National Socialist League of the Reich for Physical Exercise
| Nationalsozialistischer Reichsbund für Leibesübungen | |
Flag of the NSRL
|
|
 Monument at Pariser Platz in Berlin, 1936. The promotion of sports during the Nazi regime went hand-in-hand with theatrical nationalistic triumphalism. |
|
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | July 27, 1934 |
| Preceding agency |
|
| Dissolved | 31 May 1945 |
| Type | Sports governing body |
| Jurisdiction |
 Nazi GermanyOccupied Europe |
| Headquarters |
Reichssportfeld Berlin-Charlottenburg 52°31′0″N 13°14′19″E / 52.51667°N 13.23861°E |
| Agency executives |
|
| Parent agency |
 Nazi Party
|
The National Socialist League of the Reich for Physical Exercise (German: Nationalsozialistischer Reichsbund für Leibesübungen, abbreviated NSRL), was the umbrella organization for sports and physical education in Nazi Germany. The NSRL was known as the German League of the Reich for Physical Exercise (German: Deutscher Reichsbund für Leibesübungen, abbreviated DRL) until 1938. The organization was expanded to Austria after that country's annexation by Nazi Germany.
The NSRL was led by the Reichssportführer, who after 1934 was at the same time presiding over the German National Olympic Committee. The NSRL's leaders were Hans von Tschammer und Osten (1933–1943), Arno Breitmeyer (1943–1944) and Karl Ritter von Halt (1944–1945).
The 1916 Summer Olympics had been awarded to Berlin, but were canceled because of the duration of World War I. The Deutscher Reichsausschuss für Olympische Spiele (DRA or DRAfOS) "German Imperial Commission for Olympic Games", was the German Olympic Sports organization at that time. In 1917 the "German Imperial Commission for Olympic Games" was renamed (DRA), (sometimes also DRL or, more rarely, DRAfL) ("German Imperial Commission for Physical Exercise"). The name change reflected Germany's protest against the fact that Germany and other Central Powers were being excluded from the "Olympic family" which was dominated by the Entente Powers.
The Deutscher Reichsausschuss für Leibesübungen was led by Theodor Lewald and Carl Diem was its Secretary General. Even though it saw itself as the pan-German umbrella organization for sports, the fact is that it did not represent all types of sports and sports associations of Germany. A great number of sport clubs, especially those stemming from industrial workers' background, had not joined the DRA.
...
Wikipedia