DOCSLIB.ORG

Australia and the Olympic Games

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Australia and the Olympic Games Australia and the Olympic Games The Berlin Olympics 1936 Historical Context Changing Germany 1932‐1936 Focus: • How and why did Germany change during 1932‐1936? • What effect did these changes have on sport and the Berlin Olympics for 1936? After the defeat in World War I Germany had been forced in 1919 to become a democratic republic, the Weimar Republic. Germany lost the war and was burdened with a range of financial fines and military and territorial restrictions. This destabilized the German political system as well as the economy. Adolph Hitler had become the leader of the National Socialist German Workers Party (NAZI) in 1921 and had tried to seize power in Munich in 1924 but failed. He was imprisoned for nine months and used the time to write his political and social guide for Germany, Mein Kampf, and determined to use the political system to achieve power legally. He was marginalized and unsuccessful until the Great Depression. With about 4 million unemployed, hyper‐inflation, reparation payments for losing World War I hindering economic development his party offered a new Germany – a Third Reich. The price for this change was a dictatorship and the nazification of the state. Once the Enabling Act (March 1933) was passed Hitler began such changes as: • the organized persecution of ‘enemies of the state’, particularly Jewish citizens, gypsies and Catholics. • a boycott of Jewish businesses. • the dismissal of non‐Aryan civil servants and prohibition of non‐Aryans and spouses from any government employment. • identification of ‘racial flaws’ which would compromise racial purity. • establishment of concentration camps for ‘enemies of the state’. The Nazi Party became the only party in Germany (July 14, 1933). This was a different Germany to the one which had been awarded both the Winter and Summer Olympic Games for 1936. Sport and the Nazi state From a sports and Olympic perspective there were changes which had to be considered by the IOC. Dr. Theodor Lewald and Carl Diem had worked on the German Olympic Committee for some decades and were instrumental in Germany getting the 1936 Olympic Games. A few days after the first meeting of the successful Olympic Committee Hitler had become the new Chancellor of Germany. He had previously opposed the Olympics as a Jewish event but now saw a chance to promote his new Reich to the world. It was the original prejudice which could jeopardize Berlin keeping the 1936 Olympics. The German Olympic Committee had to report to the IOC in Vienna in early June 1933. Australia and the Olympic Games The Berlin Olympics 1936 Historical Context Lewald was also president of the Reich Department of Physical Education and Diem the Secretary‐ General. But two factors arose to change the organization of sport in Germany and highlighted the Jewish issue. Hitler appointed Von Tschammer und Osten to run German sport in the Ministry of the Interior. And Lewald and Diem had an underlying factor which would prejudice their positions. Lewald had a Jewish grandmother and Diem’s wife’s grandmother was Jewish. Their Reich Department of Physical Education was dissolved and their positions and von Tschammer und Osten became the President of the German Olympic Committee. Even Hitler realized Leward had influence with the IOC and he had to leave Lewald as president of the Olympic Organising Committee or risk losing the Olympics. Sport became a part of the Nazi ideology. The Nazi Government idea of sports was to strengthen the Aryan race and to prepare the German youth for war. Hitler decided that the state would name all the Olympic sporting teams and competitors not sporting associations or clubs. At a local and national level the Reich Sports leader made sure all Jews, gypsies and non‐Aryans were excluded from sporting clubs and associations. So some German champions suddenly lost their training facilities and the opportunity to compete for Olympic selection. And had German sport become more professional than amateur? As for the Jewish problem, the journal Der Sturmer expressed a popular sentiment on 1 August 1933: “Jews are Jews, and there is no place for them in German sport. Germany is the Fatherland of Germans and not Jews. Germans have the right to do what they wish in their own country." Harry Gordon, Australia and the Olympic Games, Queensland University Press, 1996, (3rd edition), p148. The US IOC delegates in particular threatened to support the blocking of Berlin as host city because of all these issues within Germany in 1933. At the IOC meeting in Vienna it was Lewald who guaranteed Germany would enforce the Olympic Rules of Qualification. Germany was confirmed to have the Olympic Winter Games in February 1936 and the Summer Games would be confirmed or not at another IOC meeting. Podcasts: A month before the 1936 Olympic Games champion German high jumper Gretel Bergman (now Margaret Lambert) was excluded from the German team. http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/focus/antisemitism/voices/transcript/?content=20080410 http://www.ushmm.org/museum/exhibit/online/olympics/detail.php?content=exclusion_jews&lang =en#audio Australia and the Olympic Games The Berlin Olympics 1936 Historical Context Her story has been made into a feature film called Berlin 36: http://www.corinthreleasing.com/Berlin_36/berlin_olympics.html http://www.corinthreleasing.com/Berlin_36/index.html .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Berlin Olympics: Sports, Anti-Semitism, and Propaganda in Nazi Germany Nathan W
