By the early 1930s Hein had married and retired from athletics. He resumed competing after watching a film about the 1932 Olympics, and remained active until the late 1950s, winning the national championships in 1936–38 and 1946–47 and placing second in 1956. In 1938 he set two world records and won the European title. In 1962 he was awarded the Rudolf-Harbig-Gedächtnispreis.[1]
Hein died from a stroke aged 74. His son Karl-Peter also competed in the hammer throw, at national level.[1]
