Opuscula Sociologica

The subject of the analysis is the camp for officers Oflag II C Woldenberg as an enclave and war enclave in the years 1939-1945. The current name of Woldenberg is Dobiegniew in the Lubuskie province (woivodeship). Prisoners of war camps founded by the German Wermacht wardens were an example of enclaves the aim of which was to isolate thousands of soldiers and officers in very bad conditions and exclude them from normal life. The organization of life of the prisoners of war within the world of subordinates, primarily their cultural, educational and sports activities, were examples of enclaves which made it possible for them to survive. The article focuses on the case study of Oflag II C Woldenberg, particularly on its sports enclave. The question of the camp has been presented by employing the concepts of exclaves and enclaves leading to constructing the following typology: enclaves/exclaves – spatial, functional, based on status or repertoire and other multiple sports enclaves/exclaves relevant to sports disciplines, clubs, roles of contestants, amateurs, instructors, coaches, fans, camp authorities, sports events and physical exercises. The study is on the borderline between a historical and a sociological approach (sociology of culture and sociology of sport) attempting to show the usefulness of the concepts of enclaves and exclaves in the analysis of the Oflag- camp social world. It is also an example of a ‘sociological game’.