Published : 2019-12-27

Patriotic Attitudes of Polish Olympic Athletes during World War II

Abstract

Sport as a form of organised competition has been a permanent part of culture in different civilisations for centuries. This has also been the case in Poland since the 19th century, when the first sports associations and clubs began to appear under the partitions. Not only did they promote physical development and competitive spirit among young people, but they also made them identify with the enslaved nation and shaped patriotic attitudes. In Poland, which regained independence after World War I, sport became one of the most popular non-commercial spheres of life, unifying various environments, providing emotions and bringing many successes. The  culmination of the careers of many athletes was participation in the Olympic Games, considered the largest feast of high-performance sport in the world. Polish representatives (288 in total) took part in eight games in the interwar period. World War II became a time of great patriotism of Polish Olympic athletes. A vast majority of them showed dignity and courage, sometimes sacrificing their own lives: in battles on various fronts, in the resistance movement, in the underground movement, in extermination camps and in public executions. Some of them moved far from occupied Poland due to the war and some remained in exile for the rest of their lives. Some of the Polish Olympic athletes collaborated with German and Soviet occupiers (usually under duress). The athletes also often served their homeland after the war due to their war experience.

Keywords:

Polish Olympic Athletes, World War II, patriotism, Janusz Kusociński, Stanisław Marusarz, Halina Konopacka, Eugeniusz Lokajski, Józef Noji



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Kołbuk, A. (2019). Patriotic Attitudes of Polish Olympic Athletes during World War II. Biografistyka Pedagogiczna, 4(1), 71–96. https://doi.org/10.36578/bp.2019.04.12

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"Biografistyka Pedagogiczna" received funding for the years 2022-2024 from the funds of the Minister of Education and Science under the programme „Rozwój Czasopism Naukowych”.

Project duration: 2023-2024.

The amount of co-financing is 65 992,00 PLN

Contract number: RCN/SP/0434/2021/1