Acta Gymnica e2026.014 | DOI: 10.5507/ag.2026.014

The historical development of fencing in the Czech lands up to 1948: Institutionalisation, clubs, personalities, and the international context

Tomáš Tlustý
Department of Sports Studies, Faculty of Education, University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice, České Budějovice, Czech Republic

Background: Fencing represents a traditional component of European physical culture, yet its development in the Czech lands has not been comprehensively examined within broader social and institutional contexts. Previous research has tended to focus on individual personalities or specific periods, while the long-term continuity between military tradition, associational life, and modern sport has remained outside systematic analysis.

Objective: The aim of this study is to analyse the development of fencing in the Czech lands from the Middle Ages to the second half of the twentieth century, with emphasis on processes of institutionalisation, professionalisation of instruction, and transformations of organisational structures within changing social and political contexts.

Methods: The study is based on a historical-analytical approach drawing on archival documents, period press, club and federation materials, and scholarly literature. Methods of source analysis and comparative analysis were applied to interpret the development of fencing in relation to broader trends in the institutionalisation of sport in Central Europe.

Results: The findings show that fencing gradually transformed from a combat skill associated with military and aristocratic environments into a modern sport with stable club and federation structures. A key role was played by clubs and associations, particularly the Czech Fencing Club Riegel, as well as the Association of Fencing Masters founded in 1928, which contributed to the unification of professional standards of instruction. Development was significantly influenced by political disruptions in 1939 and 1948; nevertheless, continuity of professional tradition was preserved.

Conclusions: The development of fencing in the Czech lands illustrates how a sporting discipline was able to maintain professional continuity despite repeated institutional disruptions. The study shows that the development of fencing in the Czech lands was shaped by the interaction of civic associations, specialised clubs, and professional fencing masters, while international contacts played an important role in its institutionalisation and long-term continuity.

Keywords: fencing, sports history, Czech lands, Sokol, Czech Fencing Club Riegel, fencing federations, Olympic Games, institutionalisation of sport

Received: February 2, 2026; Revised: July 19, 2026; Accepted: August 29, 2026; Published online: September 15, 2026  Show citation

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Tlustý, T. (2026). The historical development of fencing in the Czech lands up to 1948: Institutionalisation, clubs, personalities, and the international context. Acta Gymnica, 56, Article e2026.014. https://doi.org/10.5507/ag.2026.014
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