| Final 15:00 | time | | | 1. Prudent Joye |  France | 53.1s | CR | | 2. József Kovács |  Hungary | 53.3s | | | 3. Kell Areskoug |  Sweden | 53.6s | | | 4. Georg Glaw |  Germany | 54.2s | | | 5. Friedrich-Wilhelm Holling | Germany | 54.6s | | | 6. Werner Kellerhals |  Switzerland | 55.0s | |
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| History Men 400m | | World Record: Hardin (USA) 50.6s | | European Record: Pettersson (SWE), Facelli (ITA) 52.4s | | Championship Record: Scheele (GER) |
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| | First 2 progress to Final. |
| Heat 1 | time | | | 1. Prudent Joye | France | 53.7s | Q | | 2. Kell Areskoug | Sweden | 56.1s | Q | | 3. Per Riis |  Norway | 56.5s | | | 4. John Barnes |  Great Britain | 57.3s | |
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| Heat 2 | time | | | | 1. Werner Kellerhals | Switzerland | 54.8s | NR Q | | 2. Georg Glaw | Germany | 55.4s | Q | | 3. Christos Mantikas |  Greece | 55.5s | | | 4. Jacques André | France | 58.5s | | | -. Jules Bosmans |  Belgium | DNF | |
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| Heat 3 | time | | | 1. Friedrich-Wilhelm Holling | Germany | 54.6s | Q | | 2. Kovács József | Hungary | 54.8s | Q | | 3. Giuseppe Russo |  Italy | 54.8s | | | 4. Werner Christen | Switzerland | 56.3s | |
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| Participants | Rk. | | 1. Prudent Joye | France | 1. | | 2. Georg Glaw | Germany | 4. | | 3. Friedrich-Wilhelm Holling | Germany | 5. | | 4. Jozsef Kovacs | Hungary | 2. | | 5. Bosmans | Belgium | -?? | | 6. Kell Areskoug | Sweden | 3. | | 7. P. Rus | Norway | H 3. | | 8. Mandikas | Greece | H 3. | | 9. Werner Kellerhals | Switzerland | 6. | | 10.Skiadas | Greece | -?? | | 11.Pietersek |  Yugoslavia | -?? | | 12.Jacques Andre | France | H 4. | | 13.G. Russo | Italy | H 3. | | 14.Christen | Switzerland | H 4. | | 15.Barnes | Great Britain | H 4. |
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