Stalinization of Sport in Łódź Voivodeship in Years 1949–1956

Abstract

At the end of 1948 single party ruling of PZPR (Polish United Workers’ Party) started uncritical following of the Soviet state model. The changes concerned physical culture as well. The guidelines on the new model of sport and physical culture management were created by the resolution of Politburo (BP) of KC PZPR (Central Committee of Polish United Workers’ Party) of September 8th, 1949. The implementation of the tasks were handed over to the Head Committee of Physical Culture. In Łódź Voivodeship it was at first the Voivodeship Office of Physical Culture, then the Voivodeship Committee of Physical Culture and Łódź Committee of Physical Culture that supervised the proces of sports reorganization. The biggest difficulty in the reforms was the lack of staff. The trials of its replacement by the Polish Youth Association did not compensate the purge that was carried out among the pre-war activists. As a result of the September resolution sports unions were reorganized into sports sections and sports clubs lost their legal status and traditional names. The impelmentation od the physical culture tasks into the six-year planning secured the financial resources for their realization.The level of physical culture was marked by its range, mass events and the “Fit for Work and Defence” badge.