1936 Olympics

Discussions on the propaganda, architecture and culture in the Third Reich.
User avatar
RACPISA
Member
Posts: 836
Joined: 27 Apr 2003, 19:21
Location: Grand Rapids, MI

1936 Olympics

#1

Post by RACPISA » 11 May 2003, 23:29

[Moved from the Polls section]


I have a really interesting book called The Nazi Olympics: Berlin 1936, so I was wondering what you guys thought.

On the one hand, the decision to hold the 1936 Olympics in Berlin was made in May 1931, almost 2 years before Hitler came to power. After losing WWI, this was a sign of Germany being once more included in the world community.

On the other hand, the 1936 Olympics gave Hitler the opportunity to use propaganda to convince the world that Nazi Germany was a peaceful, law-abiding country.

So, what do you guys think? Should they have still held the 1936 Olympics in Berlin or found another city?

James McBride
Member
Posts: 540
Joined: 15 Mar 2003, 23:58
Location: Sonoma County, California

#2

Post by James McBride » 12 May 2003, 06:02

From what I read, the USOC president understood pretty well what it was like in Germany after Hitler's rise to power, and despite that didn't put up strong enough protest. They planned for an alternate Games, and chose, of all places, Barcelona. I don't remember how feasible it was to find another site, but I think that the understanding of how Hitler would use the games should have compelled the Olympic planners to put more effort into finding an alternative. I read parts of that book a few years ago, the first thing I ever read concerning the Reich, and would need refreshing in order to make a complete answer. But I felt it necessary to explain my answer, as the only to say "no".


User avatar
Kaiser Daniel I
Member
Posts: 22
Joined: 23 Apr 2003, 21:32
Location: NY

#3

Post by Kaiser Daniel I » 15 May 2003, 02:27

I say yes. The American team made a complete ass out of the Nazis (National Alliance of Zombified Idiots). It was an absolutely brilliant Propaganda move.

James McBride
Member
Posts: 540
Joined: 15 Mar 2003, 23:58
Location: Sonoma County, California

#4

Post by James McBride » 15 May 2003, 06:29

Kaiser Daniel I wrote:I say yes. The American team made a complete ass out of the Nazis (National Alliance of Zombified Idiots). It was an absolutely brilliant Propaganda move.
How so? Everyone knows all about Jesse Owens, but the Germans still won more medals than any other country. They removed all signs of segregation in Berlin and the surrounding areas, fooling plenty of foreigners into believing that the any stories they had heard about Germany were untrue. Hitler was able to show the strength of the German nation and German people, making the Berlin Olympics a nearly complete propaganda victory for the Nazi Party. The definitely were not idiots.

User avatar
trower
Member
Posts: 567
Joined: 14 Apr 2003, 15:41
Location: New Brunswick, Canada

#5

Post by trower » 15 May 2003, 06:53

The Americans and Jesse Owens certainly didn't have much of an effect on German nordic beliefs......the Germans kicked butt....that's not the question on this string.

the question was should the Olympics had been held in Germany in 1936....my opinion is that even then (before Munich) the world community was appeasing Hitler.

User avatar
Mike K.
Member
Posts: 1086
Joined: 20 Oct 2002, 23:33
Location: California

#6

Post by Mike K. » 15 May 2003, 07:14

I've heard the match between Jesse Owens and Luz Long (Germany's athlete) was very close, and he was the first one to congratulate him on his victory.

User avatar
don1
Member
Posts: 45
Joined: 06 Jan 2003, 14:25
Location: North Wales

Berlin Olympic Games 1936

#7

Post by don1 » 22 Dec 2003, 19:18

BERLIN OLYMPIC GAMES.

(August 1-16, 1936).

When the International Olympic Committee in their wisdom initially awarded the 1936 Games to Berlin, their selection was based on Germany’s programmed return to world community following almost two decades of isolation following the devastating effects of WW1.

Germany also hosted the Winter Olympic Games in February 1936 at Garmisch-Partenkirchen where Hitler and Goebbels were bizarrly photographed enjoying themselves, and signing autographs for the Canadian figure skating team.

The summer games were especially designed to become a Nazi Party showpiece. It was said the stadium even boasted more Nazi swastikas than Olympic flags and the success of any German athlete was acknowledged of course, as a great victory for the 'Master Race.'

Germany had been in consideration for the Olympic Games long before 1931, with the precise venue confirmed more than two years before Adolf Hitler came to power. The IOC of course, could not have predicted at that time that Hitler and his Nazi Party would be in power by the time the games finally took place.

Later however, they were to become increasingly concerned at his party's racist policies and the creation of a violent society.

They had noted that when Hitler was elected Chancellor and even many years before, the Nazi Party was in effect a one party dictatorship and soon noted that Jews, Romany Gypsies and many other political opponents became persecuted along with anyone else who threatened the new regime.

Non-Aryans were rapidly and systematically excluded from society in Germany. Many established German athletes were also affected by this drastic change in policy.

