Arbeitersportbewegung#
Workers' Sports Movement: The workers' sports movement in Austria originated after the foundation of the Social-Democratic Party (1888/89), when a number of Social Democrats left the German-Nationalist gymnastics movement and founded the Workers' gymnastics movement as part of the Arbeiterbildungsverein Wien-Mariahilf (gymnastics section founded in 1890-92). 1893 saw the founding of workers' cycling clubs, the "Naturfreunde" tourist club was organised in 1895.
The workers' sports associations, cycling clubs and the "Naturfreunde"
joined forced in 1919 to form the Verband der Arbeiter - und
Soldatensportvereine (Association of Workers' and Soldiers' Sports
Clubs - VAS), which was reorganised in 1924 as Arbeiterbund fuer Sport
und Koerperkultur in Oesterreich (Workers' Association for Sports and
Physical Culture in Austria - ASKOe). From 1913 the Austrian workers'
sports movement maintained links with the international workers'
sports organisation. and the Wiener Arbeiter-Turner- und Sportverband
(Vienna Workers' Gymnastics and Sports Association - WAT), founded in
1919, was the only sports organisation which became a member of the
Socialist International. The Second Workers' Olympics were held in
Vienna in 1931. Proscribed in 1934, the Austrian workers' sports
movement was reactivated in 1945 and has since then been officially
represented by ASKOe.