Strength Through Joy
An all-embracing recreational organization for workers, called ' ("Strength Through Joy") was set up under the auspices of the German Labor Front (' or DAF), which had been created when the Nazis forcibly dissolved the trade unions on 2 May 1933, thus eviscerating the labor movement. Hobbies were regimented, and all private clubs, whether they be for chess, football, or woodworking, were brought under the control of Strength Through Joy, which also provided vacation trips, skiing, swimming, concerts, and ocean cruises. Some 43 million Germans enjoyed trips via the Strength Through Joy initiative and it was this effort which helped inspire the idea of Germans enjoying the acquisition of automobiles and the construction of the "Autobahn". It was the largest of the many organizations established by the Nazis and a propaganda success. Workers were also brought in line with the party, through activities such as the "", a national vocational competition.