Chronicle Volume 1939

All events and developments in 1939 were overshadowed by the ever-increasing threat of war in Europe and, finally, by the Wehrmacht's attack on Poland. For the second time in the twentieth century, a war broke out on German soil, quickly spreading beyond the European continent and turning the whole world into a theater of war. All areas of cultural life were now also subject to state control. In the German Reich, no book could be published, no newspaper printed, no film made, and no play performed without the approval of the Nazi authorities. Political developments also had an ever-increasing influence on sporting events. In April, the Reich Sports Leader banned all German athletes from competing in France. The reason for this boycott was the French cancellation of two international football matches. The 1940 Winter Olympics, awarded to Garmisch-Partenkirchen in June, were returned in November after France and Great Britain had rejected a "peace offer" from Adolf Hitler.

The chronicle shows these events, but it also shows how people lived back then and brings history to life. This makes the 1939 Chronicle a unique gift.