This included Daniel Preyn the country’s top table tennis player who was suddenly dropped from the Davis Cup team and top international high jumper Gretel Bergmann, who in 1936 was excluded from both her club and the national Olympic team.

German champion Erich Seelig was another Jewish athlete expelled. Jews in general were rapidly being forced out of sports clubs and consequently began to formed their own groups like Maccabe. Segregation tactics became more prominent.

Jewish groups could no longer face direct competition from Germans. The Nazis soon controlled all aspects of German life - particularly in sports and leisure. They promoted health and fitness pushing the ideal of Aryan superiority. They promoted heroic strength and physical excellence.

When challenged by the IOC, the Nazis tried to placate them by allowing a part Jewish athlete to be included, with Helene Mayer competing in the fencing competition. She won a silver medal in the women’s individual event and gave the Nazi salute on the podium. No other Jews though were allowed to represent Germany yet 8 Jews from other nations also won medals in Berlin including 5 Hungarians.

In addition, 7 American Jews took part despite pressure from other organisations to boycott the Games. Plans for a boycott grew following Hitler’s election as Chancellor. There was severe pressure from a number of protest groups worldwide including Great Britain, Netherlands, France, America, Sweden and Czechoslovakia.

In the US it became more intense due to pressure from Jewish organisations and it became a difficult decision with America sending one of the largest teams to the Games.

This also involved protests from the Jewish Labor Committee, the American Jewish Congress. However, the AA union of the US voted to compete in Dec 1935 and gradually many other nations also agreed to take part.

There were hasty plans put into effect for the ‘People’s Olympiad’ scheduled for the early summer of 1936 in Barcelona, Spain. This controversial plan however, was unfortunately stopped by the Spanish Civil War and included intervention by German military personnel and equipment - just as the athletes heading for Spain.

In the build up to the Games, all Jewish prohibition signs were cleverly disguised or covered. On July 16th, 1936, just a few weeks before the start more than 800 Romany gypsies were rounded-up by from within Berlin city limits. Most were interviewed, then arrested and sent to a concentration camp in the suburbs at Marzahn.

Hitler decreed that foreign visitors would NOT be subjected to the same strict criminal penalties. In place of restrictive notices - mainly attacking Jews - they were suddenly replaced by bright, colourful posters promoting German tourism, or the Olympic idea. The Party made bizarre comparison between the Ancient Greeks and the new Nazi regime.

The Berlin Games continued this Greek Olympian theme with the introduction of carrying the Olympic flame. Said to be lit by the rays of the sun in Greece it was transported by some 3,000 relay runners to the main stadium in Berlin for the grand official opening watched by Hitler and his Nazi officials.

This German initiative and the famous Olympic torch is a tradition that has continued until today.

The idyllic German Aryan profile included similar posters showing well developed muscle toned athletes with Nazi propaganda and accentuated facial and physical features.

The Berlin Olympics provided Hitler though with the perfect opportunity to promote German efficiency.

A total of 4,000 athletes competed from 49 countries. The Germans built 4 massive stadiums, a new Olympic swimming pool, polo fields and a grand Olympic village for athletes with 150 specially designed and constructed cottages for male athletes.

Berlin became the first televised games and offered unique facilities to visiting reporters.

The event pushed propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels firmly into the international spotlight. He relished the task and made extensive use of the new medium of live television and radio. He gave reporters every possible assistance even providing 20 transmitting vans. Foreign media received extra help. They were given 300 microphones and aided by interpreters in 20 different languages.

American network NBC praised and congratulated Goebbels who was in charge of Olympic Games publicity.

The Germans promoted their own athletic superstar Lutz Lang a brilliant high jumper who fitted Hitler’s perfect Aryan image. Blonde hair, blue eyes, suggesting racial superiority. The image reflected the importance of their Nazi regime – physical fitness – a prerequisite for military service.

The Nazis were upstaged at times by US athletes and in particular Jesse Owens, an American African. He was supposedly inferior to the German rivals.

Owens eventually won 4 gold medals in the 100m/200m and 4 x 100m relay running the final leg. He broke 11 Olympic records and even defeated Hitler’s German hero Lutz Lang in a close final to the long jump. Hitler also ignored another black athlete in Cornelius Johnson, who had won the high jump just before Hitler left.

The German however was the first to congratulate Owens. The result obviously embarrassed Hitler and the Third Reich and contradicted their theory of being inferior to Aryans. Hitler refused to meet him and the embarrassed Nazi delegates left the Stadium hastily before the medal presentations began.

Ten American Africans were amongst the US team for the Berlin Games. They won 7 gold, 3 silver and 3 bronze – which was more than any other national team.

The Germans won the most medals at the Games for the X1 Olympiad. Most of the German medals were awarded for success in horse rising, gymnastics and rowing. The Germans had 348 athletes, USA 312 – including 18 African Americans. Australia were the most disappointing with 34 athletes and just one medal.

Their hospitality though and efficient organisation won praise from thousands of visitors. NBC publicly praised and congratulated Goebbels.