    Student Publications Student Scholarship Spring 2016 The Berlin Olympics: Sports, Anti-Semitism, and Propaganda in Nazi Germany Nathan W. Cody Gettysburg College Follow this and additional works at: https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship Part of the European History Commons, Political History Commons, Social History Commons, and the Sports Studies Commons Share feedback about the accessibility of this item. Cody, Nathan W., "The Berlin Olympics: Sports, Anti-Semitism, and Propaganda in Nazi Germany" (2016). Student Publications. 434. https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship/434 This is the author's version of the work. This publication appears in Gettysburg College's institutional repository by permission of the copyright owner for personal use, not for redistribution. Cupola permanent link: https://cupola.gettysburg.edu/student_scholarship/ 434 This open access student research paper is brought to you by The uC pola: Scholarship at Gettysburg College. It has been accepted for inclusion by an authorized administrator of The uC pola. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Berlin Olympics: Sports, Anti-Semitism, and Propaganda in Nazi Germany Abstract The aN zis utilized the Berlin Olympics of 1936 as anti-Semitic propaganda within their racial ideology. When the Nazis took power in 1933 they immediately sought to coordinate all aspects of German life, including sports. The process of coordination was designed to Aryanize sport by excluding non-Aryans and promoting sport as a means to prepare for military training. The 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin became the ideal platform for Hitler and the Nazis to display the physical superiority of the Aryan race. However, the exclusion of non-Aryans prompted a boycott debate that threatened Berlin’s position as host.
    [Show full text]
  • How Successful Were the Nazi's in Presenting a Positive Image Of
    Nota D How successful were the Nazi’s in presenting a positive image of Germany at the 1936 Berlin Olympics? Word Count 3919 1 Nota D Index Introduction…………………………………….. Page 3 Body………………………………………………... Page 4 Nazi Germany……………………………………. Page 4 The Use of Propaganda………………………. Page 6 The Games………………………………………….. Page 10 Conclusion………………………………………. Page 11 Bibliography…………………………………… Page 12 2 Nota D Introduction The 1936 Berlin Olympics were held during the rule of Adolf Hitler, who had risen into power in 1934 and faced a lot of pressure from the countries inside Europe because they questioned their idea of a dictatorship. During the period between 1932, year in which the venue for the 1936 Olympics was decided and when the Games started in August 1936 there was a very big focus on using the Olympic Games as a mean of propaganda to attempt to show a positive image of Germany to the rest of the world and also to the people inside Germany. Throughout this essay I am going to analyze the ways in which Hitler attempted to create this positive image of Germany and how successful it was on displaying it. The idea is to understand how they managed to use the Olympic games and turn them into a political advantage that gain control over Germany and the start of the World War.1 The Berlin Games were a huge opportunity to ease the tension that Hitler’s regime was creating at that time, attempting to postpone any further political or social problems as far as possible. This was of great importance because the Games would draw peoples attention from the Nazi Party and the problems that Germany was facing at the time.
    [Show full text]
  • Germany and the 1948 Olympic Games in London] by Dr
    GERMANY AND THE 1948 OLYMPIC GAMES IN LONDON] BY DR. JüRgEN BUSCHMANN AND DR. KARL LENNARTZ REACTIVATION OF THE CONNECTIONS TO THE IOC owards the end of World War II, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) contained two German Tmembers: Karl Ritter von Halt and Duke Adolf Friedrich zu Mecklenburg. A third member, field-marshal Walter von Reichenau, had died in Russia of a stroke (cere- bral apoplexy) on 17th January, 1942. Even after the war zu Mecklenburg and von Halt were regularly to be found in the lists of the IOC. In Edström’s first letter to the IOC-members on 1st June, 1945, Edström voices his concern about the fate of the two Germans, since he had no information of their destinies. After the war von Halt reported to the Russian commander’s office and was arrested, remaining in the internment camp, Buchenwald, until 1950. Grete von Halt, Diem and the Duke of Mecklenburg, wrote many letters to Edström, Brundage and other IOC members, begging for help and support for him. Duke Adolf Friedrich had fled from his estates in Mecklenburg and taken refuge at a castle in Eutin, Schleswig Holstein. The former secretary-general of the Olympic Games 1936 in Berlin and the planned Winter Olympic Games 1940 in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Carl Diem, was director of the International Olympic Institute, an organisation which had been founded by the “Deutsches Reich” at Coubertin’s insti- gation. In this function Diem edited the “Olympische Rundschau” (Olympic Review) for the IOC “with official gazettes of the International Olympic Committee”. Further he participated in the 50th anniversary of the IOC in Lausanne in June, 1944.
