Today In History: Summer Olympics Open in Berlin

Loyalty bound the entire Olympic family together in carrying on, in a period of world-wide economic depression and political strife, even at the cost of extreme self-sacrifice, in the determination to make the Games of the XIth Olympiad an outstanding success.

-- Frederick W, Rubien, Secretary, American Olympic Committee, Foreword, Report  of the American Olympic Committee, 1936.

On August 1st, 1936, the Summer Olympic Games opened in Berlin, seeing representation from 51 nations; the introduction of the Olympic torch relay; and a crowd of 100,000 spectators from around the world.  Hundreds of athletes marched in regalia into the newly built stadium, with the opening ceremony hosted by Adolph Hitler who would authorize a brief relaxation of restricted participation and attendance by Jews, Roma, and political opponents.  In 1931 the International Olympic had awarded the 1936 Summer Olympics to Berlin, two years after which the Nazi Party leader became Chancellor of Germany.

Scheduled through August 16th, 1936, the Games were the first to be broadcast live in black and white on television. The Olympic Village in Wustermark was located about 19 miles west of Berlin to accommodate athletes, including the popular, well publicized African American sprinter and long jumper Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals for 100 meter, 200 meter,  4x100 meter relay,  and long jump. Among the new sports covered during the 70 hours of broadcast undertaken by the German Post Office and Telefunken were basketball, canoeing, and field handball. 

Known as the "Nazi Olympics",  an attempt by the Nazi Regime to promote the Aryan race, the greatest number of medals went to Germany (101), followed by the United States (57), then Italy (27). 

The following articles are drawn from Proquest Historical Newspapers, which informs and inspires classroom teaching and learning.

• Dulaney, B (1935, Sep 08). Berlin Builds Giant Olympic Stadium While Athletes Toss Hot Words: Opinion Here Split on U.S. Participation. The Washington Post (1923-1954).
• Ross, A.  (1935, Dec 15). Big Crowds Assured for Berlin Olympics: Reich Officials, Unworried by Storm in America, Proceed with Vast Propaganda Plans. New York Times (1923-) 
• S.R.O. for Summer Olympics. (1936, Mar 02). The Washington Post (1923-1954) 
• Berlin Hotels Prepare for Summer Olympics. (1936, Apr 20). The China Press (1925-1938) 
• Birchall, F. T. (1936, Jul 13). Berlin Beautified for the Olympics: Big Public and Private Outlay Made to Lure Tourists and Vital Foreign Exchange.  New York Times (1923-) 
• Tuohy, W. (1986, Aug 01). 50th Anniversary of Berlin Olympics: Hitler Is Recalled, but So Too is Owens. Los Angeles Times (1923-1995) R
• United Berlin Opens Bid for 2000 Olympics. (1990, Oct 09). Los Angeles Times (1923-1995) 
• Young, E. (1992, Jul 12). When Berlin Lifted the Curtain: Bittersweet Memories of '36 Olympics. The Sun (1837-) 
• Povich, S. (1996, Jul 06). Berlin, 1936: At the Olympics, Achievements of the Brave in a Year of Cowardice. The Washington Post (1974-)
• Aldous, R. (2006, Jul 15). Shown Up by a True 'Ubermensch': Riveting Cccount of the 1936 Olympics in Nazi Germany. The Irish Times (1921-) 

Tips:

• Berlin 1936 Summer Olympics,  International Olympic Committee.
• Gold, John R, and Margaret M Gold. Olympic Cities : City Agendas, Planning, and the World’s Games, 1896-2020. Third edition. London ; Routledge, 2017. e-book. 
• Richards, Jean, and Kat Thacker. The First Olympic Games : A Gruesome Greek Myth with a Happy Ending. Brookfield, Ct: Millbrook Press, 2000.  Juvenile ; PZ7.R3848 Fi 2000.
• Rider, Toby C. Cold War Games : Propaganda, the Olympics, and U.S. Foreign Policy. 1st ed. Urbana, [Illinois] ; University of Illinois Press, 2016. e-book.
• Roche, Maurice. Mega-Events and Modernity : Olympics and Expos in the Growth of Global Culture. 1st ed. London: Routledge, 2000. e-book.
• Rubien, F. W. , ed. Report; Games of the Olympiad 1936. New York: American Olympic Committee, 1936. e-book.
• Socolow, Michael J. Six Minutes in Berlin : Broadcast Spectacle and Rowing Gold at the Nazi Olympics. Urbana: University of Illinois Press, 2016.  e-book.

Images:

• 1936 Summer Olympics Reichssportfeld Map, Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
• Poster Image: Berliner Illustrierte Zeitung, 2. Sonderheft, 1936, Die 16 olympischen Tage, Umschlagzeichnung Ludwig Hohlwein, Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

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