English summary: As the Second World War began on 1st September 1939, the environment for sport also changed, in part, dramatically. Official propaganda no longer considered football to be just a mere game, but as an instrument of political and military intentions. However, due to its unpredictability, football was only suited for this to a limited extent. At the same time, this sport created politically-neutral spaces for exciting entertainment and escapist diversion. The focal points of the book are the situations in ...
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English summary: As the Second World War began on 1st September 1939, the environment for sport also changed, in part, dramatically. Official propaganda no longer considered football to be just a mere game, but as an instrument of political and military intentions. However, due to its unpredictability, football was only suited for this to a limited extent. At the same time, this sport created politically-neutral spaces for exciting entertainment and escapist diversion. The focal points of the book are the situations in the European countries occupied by German troops, the Greater German Reich, in the Allied and neutral states and in the British sphere of influence, as well as the reception of the issue in the arts. German description: Als am 1. September 1939 der Zweite Weltkrieg begann, anderten sich auch fur den Sport die Rahmenbedingungen, teilweise dramatisch. Die offizielle Propaganda verstand Fussball nicht langer als zweckfreies Spiel, sondern als Instrument politischer und militarischer Absichten. Wegen der Unberechenbarkeit eines Spielverlaufs war Fussball dafur aber nur bedingt geeignet. Zugleich schuf dieser Sport politisch neutrale Freiraume fur spannende Unterhaltung und eskapistische Zerstreuung. Schwerpunkte des Buches bilden die Situation in den von deutschen Truppen besetzten europaischen Staaten, im Grossdeutschen Reich, in den verbundeten und neutralen Staaten und im britischen Einflussbereich, sowie die Rezeption des Themas in den Kunsten.
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