| First event | Schreiberhau, Germany in 1925 |
|---|---|
| Occur every | 6 years |
| Last event | Antwerp, Belgium in 1937 |
| Purpose | Alternative Olympic event for the members ofSocialist Workers' Sport International |
| Headquarters | Lucerne, Switzerland |
International Workers' Olympiads were an international sporting event arranged between 1925 and 1937 bySocialist Workers' Sport International (SASI). It was an organisation supported bysocial democratic parties andInternational Federation of Trade Unions. Workers' Olympiads were an alternate event for theOlympic Games. The participants were members of various labor sports associations and came mostly from Europe.[1] Nowadaysthe CSIT World Sports Games are the successor sports events of the International Workers' Olympiads. The "World Sports Games" is the main highlight and a new brand of theInternational Workers and Amateurs in Sports Confederation (CSIT). It is a sports event for thousands of workers and amateurs held every two years. The CSIT is an international multi-sports organization.
The Workers' Olympiads were created as a counterweight for the Olympic Games, which were criticized for being confined for the upper social classes and privileged people. The international workers' sports movement did not believe that the true Olympic spirit could be achieved in an Olympic movement dominated by the aristocratic leadership.Pierre de Coubertin, founder of theInternational Olympic Committee, had always opposed women's participation and supported the cultural superiority of white Europeans over other races. His followers,Henri de Baillet-Latour andAvery Brundage, were openly anti-semitic and both collaborated with the Nazis. On the contrary, the Workers' Olympiads opposed all kinds of chauvinism, sexism, racism and social exclusiveness. The Olympic Games were based in rivalry between the nations, but the Workers' Olympiads stressed internationalism, friendship, solidarity and peace.[2]
TheLucerne Sport International (later known as Socialist Workers' Sport International) was established inLucerne,Switzerland in 1920. The first unofficial Workers' Olympiads were held a year later inPrague,Czechoslovakia. The IOC had banned the losing side of theWorld War I from the1920 Summer Olympics, but the Workers's Olympiads were open for the "enemy" side as well. The number of participating countries was thirteen. The first official Worker's Olympiads were the 1925 winter games in theGerman town ofSchreiberhau, which today is a part ofPoland. They were followed by the first Summer Olympiads inFrankfurt am Main.[2]
National flags were not used, but a red flag of international workers' movement.[1] The best athletes were awarded with diplomas, they did not receive medals like in the Olympic Games.[3] The visiting athletes stayed mostly at private accommodation of local families.[1]
International Workers' Olympiads were more than just a games for the top athletes. The festival was based on a mass participation, it did not restrict entry on the grounds of sporting ability.1931 Workers' Summer Olympiad inVienna was the largest event with the participation of 100,000 athletes from 26 countries. The Vienna Workers' Olympiad attracted some 250,000 spectators. It was much bigger event than the1932 Summer Olympics atLos Angeles, both in number of participants as well as spectators.[4]Praterstadion (now Ernst-Happel-Stadion) was constructed between 1929 and 1931 for the 1931 Olympiad.[5] The last Workers' Olympiad atAntwerp in 1937 was a joint event with theRed Sport International organizedSpartakiads.[6]
| Olympiad | Date | Host Country | Host City | Number of countries |
| 1921 Olympiad (unofficial) | June 25 – June 29, 1921 |  Czechoslovakia | Prague | 13 |
| 1925 Winter Olympiad | January 31 – February 2, 1925 |  Germany | Schreiberhau | 4 |
| 1925 Summer Olympiad | July 24 – 28, 1925 | Germany | Frankfurt am Main | 11 |
| 1931 Winter Olympiad | February 5 – 8, 1931 |  Austria | Mürzzuschlag | 7 |
| 1931 Summer Olympiad | July 19 – 26, 1931 | Austria | Vienna | 26 |
| 1937 Winter Olympiad | February 18 – 21, 1937 | Czechoslovakia | Janské Lázně | 7 |
| 1937 Summer Olympiad | July 25 – August 1, 1937 |  Belgium | Antwerp | 15 |
| 1943 Summer Olympiad | Cancelled due to World War II |  Finland | Helsinki | – |
Note: the table below is incomplete. Only the participating countries of 1925 and 1937 Winter Olympiads and 1925 Summer Olympiads are correct.
| Sport | 1925 | 1931 | 1937 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nordic skiing | × | × | × |
| Alpine skiing | × | × | |
| Figure skating | × | × | |
| Bobsleigh | × | ||
| Ice hockey | × | ||
| Ice stock sport | × | ||
| Speed skating | × |
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