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Sports Heroes

May 7, 2008

Germany's new Sports Hall of Fame opened this week at the German Historical Museum in Berlin. The project initially contains the names of 40 German sports heroes, with three to be added to the roll call every year.

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Max Schmeling
Max Schmeling was Germany's one and only world boxing championImage: AP

The list of 37 men and three women includes boxing legend Max Schmeling, soccer ambassador Franz Beckenbauer and tennis idol Gottfried von Cramm.

However, the induction of five former members of the Nazi party has caused debate as to whether those associated with the National Socialists should be honored, with critics calling the project the "Hall of Shame."

Click below to to see a picture gallery of inductees.

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Former soccer player Uwe Seeler, left, and former ski racer Rosi Mittermaier, right, pose in front of their portraits prior to the opening of the exhibition "Hall Of Fame Of German Sports" in Berlin

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