On the way to a national socialist sports system: From liberal sports in clubs and associations to directed sports in national socialist organizations

Abstract

Since 1938/39 disputes about the future organizational structure of sport in National Socialist Germany raged among the highest decision-making bodies. This issue, which at first was only discussed by those deciding on sport-related matters, ultimately ranged high on the agenda of top-flight German politicians. The general public was not supposed to find out about this controversy, and therefore it was disguised by demonstrating unity in public, especially during the war. After 1939 the DAF (Deutsche Arbeitsfront, National Socialist German Labor Front) and the SA (Sturmabteilung, national socialist paramilitary massorganization) made a consolidated attempt at working out a political strategy with regard to sport, which was aimed at reorganizing German sport covering the specific needs of the National Socialists. Since the 1840s, sport in clubs on a voluntary basis has been the institutional foundation of German sport. According to the DAF and the SA, this basis was at their disposition. Only war stopped the developments initiated by these two groups. Astonishingly enough, these significant concepts and developments, which were also rudimentarily introduced, have been mentioned so far only as marginal notes by sports historians. In the article presented, the main steps in the development of a specific national socialist sports system are analyzed and illustrated.