1936 Summer Olympics

The 1936 Summer Olympics were held in Berlin, the capital of Germany, from August 1st to August 16th, 1936. These games, officially called the Games of the XI Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event. Berlin was chosen to host the Olympics over Barcelona in 1931.

To make these Olympics special, Adolf Hitler built a huge new stadium and other sports arenas. The 1936 Games were also the first to be televised, allowing people in 41 countries to watch. A filmmaker named Leni Riefenstahl made a famous movie about the games called Olympia.

Jesse Owens from the United States became a star by winning four gold medals. Overall, Germany won the most medals, but the United States also did very well. These were the last Olympics before the Second World War; the next games didn’t happen until 1948.

Host city selection

Many cities wanted to host the 1936 Summer Olympics. At first, 14 cities said they wanted to host the games. But by the time leaders met to decide, only two cities were left: Barcelona and Berlin. The other cities that wanted to host but decided not to were Alexandria, Budapest, Buenos Aires, Cologne, Dublin, Frankfurt, Helsinki, Lausanne, Montevideo, Nuremberg, Rio de Janeiro, and Rome.

Leaders voted to choose the host city. Berlin won with 43 votes, and Barcelona got 16 votes. Later, when a new government came to power in Germany, some people worried about holding the games there. But they decided to keep the games in Berlin.

Organization

Hans von Tschammer und Osten was the main person in charge of organizing the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. He believed sports could help build strength and unity among young people in Germany. He asked Theodor Lewald and Carl Diem to handle the details. One of Carl Diem’s ideas was to bring the Olympic flame from Greece to the host city using a relay of runners, which was done for the first time in these Olympics.

The 1936 Olympics were also the first to be shown live on television and the first to be filmed in color. The Olympic village where athletes stayed was located in Elstal, near Berlin. It had rooms for athletes, a big dining hall, a swimming pool, and places to practice sports. The village was later used by the German army and, after World War II, by the Soviet army. Today, some parts of the village are being restored so people can learn about the history of the 1936 Olympics.

Venues

Twenty-two venues were used for the 1936 Summer Olympics. Many were located in the Reich Sportsfeld complex.

Sailing took place in the Bay of Kiel, which also hosted sailing events during the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. The Olympic Stadium later became an important venue for sports events, including two FIFA World Cups and an IAAF World Championships in Athletics. After being renovated in the early 2000s, the stadium continues to be used today.

The Avus Motor Road (AVUS) began construction in 1907 but wasn’t finished until 1921 because of World War I. It was rebuilt for the 1936 Games and continued to be used for racing after World War II, mainly in Formula 2. The last German Grand Prix was held there in 1959. The track was dismantled in 1968 to make way for a new road.

Other venues included BSV 92 Field, which opened in 1910 for football, handball, athletics, and tennis. The Reich Sports Field, with its Olympic Stadium and other facilities, was originally planned for the 1916 Summer Olympics but wasn’t finished until 1934. Some venues, like Deutschland Hall and Mommenstadion, opened in the 1930s and were used for various events.

Games

Opening ceremony

The opening ceremony took place at the Berlin Olympic Stadium on August 1, 1936. Early in the ceremony, there was a flyover by the German airship Hindenburg, flying the Olympic flag. After the arrival of important guests, athletes from each country marched in, each wearing their own special costumes. Greece, where the Olympics began, entered first, and the host country, Germany, entered last. Some athletes saluted as they passed by, while others used different gestures.

After a speech by the president of the German Olympic Committee, Adolf Hitler officially opened the games. This was the first time the Olympic torch relay was used. A young man ran through the stadium to light a special flame that burned throughout the games.

Events

There were 129 events in 25 different activities across 19 sports at the 1936 Olympics. Some new sports, like basketball and handball, were included for the first time. Other sports, such as baseball and gliding, were shown as demonstration sports.

Notable achievements

Germany did well in equestrian events, winning several gold medals. American Jesse Owens won four gold medals in running and long jump events. Other notable performances included a young American diver, Marjorie Gestring, who won gold at age 13, and an Egyptian weightlifter who set new records with an impressive lift.

India won the gold medal in field hockey, continuing their strong performance in this sport. Swimmer Rie Mastenbroek from the Netherlands won three gold medals. Many athletes from different countries achieved remarkable feats during these games.

Participating nations

A total of 49 nations attended the Berlin Olympics, up from 37 in 1932 Summer Olympics. Five nations made their first official Olympic appearance at these Games: Afghanistan, Bermuda, Bolivia, Costa Rica and Liechtenstein.

The nations that returned to the games were Bulgaria, Chile, Egypt, Iceland, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Peru, Romania and Turkey.

The nations that participated in the previous games in Los Angeles in 1932 but were absent in Berlin in 1936 were Ireland and Spain.

At the time, Australia and New Zealand were dominions of the British Empire, as both nations had not yet ratified the Statute of Westminster 1931. India and Bermuda were also part of the British Empire, but were not dominions. And The Philippines were an unincorporated territory and commonwealth of the United States.

Haiti, also took part in the Opening Ceremony, but its only athlete (a weightlifter) did not compete.

Medal count

The twelve nations that won the most medals at the 1936 Games.

  *   Host nation (Germany)

Political aspects

Hitler wanted to use the Games to show off his government and ideas about racial supremacy. Some people said that Jewish and black people should not be allowed to join, but after other countries threatened not to come, Hitler changed his mind. He let everyone join, including one Jewish German woman named Helene Mayer.

There were many discussions about whether the Games should even happen because of the unfair treatment of Jewish people in Germany. Some countries thought about not going, but in the end, forty-nine teams took part, which was more than any Olympics before.

Some athletes from different countries decided not to go because they disagreed with Hitler’s actions. For example, a French fencer named Albert Wolff chose not to participate. In Spain, a different event called the People’s Olympiad was planned but could not happen because of a war that started there.

In the United States, there was a big debate about whether to go to the Games. Some people thought it was wrong to support Hitler’s government by taking part, while others believed sports should stay out of politics. In the end, the United States decided to go, but some athletes, like Milton Green, chose not to participate.