The German Combat Games (german: Deutsche Kampfspiele) were a national multi-sport event established in 1922 by the

Deutscher Reichsausschuss für Leibesübungen Deutscher is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: *Alma Deutscher, British musician and composer *Drafi Deutscher, German singer and composer *Guy Deutscher (linguist) *Guy Deutscher (physicist) *Isaac Deutscher, British jou ...

under Carl Diem.

Deutsche Kampfspiele

The events lasted from 1922 to 1934. According to Diem the games should promote " German art, German song and German

Volksgemeinschaft ''Volksgemeinschaft'' () is a German expression meaning "people's community", "folk community", Richard Grunberger, ''A Social History of the Third Reich'', London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson, 1971, p. 44. "national community", or "racial community", ...

". In 1938 they were replaced by the Deutsches Turn- und Sportfest 1938. A documentary film was made of the 1922 games, ''Die deutschen Kampfspiele 1922'', produced by Arnold Fanck. A two part documentary ''Zweite Deutsche Kampfspiele. 1. Tag'' and ''Zweite Deutsche Kampfspiele. 2. Tag'' was produced for the second.

NS-Kampspiele

During the Nazi regime, the fighting games continued as NS-fighting games. Since Germany had been allowed to participate in the Olympics since 1928, these games were no longer to be understood as a counter-movement to the Olympic idea, but rather as a propaganda platform for the regime. When, in 1935, the international boycott movement against the Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936 grew markedly, the replacement of German combat games in Berlin was Plan B of the

Reichssportführer 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 kn ...

. On the order of Adolf Hitler on November 30, 1936, these games were held during the

Reichsparteitage The Nuremberg Rallies (officially ', meaning ''Nazi Germany, Reich Party Congress'') refer to a series of celebratory events coordinated by the Nazi Party in Nazi Germany, Germany. The first rally held took place in 1923. This rally was not part ...

in Nuremberg from 1937 to 1938, with regional preliminary decisions for the main games. In addition to the NSDAP, the SA, SS, NSKK and HJ also participated in the predominantly military sports competitions, such as hand grenade targets, 30-meter swimming in a drizzle suit with a pack or 15-kilometer baggage in closed formations Wehrmacht and the police. The SA had the responsibility for these paramilitary events. The outbreak of war in 1939 ended the short episode of the NS combat games. A documentary was made of the 1937 edition of these games. NS-Kampfspiele 1937
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Games

Summer Games

*1922 - June 18 to July 2 in

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...

*1926 - July 4 to July 11 in

Cologne Cologne ( ; german: Köln ; ksh, Kölle ) is the largest city of the German western state of North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) and the fourth-most populous city of Germany with 1.1 million inhabitants in the city proper and 3.6 millio ...

*1930 - June 26 to June 29 in Breslau *1934 - June 23 to June 29 in

Nürnberg Nuremberg ( ; german: link=no, Nürnberg ; in the local East Franconian dialect: ''Nämberch'' ) is the second-largest city of the German state of Bavaria after its capital Munich, and its 518,370 (2019) inhabitants make it the 14th-largest ...

Winter Games

*1922 - January 23 to January 29 in

Garmisch-Partenkirchen Garmisch-Partenkirchen (; Bavarian: ''Garmasch-Partakurch''), nicknamed Ga-Pa, is an Alpine ski town in Bavaria, southern Germany. It is the seat of government of the district of Garmisch-Partenkirchen (abbreviated ''GAP''), in the Ob ...

Upper Bavaria Upper Bavaria (german: Oberbayern, ; ) is one of the seven administrative districts of Bavaria, Germany. Geography Upper Bavaria is located in the southern portion of Bavaria, and is centered on the city of Munich, both state capital and seat ...

*1926 - January 23 to January 31 in

Triberg im Schwarzwald Triberg im Schwarzwald is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, located in the Schwarzwald-Baar district in the Black Forest. In 2020, it had a population of 4,656. Triberg lies in the middle of the Black Forest between 500 and 1038 metres above ...

*1930 - January 11 to January 19 in Krummhübel on Riesengebirge *1934 in Schierke in

Harz The Harz () is a highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The name ''Harz'' derives from the Middle High German ...

NS-Kampfspiele

*1937 in Nürnberg *1938 in Nürnberg

References

{{Reflist

External links

*
NS-Kampfspiele 1937
' - film of the 1937 edition National multi-sport events Sporting events in Germany Recurring sporting events established in 1922 Recurring events disestablished in 1934 1922 establishments in Germany 1934 disestablishments in Germany