Australia and the Olympic Games
The Berlin Olympics 1936 The Games
Venues
Berlin Olympic Stadium and precincts
Source: http://germspeer.blogspot.com/2009/03/1936‐olympics.html
The area where the Olympic Games were held in Berlin in August 1936 was known as the Reichsportsfeld. It included the Olympic Stadium and several other sports fields and buildings.
The Olympic building plan involved four impressive stadiums, swimming pools, an outdoor theatre, a polo field, and an Olympic Village that had 150 dwellings for the male athletes
The committee of the Reich Race Course tried to restrict the expansion of the stadium since this would be a single event and shouldn’t interfere with the traditional horse racing in that area. However, Hitler over‐ruled them and increased the area to accommodate a larger audience for the Olympic Games and future mass public events. The scale of the complex was an essential part of the display of German power. And Hitler had long term plans for the Olympic Games and Germany which could explain the grandeur of the venues.
Activity
Consider the following overviews of venues and choose one for a poster which highlights key features and purpose.
Overview: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venues_of_the_1936_Summer_Olympics
Australia and the Olympic Games
The Berlin Olympics 1936 The Games
Olympic Stadium Berlin http://www.olympiastadion‐berlin.de/en/stadium‐visitor‐centre/history/year/1934‐1936‐1.html http://www.thirdreichruins.com/olympic.htm http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_menu/architecture/stadium_design/berlin_olympiastadio n.shtml
The area of the Reichsportsfeld adjacent to the Berlin Olympic Stadium included the Haus des Deutschen Sports and other buildings
View the map on this site: http://www.meaus.com/olympia‐stadium.htm http://www.thirdreichruins.com/olympichdsport.htm
Albert Speer and the future Olympics
Albert Speer was the Nazi architect who designed and constructed a number of public buildings for Hitler. What were Hitler's ambitious plans for future Olympics Games and Germany? http://www.dataphone.se/~ms/speer/welcom2.htm http://hnn.us/articles/6875.html http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/olympics/detail.php?content=aftermath
The First Olympic Torch Relay
The Berlin Olympics were the first where the symbol of the Olympic fire was used in an Olympic torch relay from Olympia in Greece to Berlin over twelve days. Five countries and 3,422 runners had to be organised.
Imagine the problems involved in this time of history with: • nation‐states • permissions to pass through secure borders. • Each runner having about ten minutes each with an open flame • Ceremonies along the way in cities • The German broadcasting team trying to communicate the journey to the world • The geography and August summer weather
As the Olympic torch relay passed through Germany it was greeted by thousands in villages and towns. But most importantly for the government its procession finally highlighted the grand architecture of Berlin. Reich architect Albert Speer had decorated the Lustgarten with huge Olympic Flags but also matching swastika banners. The relay ended with the flame lighting a fire altar in front Australia and the Olympic Games
The Berlin Olympics 1936 The Games
of the Berlin palace to the sounds of the German national anthem and then the anthem of the Nazi Party. The flame would be taken into the Stadium later in the day for the Opening Ceremony. Even then it would be the Olympic flame lighting the bronze cauldron with the Olympic Hymn by the German composer Richard Strauss. But this ceremony would now become an essential part of the Olympic protocols.
Activity
Trace the development of the use of the Olympic flame as a symbol of Olympism for each Games. http://olympic‐museum.de/torches/torch1936.htm http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007451