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Leipzig: The German Gymnastics Festivals |
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Origins |
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When they think of gymnastics, most people’s thoughts immediately leap to parallel bars or the balance beam, but there’s actually far more to gymnastics than that. Even during the time of Friedrich Ludwig Jahn’ (the German father of gymnastics), apparatus was only one of many ways of achieving physical fitness, and jogging, swimming and hiking were all part of gymnastics exercises right from the start of its development.
Gymnastics festivals started in 1860 when the first German Gymnastics Festival was held in Coburg. At that time Germany consisted of 31 principalities and four free cities. Around 1,000 participants responded to the call issued by Carl Kallenberg and Dr Theodor Georgii and used the festival for both sporting and political activities. It must be said that the sports part of the programme actually played a relatively minor role.
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Leipzig and the German Gymnastics Festivals |
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The first Gymnastics Festival in Leipzig was organised in 1863. It was the 2nd German Gymnastics Festival, three years after Coburg. Leipzig took the Festival into a new dimension with 20,000 participants – a figure which was only reached again at the 9th Festival in 1898 in Hamburg.
In 1913, 50 years later, Leipzig hosted another huge national German Gymnastics Festival featuring 62,700 participants. New competitions were held reflecting sporting developments of the day, and the shot-putting and javelin events were controversially discussed.
In 1922, 100,000 people came to Leipzig to take part in the 1st Workers’ Gymnastics Festival, which is also counted as the 13th German Gymnastics Festival. Held four years after World War I, the international nature of the event was emphasised by the host organisation, the Workers’ Gymnastics and Sports Association, and the festival was attended by visitors from 11 nations. By now, women had been integrated into the competition programme, which also included football and water sports. However, Leipzig had to wait another 32 years before the Festival returned.
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The East German Gymnastics and Sports Festivals |
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Sport was an important political instrument for the East German state and Leipzig played a significant role in the government’s strategy. This accounted for the foundation of the German Sports College (DHfK) in Leipzig in 1950, which soon rose to fame for the quality of the trainers and sports teachers it turned out. Moreover, competitors from the DHfK sports club scored numerous international successes.
Leipzig Central Stadium was built in 1954–56. Seating 100,000 spectators, it was the largest German sports arena. The I German Gymnastics and Sports Festival in August 1954 revitalised Leipzig’s role in the Gymnastics Festivals.
Until August 1987, seven more gymnastics and sports festivals were held in Leipzig. The Central Stadium usually was the venue for the sports show, an international football match, an international athletics competition, and the finale. Starting in 1977, the Central Children’s and Youth ”Spartakiad” was simultaneously held in Leipzig, too.
In 2002, more than 100,000 participants are expected in Leipzig again for the 31st German Gymnastics Festival (18–25 May). As hardly any other German city has changed so much for the better over the past decade (apart from the refurbished buildings and the well-developed infrastructure, guests especially admire the wide range of entertainment and the lively restaurants and bars), attending the 2002 German Gymnastics Festival in Leipzig looks set to become an unforgettable tourist adventure for all the participants and visitors. |
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Chronology of Leipzig Gymnastics Festivals |
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1863 2nd German Gymnastics Festival
1913 12th German Gymnastics Festival
1922 1st Workers’ Gymnastics and Sports Festival (13th German gymnastics festival)
1954 I German gymnastics and sports festival
1956 II German gymnastics and sports festival
1959 III German gymnastics and sports festival
1963 IV East German gymnastics and sports festival
1969 V East German gymnastics and sports festival
1977 VI East German gymnastics and sports festival
1983 VII East German gymnastics and sports festival
1987 VIII East German gymnastics and sports festival
Organising committee of the 31st German Gymnastics Festival
Organisationskomitee Deutsches Turnfest Leipzig 2002
Axis-Passage, Georg-Schumann-Strasse 175
04159 Leipzig
Tel: +49 (0) 341 918 960
Fax: +49 (0) 341 918 9623
Internet: www.turnfest.de
Information on Leipzig; accommodation and tours
Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH
Tourist-Information
Richard-Wagner-Strasse 1
D-04109 Leipzig
Tel: +49 (0) 341 7104 260 or 265
Fax: +49 (0) 341 7104 276
E-Mail: info@ltm-leipzig.de
Internet: www.leipzig.de, www.ltm-leipzig.de
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Contact |
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Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing GmbH
Ms. Steffi Gretschel
Head of International PR Tourism
Augustusplatz 9
D-04109 Leipzig
Phone +49 (0)341 7104-300
Fax +49 (0)341 7104-236
S.Gretschel@ltm-leipzig.de
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