The New York Times claimed the Berlin Games put the Olympic Games back in the fold of nations and said it even made them more human again. Many other international reporters said they hoped this peaceful interlude would endure.

Only a handful could see behind the façade. One being American journalist William Shirer who repeated a false image claiming the Nazis were racists and oppressively violent regime.

By Don Hale

Ends.

User avatar
EER
Member
Posts: 271
Joined: 25 Aug 2003, 22:17
Location: USA

#8

Post by EER » 22 Dec 2003, 22:56

I've always been curious: what exactly did Hitler have to say about Jesse Owens winning the event?

Roderick
Member
Posts: 704
Joined: 19 May 2003, 14:48
Location: Brazil

#9

Post by Roderick » 22 Dec 2003, 23:18

Yes, according to I've read, the Berlin games saw the 1st live tv transmission of the event. But was it possible live tv in 1936?

Roderick

User avatar
trower
Member
Posts: 567
Joined: 14 Apr 2003, 15:41
Location: New Brunswick, Canada

#10

Post by trower » 25 Dec 2003, 04:10

EER wrote:I've always been curious: what exactly did Hitler have to say about Jesse Owens winning the event?
Hitler was overheard saying that it wasn't fair that Jesse Owens be allowed to win.....he went on to say the "he's not human, he's an animal and you can't put a man up against an animal"

bonzen
Member
Posts: 144
Joined: 17 Nov 2003, 06:17
Location: chicago

#11

Post by bonzen » 25 Dec 2003, 17:06

A myth surrounding these games is that Hitler refused to shake hands with Jesse Owens. The truth is Hitler was personally congratulating only the German winners. He was ordered by the head of the Olympic committee to meet with all winners or stop the practice altogether. So he stopped meeting with the winners.

User avatar
Landser
Member
Posts: 1157
Joined: 16 Mar 2002, 20:28
Location: Sunnyland only

#12

Post by Landser » 25 Dec 2003, 18:44

Don1

Your wrap up of the 36 games smacks very much of todays PC garbage propaganda.
At the time the games where the greatest milestone of Firsts in olympic history.Even the propaganda
phase is copied and even more expanded especially in socalled "culturally superior" countries.Remember Salt Lake and nothing but Stars and Stripes everywhere?
Talking about racism and Jesse Owens,even he acknowledged to be treated as a human Being instead as a "Nigger" all his life before that.He was surprised to be able to sit with the "Masterrace" for once on the same table and not being arrested.Not even thinking of using separate bathrooms.

Another First and only to this day
the film Triumph des Willens.To bad Shirer hated it but this only showed his ignorance among other blatant inaccurancies in his books.

Robert_Kropotkin
Member
Posts: 3
Joined: 01 Feb 2004, 19:11
Location: Linköping, Sweden

#13

Post by Robert_Kropotkin » 02 Feb 2004, 03:26

Don1 wrote:
There was severe pressure from a number of protest groups worldwide including Great Britain, Netherlands, France, America, Sweden and Czechoslovakia.
The Swedish protestgroups against the Berlin olympics of 1936, consisted mainly of Communists (Swedish Communist Party, SKP), Unionmembers and some leftwing Socialdemocrats. The most agressive protesters in Sweden was SKP, perhaps because it´s membership in Comintern and the "Red Sport International".

The number of athletes that Sweden finally sent was quite decimated because of the protestgroups. For example 6 footballplayers (yes, Europeean soccer :)) were forbidden by their union or SKP to participate in the games.

/Robert Sköld

JLEES
Member
Posts: 1992
Joined: 26 Apr 2002, 05:01
Location: Michigan, USA

Olympics

#14

Post by JLEES » 06 Feb 2004, 03:02

Landser,
Your analysis of Jesse Owens and the 1936 Olympics is most interesting. I didn't know the Nazis treated racial minorities with such kindness while the USA treatment of them was so bad. Maybe if things were so nice for him in Nazi-Germany he should have stayed there. I'm sure the NSDAP would have made him a poster boy for their organization, or maybe Owens was smarter than that.
James

xcalibur
Member
Posts: 1457
Joined: 20 Apr 2003, 16:12
Location: Pennsylvania

#15

Post by xcalibur » 06 Feb 2004, 03:29

Landser wrote:Don1

Your wrap up of the 36 games smacks very much of todays PC garbage propaganda.
At the time the games where the greatest milestone of Firsts in olympic history.Even the propaganda
phase is copied and even more expanded especially in socalled "culturally superior" countries.Remember Salt Lake and nothing but Stars and Stripes everywhere?
Talking about racism and Jesse Owens,even he acknowledged to be treated as a human Being instead as a "Nigger" all his life before that.He was surprised to be able to sit with the "Masterrace" for once on the same table and not being arrested.Not even thinking of using separate bathrooms.

Source?

Another First and only to this day
the film Triumph des Willens.To bad Shirer hated it but this only showed his ignorance among other blatant inaccurancies in his books.

Post Reply

Return to “Propaganda, Culture & Architecture”