It never crossed my mind that Germany continued to stage prize fights throughout World War II. With fights coming as late as August 1944, in a bombed out Berlin no less, as late as two full months after the Normandy invasion, and with the Russians in Poland.
It does look to have stopped just as Germany prepared its counter offesinve/attack in the Ardennes (The Bludge; winter '44) and doesn't reappear until after the war.
But amazingly there is once again boxing within six months of surrender, by fall of 1945.
Boxing must have had a strong connection to1930s culture (worldwide) that it was something nations sought to continue even during times of crisis. Normality for the masses.
For us, FDR announced that baseball would continue to play despite the war. I wonder if the **** sought to keep soccer (futball) alive during the war, as well as boxing?
To me, with my American bias, Germany and boxing history always stopped when they put Schmeling in uniform; began again after the war. But that seems not to be the case.
It does look to have stopped just as Germany prepared its counter offesinve/attack in the Ardennes (The Bludge; winter '44) and doesn't reappear until after the war.
But amazingly there is once again boxing within six months of surrender, by fall of 1945.
Boxing must have had a strong connection to1930s culture (worldwide) that it was something nations sought to continue even during times of crisis. Normality for the masses.
For us, FDR announced that baseball would continue to play despite the war. I wonder if the **** sought to keep soccer (futball) alive during the war, as well as boxing?
To me, with my American bias, Germany and boxing history always stopped when they put Schmeling in uniform; began again after the war. But that seems not to be the case.
them_apples
Comment