"On Auschwitz" (11): Sport and sportspeople in Auschwitz

The term "sport" in KL Auschwitz was distorted by using it to
refer to the exhausting exercises combined with the drill and
singing applied on a mass scale. This form of sport, referred to
after the war as pseudo-sport, was usually a way of enforcing
discipline and punishing prisoners.


However, among people deported by the Germans to Auschwitz, there
were pre-war sportsmen and sportswomen: Olympians and national
champions. Some prisoners had also the opportunity to practice
some sports in the camp. These included wrestling and boxing, as
well as games such as soccer, volleyball, and basketball. Mind
sports were also popular among prisoners, particularly chess, but
also card games.


Renata Koszyk, an educator at the Auschwitz Memorial and curator
of the exhibition dedicated to this topic, talks about sport and
sportspeople in Auschwitz.