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The Legacy of Dietrich Eckart and Leni Riefenstahl

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The Legacy of Dietrich Eckart and Leni Riefenstahl ^ JOURNAL OF SPORTS PHILATHY VOLUME 36 NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 1997 NUMBER 2 Politics and Olympic Art: The Legacy of Dietrich Eckart and Leni Riefenstahl Postcard depicting the Dietrich Eckart Open Air Theater, site of the gymnastics competition and arts festival performances during the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. TABLE OF CONTENTS ARTICLES Politics and Olympic Art: The Legacy of Sherwin Podolsky 3 Dietrich Eckart and Leni Riefenstahl Baseball in Brooklyn Norman Rushefsky 16 2004 Olympics Return to the Land of their Birth Mark Maestrone 20 PHILFOOT France 98 Mark Maestrone 23 REGULAR FEATURES & COLUMNS President's Message Mark Maestrone 1 2002 Salt Lake City Update Leslie Gailey 24 Book Review Mark Maestrone 27 Reviews of Periodicals Mark Maestrone 28 News of Our Members Margaret Jones 29 SPORTS New Stamp Issues Dennis Dengel 30 PHILATELISTS Commemorative Stamp Cancels Mark Maestrone 31 INTERNATIONAL SPORTS PHILATELISTS INTERNATIONAL PRESIDENT: Mark C. Maestrone, 2824 Curie Place, San Diego, CA 92122 VICE-PRESIDENT: Charles V. Covell, Jr., 2333 Brighton Drive, Louisville, KY 40205 SECRETARY-TREASURER: Andrew Urushima, 933 S. Humboldt Street, San Mateo, CA 94402 DIRECTORS: Glenn A. Estus, P.O. Box 451, Westport, NY 12993 BERLIN 1936 Norman F. Jacobs, Jr., 2712 N. Decatur Rd., Decatur, GA 30033 John La Porta, P.O. Box 2286, La Grange, IL 60525 OLYMPICS Sherwin D. Podolsky, 3074 Sapphire Avenue, Simi Valley, CA 93063 Jeffrey R. Tishman, 37 Griswold Place, Glen Rock, NJ 07452 p. 3 Robert J. Wilcock, 24 Hamilton Cres., Brentwood, Essex, CM14 5ES, England AUCTIONS: Glenn A. Estus, P.O. Box 451, Westport, NY 12993 MEMBERSHIP: Margaret A. Jones, 5310 Lindenwood Ave., St. Louis, MO 63109 SALES DEPARTMENT: Cora B. Collins, P.O. Box 2183, Norfolk, VA 23501 Sports Philatelists International is an independent, non-profit organization dedicated to the study and collecting of postage stamps and related collateral material dealing with sports (including Olympics) and recreation and to the promotion of international understanding and goodwill through mutual interest in philately and sports. Its activities are planned and carried on entirely by the unpaid, volunteer services of its members. p. II Annual dues: $12.00 U.S. membership, $18.00 foreign (Surface Mail), $24.00 foreign (Airmail). JOURNAL OF SPORTS PHILATELY 2004 ATHENS PUBLISHER: John La Porta, P.O. Box 2286, La Grange, IL 60525 OLYMPICS EDITOR: Mark C. Maestrone, 2824 Curie Place, San Diego, CA 92122 ASSISTANT EDITOR: Sherwin D. Podolsky, 3074 Sapphire Avenue, Simi Valley, CA 93063 p. 20 ASSOCIATE EDITORS: James Bowman. 3459 Township Avenue, Simi Valley, CA 93063 Dennis M. Dengel, 17 Peckham Road, Poughkeepsie, NY 12603 Glenn A. Estus, P.O. Box 451, Westport, NY 12993 AD MANAGER: Norman F. Jacobs, Jr., 2712 N. Decatur Rd., Decatur, GA 30033 CIRCULATION: Margaret A. Jones, 5310 Lindenwood Ave., St. Louis, MO 63109 PUBLICITY: Glenn A. Estus, P.O. Box 451, Westport, NY 12993 ADVERTISING RATES: Cover $35.00; Full Page $32.00; Half Page $17.00; Quarter Page $10.00. 2002 SALT LAKE Advance payment for all advertising must accompany copy. Camera ready copy must be supplied by the advertiser. Publishing deadlines: Jan. 15, Mar. 15, May 15, July 15, Sept. 15, Nov. 15 for the OLYMPICS following issue. Single copy price $2.50 postpaid. p. 24 APS Affiliate Number 39 ISSN 0447-953X. The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual authors and they do not necessarily Vol. 36, No. 2 represent those of the editor, the officers of SPI or the position of SPI itself. All catalogue numbers quoted in this publication are from Scott's Standard Postage Stamp Catalogue unless specifically slated otherwise. Nov.-Dec. 1997 SPI and JSP do not guarantee advertisements, but accept copy in good faith, reserving the right to reject objectionable material. PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE by Mark Maestrone It's Time to Begin Planning for Sydney 2000 Usually, I use my President's Message to Cartan Tours, Inc. has once again been selected discuss a specific theme. This month, however, as the authorized travel company of the U.S. I'd like to address a couple of important topics. Olympic Committee. Over the last year, the Internet has become Cartan has just mailed its brochure explaining moreand more a part of our everyday lives. Many tours and ticketing for the 2000 Olympics. People of us now have email addresses. Others delve interested in traveling to the Games may pur­ further into this new medium by surfing the web, chase an all-inclusive travel package, which chatting either one-on-one or in groups with our includes accommodations, airfare and