Zwischen Arbeitnehmerinitiativen und Unternehmensinteressen

In the past sport and work were intricately interwoven in a great variety of ways. In different epochs and in different political systems (in National Socialism and in the German Democratic Republic among others) sport in companies was not only furthered but also made use of; it was made to serve specific goals and perform specific functions, and was organised and practised in different ways.
Although sport historians regularly come across references to industrial sports in their research, little attention has so far been paid to the history of sports in companies by the scientific community. This is all the more surprising since, besides being able to follow the popularisation of modern sport using the example of sports in firms, it is also possible to reconstruct the discourses connected with sport - above all its promise of better health for all participants. In doing so, one can throw more light on not only the changes which the structures of legitimation have undergone but also the discrepancy between ideology and reality. The history of industrial sports also clearly reveals its dependence on economic, social and communal developments, the intricate relationship between the sporting and business interests and goals as well as the sometimes conflicting motives and aims of those participating. Sports in firmas are on the whole more closely linked than other areas of sport with modernisation and industrialisation and its effects, and influenced to a greater extent by social change and the prevailing political situation.
This volume provides a wealth of information on the history of sports from the 19th century to the present. Case studies illustrate the opportunities as well as the problems of sporting activities in different companies.
Authors are Hajo Bernett, Sebastian Fasbender, Jochen Hinsching, Marie-Luise Klein, Andreas Luh, Gertrud Pfister, Klaus Reinartz.