Abstract des Autors

Contemporary Austrian gymnasts still believe in the possibility of pure body culture, existing in a vacuum, far removed from the influences of day-to-day politics. In order to decode the metaphor of non-political body culture inherent in Austrian gymnastics it is necessary to consider the historical and ideological roots of the German gymnastics movement in inter-war Austria. This was carried out in the name of the welfare of the greater German nation through the politicization of exercise in order to strengthen the male body in readiness for war. This essay investigates this ideology in its historical context and shows how it reflected gender and class characteristics and drew on Darwinian theory. Verf.-Referat