ABSTRACT:
Numerous gymnastic societies were created in Brazil between the mid-nineteenth century and the end of the 1930’s. Their main goal was, to contribute to the formation of the German-Brazilian communities and preservation of their cultural heritage in benefit of the country that had welcomed them, through a specific form of body education, Turnen. From the first decades of the XX century on, however, sports start to gain some space in these societies and, as a foreign creation, is involved in discussions and inquiries about their possible educational and hygienic benefits. In this article we analyze how gymnastics and sports have been appropriated by the gymnastic societies as elements of body education and identity preservation. It is noted that the initial resistance to the sport insertion is more connected to the preservation of gymnastic as a national German “heritage” and it engages with the discussions on the theme that were taking place in Germany.
Keywords:
History of gymnastic; History of sport; German immigration