85

This contribution examines the impact of the war on schoolchildren in Nazi Germany—or, more specifically, on the bodies of schoolchildren—with a specific focus on the role of physical education classes. We chose a time frame that allows us to examine the issue during two different periods: pre-war, with the launch of the four-year plan in 1936 marking an important preparatory milestone, and from 1939 onward, during which the consequences of the war itself had to be managed. By cross-referencing central, regional, and local sources, this contribution aims to adopt a threefold perspective on physical education (and on other sports-related bodily practices) under National Socialism, looking at how it was impacted by the preparation for the war, its repercussions, and the way these repercussions were handled. Approaching the matter at different levels allows us to highlight the tension between the creation of norms and their application, as well as the circulation of practices, in order to better understand the impact of war on the bodies of schoolchildren.