14-18, un grand terrain de sport (14-18, a Vast Sports Field)

In this Olympic year, sport has pride of place!

Nowadays, two out of three people claim to exercise regularly. However, practicing a sport was for a long time an elitist activity, reserved for the most well-off.
It became popular with the First World War: men from all social classes met and practiced their sports together.

A specialised sports press emerged from the end of the 19th century and recounted the exploits of champions who aroused the admiration of the general public.

With the halt of competitions, and with the disappearance of many athletes, war stopped, or at least slowed down, the development of sport.

But the duration of the cataclysm, the adaptation to new combat methods and the cultural mixing linked to the globalisation of the conflict gave sport a new lease of life. A major turning point was reached: practices diversified, became more democratic and laid the foundations for modern sport.