Based on original Stasi and Communist Party archival sources, this text uncovers why East Germany was for two decades running one of the most successful nations in the Summer and Winter Olympics, and explores how the central elite sports system was beset by internal tensions and disputes.

Examines the role of the masses in the collapse of the East German regime and state in 1989 in the northern district of Schwerin. The study shows the extent to which citizens of the GDR dictatorship were instrumental in their state's demise. The "bottom up" approach employed, in contrast to the study of power wielding elites and "opposition", explores the shift in mood and behaviour of citizens which brought about the internal collapse of the state.

Have you ever wondered why states invest so heavily in sports mega-events? Ever considered who benefits from these (mostly publicly financed) 'mega' events? Part of the rationale of this edited collection is to go beyond the positive discourse that attends sports 'megas'. The volume of essays from a stellar international cast of experts offers a panoramic and interdisciplinary view of the growing field of Sports Mega-Event studies. The contributions cover discussion of the key concepts and debates in cutting-edge research, examples of leveraging strategies and the legacies from previous sports megas (such as London, Seoul, Sydney, Vancouver) and examples and analyses of recent and future 'emerging' states and their hosting strategies (such as India, China, Qatar and Russia).

Based on original Stasi and Communist Party archival sources, this book uncovers why East Germany was for two decades running one of the most successful nations in the Summer and Winter Olympics, exploring how the central elite sports system was beset by internal tensions and disputes.

This book examines the role of the masses in the collapse of the East German regime and state in 1989 in the northern district of Schwerin. It shows the extent to which citizens of the GDR dictatorship were instrumental in their state's demise. The 'bottom-up' approach employed, in contrast to the study of power wielding elites and 'opposition', explores the shift in mood and behaviour of citizens which brought about the internal collapse of the state.