Historical development of sport in Germany in the 20th century : the formation of physical culture

UNIVERSITY OF JYVÄSKYLÄ Faculty of Sport Sciences PHILIP HECKMANN Historical Development of Sport in Germany in the 20th Century: The Formation of Physical Culture. ABSTRACT Master’s Thesis in Social Sciences of Sport, 83 p. Sport Management and Health Promotion 2017 Topic: Germany has had a rich history of different political, ideological and organizational eras that have strongly influenced the sport system. However, it is not clear if the actual sport system still retains on parts from its history. Moreover, it is uncertain if eventual advantages or disadvantages have arisen through the different structures. Research aim and scope: The purpose of the study is to find more information about how the German sport system has been influenced by history. It is important to understand in general how the organization and sport coordination has developed and how this history has been part of the sport organization. Research design: This qualitative research is based on an extensive literature review. It is a comparative study of German, as well as English, literature and articles published within the last century and text books, such as Einführung in die Geschichte der Leibeserziehung und des Sports by Michael Krüger, 2005. Key research findings: The research reveals that Germany still carries long tradition of the original sports and has structures that already existed in the past. However, some organizational processes have been disregarded for good reason due to Germany’s extreme history. In summary, the strong history has influenced the sport system and structures of today. Main conclusions: After finishing the study, there will be greater understanding of what makes Germany’s sport system function and why there are certain particularities in comparison to other sport systems. The unique history is worth studying in context of sport systems.