Page 105 - Olympism in Socialism

consisted almost exclusively of gymnastics,
expanded and became all- embracing. This was
the beginning of the division of physical culture
into broad-based, health and body-building
exercises on the one hand, and highly competitive
sports on the other hand. After the fall of the
Republic of Councils, from August 1919, during
the so-called Horthy-era, physical education was
put under the service of nationalist movements.
In 1925, the Academy of Physical Education was
established, and the Physical Education
Research Institute was founded in 1943. But
workers were able to start their own sports
movement because, as Archduke Albrecht
Habsburg said to the newspaper Nemzeti Sport in
1923, “muscle-building also strengthens the
mind, i.e., it makes it possible for people to
endure more work”. The first international
workers’ sports festival was organised in 1928,
and three years later the iron-workers Trade
Union (VASAS) built its own sports ground.
During the Second World War hiking and
living in river boat-houses proved to be excellent
cohesive factors in the underground movement
and provided many illegal meeting places. The
sports movement of Hungarian workers became a
progressive social force. In later years, with the
rise of fascism, athletic meets and gymnastics
festivals organised by workers’ associations were
banned.
During all these years many Hungarians won
medals in international competitions. Back in
1895 Tibor Foidvari was the European champion
in. figure-skating, in 1896 Alfred Hajos was
Olympic champion in free-style swimming.
After 1945 sports and physical education
were re-organised. The supreme state body is the
National Office of Physical Education and Sports

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