Austria versus Niemcy. Anschluß-Spiel jako austriackie miejsce pamięci
Austria vs Germany. Anschluß-Spiel as an Austrian place of memory

Summary/Abstract: On April 3, 1938, roughly a month after the Anschluß (annexation of Austria by Nazi Germany) the Prater Stadium in Vienna hosted a football match between teams representing Austria and Germany. The Game, which ended with a 2-0 score to Austria, became an event that had a major role in shaping the national consciousness of the Austrian society. The aim of this article is to portray developments related to the above-mentioned sporting event considering its peculiar social and political conditions as well as to highlight the mechanism of instrumentalizing the match by the Nazi authorities. Against this backdrop, the author reveals how particular elements of the event were mythologized leading to its becoming a significant symbol of remembrance in Austria today. Therefore, special importance is attached in the text to the postwar interpretation of the match, which served as a tool to forge local identity and to culturally separate Austrians from Germans and Germany. Furthermore, the author of the article attempts to debunk the myths and legends that have built up around this particular sporting event.

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