Orel – the Catholic gymnastics organization and its foreign relations between 1929 and 1948

Abstract

This paper looks at the history of the Czechoslovak Orel, the Catholic gymnastics organization and its foreign relations between 1929 and 1948. The Orel had begun to establish its first foreign contacts before the First World War, at a time when the organization had not yet become fully independent. The Czechoslovak Orel was given independence after the First World War had come to an end – a time when it began to expand and establish an increasing number of foreign contacts. However, the Czechoslovak organization did not experience major expansion until the 1920s, the decade when it became a member of the Catholic gymnastics union, UIOCEP, and when it organized two large-scale international festivals. The festival held in 1929 was of particular significance, increasing the popularity of the Czechoslovak Orel and its physical education philosophy abroad. The Czechoslovak Orel was gradually to become one of the most significant UIOCEP members. Due to its large membership numbers, it actually became one of the largest organizations in the union and was later honorably awarded presidency. However, the Orel suffered a major setback following the outbreak of the Second World War and the ensuing totalitarian regime that was introduced in Czechoslovakia in 1948. A planned third festival, where Czechoslovak Orel officials again predicted large numbers of participants from abroad, was never held. The Orel was not reestablished until the early 1990s. However, it was never to develop and grow in the way it had been known to.