfectly consistent up to the last detail. The term "Shadow Skating" had its origin in their skating performances.

Their achievements were unsurpassed, they took part in the European Championships in St- Moritz 1935, Berlin 1936, Prague 1937, Troppau-Opava 1938, Zakopane 1939, and they won all of them. They competed first in the 1934 World Championships in Helsinki where they placed third. From that time on, they earned only gold medals in 1936 in Paris, 1937 in London, 1938 in Berlin and 1939 in Budapest. They won the 1936 Olympic Pair Skating competition in Garmisch-Partenkirchen.

Ernst Baier is the author of a book from which an outstanding film "Gleichklang der Bewegung" was made. In which he confirms the unique character of his skating with Maxi. Herber and Baier influenced the development of skating, not only in Pair Skating but also in Ice Dance. Their Ice Dance has been innovative throughout its whole development. Rumba, Conga, Samba, Paso doble and namely their immortal Waltzes are never to be forgotten.

Maxi Herber and Ernst Baier were married in 1940. After World War II they turned professional. At first they originated a group called "Eisballett" later on "Eisrevue". Erst Baier was also a very successful coach. Together they wrote the book "Maxi und Herber Baier erstellen".