The Outline of the History of Physical Culture in the Province of Ternopil in the Years 1920-1939

Abstract

The aim of the paper is to present the outline of the history of physical culture in the province of Ternopil in the years 1920-1939. The province of Ternopil was established on 23 December 1920, as one of the very first provinces on the South-Eastern Borderlands of the Second Polish Republic. In the interwar period, physical culture flourished in the province of Ternopil. In the twenties and thirties of the 20th century, new social and sports associations and sports clubs were being established. What is more, sports organisations gathering Polish, Ukrainian and Jewish citizens that had been active before the outbreak of WWI became active again. Football was the most popular sports discipline practised alongside boxing, gymnastics, cycling, athletics, archery, water sports, shooting, gliding, table tennis. A contest whose main prize was the State Sports Badge played an important role in propagating physical activity in society.

Keywords

• province of Ternopil
• the interwar period
• physical culture
• sport