International Workers' Olympiads

International Workers' Olympiads were an international sporting event arranged between 1925 and 1937 by Socialist Workers' Sport International (SASI). It was an organisation supported by social democratic parties and International Federation of Trade Unions. Workers' Olympiads were an alternate event for the Olympic Games. The participants were members of various labor sports associations and came mostly from Europe.[1] Nowadays the CSIT World Sports Games are the successor sports events of the International Workers' Olympiads. The "World Sports Games" is the main highlight and a new brand of the International Workers and Amateurs in Sports Confederation (CSIT). It is a sports event for thousands of workers and amateurs held every two years. The CSIT is an international multi-sports organization.

International Workers' Olympiads
First eventSchreiberhau, Germany in 1925
Occur every6 years
Last eventAntwerp, Belgium in 1937
PurposeAlternative Olympic event for the members of Socialist Workers' Sport International
HeadquartersLucerne, Switzerland

History
Opening march of the 1931 Workers' Olympiad in Vienna.

The Workers' Olympiads were created as a counterweight for the Olympic Games, which were criticized for being confined for the upper social classes and privileged people. The international workers' sports movement did not believe that the true Olympic spirit could be achieved in an Olympic movement dominated by the aristocratic leadership. Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the International Olympic Committee, had always opposed women's participation and supported the cultural superiority of white Europeans over other races. His followers, Henri de Baillet-Latour and Avery Brundage, were openly anti-semitic and both collaborated with the Nazis. On the contrary, the Workers' Olympiads opposed all kinds of chauvinism, sexism, racism and social exclusiveness. The Olympic Games were based in rivalry between the nations, but the Workers' Olympiads stressed internationalism, friendship, solidarity and peace.[2]

The Lucerne Sport International (later known as Socialist Workers' Sport International) was established in Lucerne, Switzerland in 1920. The first unofficial Workers' Olympiads were held a year later in Prague, Czechoslovakia. The IOC had banned the losing side of the World War I from the 1920 Summer Olympics (Germany even from the 1924 games), but the Workers's Olympiads were open for the "enemy" side as well. The number of participating countries was thirteen. The first official Worker's Olympiads were the 1925 winter games in the German town of Schreiberhau, which today is a part of Poland. They were followed by the first Summer Olympiads in Frankfurt am Main.[2]

National flags were not used, but a red flag of international workers' movement.[1] The best athletes were awarded with diplomas, they did not receive medals like in the Olympic Games.[3] The visiting athletes stayed mostly at private accommodation of local families.[1]

International Workers' Olympiads were more than just a games for the top athletes. The festival was based on a mass participation, it did not restrict entry on the grounds of sporting ability. 1931 Workers' Summer Olympiad in Vienna was the largest event with the participation of 100,000 athletes from 26 countries. The Vienna Workers' Olympiad attracted some 250,000 spectators. It was much bigger event than the 1932 Summer Olympics at Los Angeles, both in number of participants as well as spectators.[4] Praterstadion (now Ernst-Happel-Stadion) was constructed between 1929 and 1931 for the 1931 Olympiad.[5] The last Workers' Olympiad at Antwerp in 1937 was a joint event with the Red Sport International organized Spartakiads.[6]

Olympiads, hosts and number of participating countries
Olympiad Date Host Country Host City Number of
countries
1921 Olympiad (unofficial)June 25 – June 29, 1921 CzechoslovakiaPrague13
1925 Winter OlympiadJanuary 31 – February 2, 1925 GermanySchreiberhau4
1925 Summer OlympiadJuly 24 – 28, 1925 GermanyFrankfurt am Main11
1931 Winter OlympiadFebruary 5 – 8, 1931 AustriaMürzzuschlag7
1931 Summer OlympiadJuly 19 – 26, 1931 AustriaVienna26
1937 Winter OlympiadFebruary 18 – 21, 1937 CzechoslovakiaJanské Lázně7
1937 Summer OlympiadJuly 25 – August 1, 1937 BelgiumAntwerp15
1943 Summer OlympiadCancelled due to World War II FinlandHelsinki–

Participating countries and federations

Note: the table below is incomplete. Only the participating countries of 1925 and 1937 Winter Olympiads and 1925 Summer Olympiads are correct.

CountryFederationsW25S25W31S31W37S37
 CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakian Workers' Gymnastic Association××××××
 FinlandFinnish Workers' Sports Federation××××××
 AustriaArbeiterbund für Sport und Körperkultur in Österreich××××
 GermanyArbeiter-Turn- und Sportbund××××
  SwitzerlandSchweizerischen Arbeiter-Turn- und Sportverbandes×××××
 FranceFédération sportive et gymnique du travail×?×××
 PolandPolish Workers' Sport Federation×?×××
 Latvia×××?
 BelgiumArbeidersvoetbalbond×××
 BelgiumAssociation Francophone du Sport Travailliste Belge×××
 United KingdomBritish Workers' Sports Federation×
 United KingdomNational Workers' Sports Association××
 Free City of Danzig×?
 DenmarkDansk Arbejder Idraetsforbund?×××
Hungary?×××
 NorwayArbeidernes Idrettsforbund?××
 Mandatory PalestineHapoel××
 EstoniaEesti Töölisspordi Liit×?
 NetherlandsNederlandse Arbeiders SportBond?×
 Soviet Union×
Spanish Republic×

Sports

Summer Olympiads
Sport192519311937
Athletics×××
Boxing×××
Cycling×××
Football×××
Gymnastics×××
Swimming×××
Water polo×××
Wrestling×××
Chess××
Czech handball××
Motor cycling××
Weightlifting××
Canoeing×
Fencing×
Rowing×
Basketball×
Basque pelota×
Table tennis×
Tennis×
Tug of war×
Volleyball×

Winter Olympiads
Sport192519311937
Nordic skiing×××
Alpine skiing××
Figure skating××
Bobsleigh×
Ice hockey×
Ice stock sport×
Speed skating×
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References
  1. "A workers' Olympics?". Workers' Liberty. 1 August 2012. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  2. Riordan, James: ″Sport, Politics, and Communism″, p. 38–40. Manchester University Press, 1991. ISBN 978-071-90285-0-2. Google Books
  3. Hentilä, Seppo: ″Työväen Urheiluliitto ja kansainvälinen työläisurheilu″ (in Finnish). University of Helsinki. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  4. Roni Gechtman: "Socialist Sports in Yiddish – The Bundist Sport Organization Morgnshtern in Interwar Poland". Retrieved 2 July 2013.
  5. "Wiener Praterstadion - Ernst-Happel-Stadion - Historische Sportstätte der Stadt Wien" (in German). City of Vienna. Archived from the original on 26 June 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  6. John Nauright & Charles Parrish (ed.): "Sports Around the World – History, Culture and Practice" (p. 463). Retrieved 11 July 2013.
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