event colleagues and friends, or participating in the tickets for one of three "waves." Wave I runs numerous news groups related to our interests. from September 12-20; Wave II extends from As you will note in the box at bottom, SPI has a September 18-26; Wave III is for the period of new web site location. I redesigned this from top September 24 through October 2. Cartan notes to bottom and invite all our on-line members to that space will be limited, and thus must be stop by for a look. Over time, we'll be adding to reserved with a deposit of $500 per person. the site, which is provided free by geocities. Of Unfortunately, no package ticket prices are particular importance - we have a members' quoted at this time. Event tickets will also be advertising section in which you may place free available to those who do not wish to purchase ads. Please stop by and take a look, then tell us packages. For more information, please contact what you think by sending us an email! Com­ Cartan at their toll-free number: 800-818-1998, or ments, both positive and negative, are cheerfully write them at 1334 Parkview Avenue, Suite 210, welcomed. And should any of you have the Manhattan Beach, CA 90266. They also have a inclination and time to help us out, we need a web site at: http://www.cartan.com (no info on new webmaster to keep this site updated and the Games is provided on this site as yet). fresh! Let me know if you can help. Before closing, I would like to alert members It's not too early for those members thinking to the fact that we desperately need more arti­ about attending the 2000 Olympic Games in cles for your journal. There is currently no back­ Sydney, Australia to begin planning. Each Na­ log, meaning that a cut-back in the number of tional Olympic Committee has designated an pages in any given issue is possible. Please take official entity in its own country as the exclusive some time to write about your specialty for the source of Olympic tickets. In the United States, journal! The new SPI web site is located at: http://www.geocities.com/colosseum/track/6279 Mark Maestrone: [email protected] Norman Jacobs: [email protected] Charles Covell: [email protected] John La Porta: [email protected] Andrew Urushima: [email protected] Sherwin Podolsky: [email protected] Glenn Estus: [email protected] Margaret Jones: [email protected] Journal of Sports Philately November/December 1997 1 REPUBIIQUE DU MALII ^^L VP • \} raff ^^ ^I^HHHBK*^ • Worldwide 19*7 AMUSE MICll'Mi'lOUt -SCOUt 1 9 # « • Varieties • Errors • Specimens • Topicals BUQUE DU MALI • Collections • Covers Please write for current Bid Sheets and Offers. •' AtiWtl VMOLYKHQUI - £ t O U L ' * t 6 S. SEREBRAKIAN, INC. P.O. BOX 448, MONROE, NY 10950 FAX: 914-782-0347 SPORT t OLYMPIC GAMES FOOTBALL-WORLD CUP (SOCCER) Stamps/Sheets •*/*7o • Postmarks • FDC • Postal Stationery • Letters • Cards • Autographs • Vignettes • Proofs • Books • Tickets • Programmes • Medals • Pins • Coins • Booklets and other Specials from Period: (Sport 1900/Olympics 1896/Soccer 1934) till today. Pricelists (each 35-90 Pages) + Oly.-Games Auction Catalogue (every lot is represented) headlines in GB/D/F/I Catalogue-protection duty: EUROPE = in cash DM 5.- or £3.- or USS 4.- or 3 Int. UPU Coupon Response • OVERSEAS = DM 10.- or 5.- or USS 7.- or 5 Int. UPU Coupon Response. HEIKO VOLK, OLYMPIA-PHILATELIE Postbox 3447, D-64715 Michelstadt/Odw. GERMANY Tel: +49 6061 4899 Fax: +49 6061 73631 2 November/December 1997 Journal of Sports Philately 1936 Olympic Games at Berlin Politics and Olympic Art: The Legacy of Dietrich Eckart and Leni Riefenstahl by Sherwin Podolsky Bom in 1868, Dietrich Eckart was 21 years older than Adolf Hitler and was often called the spiritual (The author thanks Jim Bowman and Mark Maestro­ founder of National Socialism. He was a witty jour­ ne for assistance with this article.) nalist, a mediocre poet and a dramatist. In Berlin, he lead a bohemian vagrant's life, became a drunkard WHO WAS DIETRICH ECKART? and used morphine. Eckart was confined to a men­ tal institution where he was finally able to stage his When I first read about the Dietrich Eckart Open dramas, using the inmates as actors. Air Theater (Figure 1), site of the Olympic Arts and At the end of World War I in 1919, he held forth gymnastic competitions at Berlin, 1936,1 assumed before admirers in a wine cellar in an artists' quarter Eckart to be an illustrious German dramatist or in Munich, preaching Aryan superiority and calling musician. To my surprise, Eckart figured promi­ for the elimination of the Jews. nently in the politics of the period. He belonged to From 1918 to 1920 he published the highly in­ the class of Germans and Nazis who, like Horst flammatory paper "Auf Gut Deutsch" ("In Plain Wessel, contributed to the legend of Nazi heroes. German") which specialized in anti-Semitic and »BREMEN«.
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