Kriegswinter 1941: Die Ski-Weltmeisterschaften in Cortina d’Ampezzo und die Wintersportwoche in Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Winter of War 1942: The World Ski Championships in Cortina d’Ampezzo and the Winter Sports Week in Garmisch-Partenkirchen – In February 1941, despite Italy’s critical military situation in the Balkans, official Alpine and Nordic World Ski Championships were held in Cortina d’Ampezzo. This event was immediately followed by the Fifth Winter Sports Week (Wintersportwoche) in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The article examines the prehistory and realisation as well as the sport-political echo of this double event of the Axis powers in the third winter of the war. It also discusses the sporting rivalries of the Axis powers for supremacy in European sport and the indifferent attitude of the IOC towards belligerent countries.