Polscy duchowni – Heftlindzy a rozgrywki piłki nożnej w Konzentrationslager Dachau – cz. I

Abstract

The first German concentration camp on the land of the Third Reich was the KL Dachau, established in 1933. Starting from 1940, about 3000 clergymen of different faiths and nationalities were imprisoned there. 97% of them were the clergy of the Catholic Church among which there were 1807 Poles. KL Dachau was therefore a camp, where the largest number of Catholic clergymen was gathered during the whole World War II. After the defeat of Germans at Stalingrad at the beginning of 1943 the discipline in the concentration camp in Dachau was somewhat loosened. The prisoners were allowed to read German books and press, or to stage theatrical performances. This article deals with a hardly known phenomenon of organizing sport contests in KL Dachau, and especially football games, in which Polish clergymen also participated.