    [Show full text]
  • Sport and Physical Education in Germany
    Sport and Physical Education in Germany Sport and physical education represent important components of German national life, from school and community participation, to elite, international level sport. This unique and comprehensive collection brings together material from leading German scholars to examine the role of sport and PE in Germany from a range of historical and contemporary perspectives. Key topics covered include: • Sport and PE in pre-war, post-war and re-unified Germany; • Sport and PE in schools; • Coach education; • Elite sport and sport science; • Women and sport; • Sport and recreation facilities. This book offers an illuminating insight into how sport and PE have helped to shape modern Germany. It is fascinating reading for anyone with an interest in the history and sociology of sport, and those working in German studies. Roland Naul is Professor of Sport Science and Sport Pedagogy, Essen University. He is ICSSPE Regional Director for Western Europe and Vice- President of ISCPES. Ken Hardman is a Reader in Education at the University of Manchester. He is a former president of ISCPES and a Fellow of the UK Physical Education Association. International Society for Comparative Physical Education and Sport Series Series Editor: Ken Hardman University of Manchester Other titles in the series include: Sport and Physical Education in China Edited by James Riordan and Robin Jones Sport and Physical Education in Germany Edited by Roland Naul and Ken Hardman International Society for Comparative Physical Education and Sport London and New York First published 2002 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4P 4EE Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group This edition published in the Taylor and Francis e-Library, 2005.
    [Show full text]
  • The Olympic Flame
    THE OLYMPIC FLAME A Christian Perspective Andrew Chapman The Olympic Flame A Christian Perspective Andrew Chapman Oxford June 2012 Introduction Until the twenty third of April 2012, I had perceived the Olympic Games primarily as a sporting event, albeit one with a pagan history, having its origins in ancient Greece. On that day, I did a little research, and discovered to my horror, that it is not so much a matter of pagan roots but of a still living tree of pagan and idolatrous worship. Acts of worship to foreign gods are an integral part of the Olympic Games, enshrined in the Olympic Charter and in the Protocols of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), which is the governing authority of the Games. For a Christian nation like Britain (which despite its great backsliding still has the Coronation Oath, Christian acts of worship in State schools, oaths on the Holy Bible in Courts, and a majority of the population describing themselves as Christian) to host the Olympic Games and thereby be responsible for the commission and execution and propagation of idolatrous worship is a great transgression against Almighty God, who gave us His only Son to die for us that we might be saved from our iniquity and find the path of eternal peace in Him. For the church of Jesus Christ to join in the celebrations of a pagan nature which have already begun with the arrival of the Olympic Torch in Britain on 18 May 2012, is to commit a sin of the worst sort, amounting in effect to a denial of the Lord and a transgression of the most basic of all commandments: 'You shall have no other gods before Me.' Exodus 20 v 3 Ceremonies The IOC state explicitly that the 'ceremonial aspects of the Olympic Games have served to set them apart from other international sport competitions'1.
    [Show full text]
  • From Myth to Torch Relay
    n Greek mythology, PROMETHEUS brought a the Hephaistia, but also in honour of ARTEMIS spark of heavenly fire to earth for man, his BENDIS. The variation of a torch ride can be traced Icreation, thus making him the ruler of the back to Thracian influences.4 JÜTHNER describes elements. He was punished by being chained to the torch relays as "essentially a matter of cult, only the Caucasian mountains. However, the great secondarily a matter of sport."5 This ambivalence also step forward into civilization had been taken by marks the modern re-enactments and probably means of the glowing pith of a torch, made from has a direct effect on their power of fascination. It a giant fennel stalk, which had been lighted at serves, moreover, to reinforce the separate nature the fiery chariot of the sun. Following on from of the Olympic Festival as a whole. these mythical conceptions of ancient days, the fire that was brought down from heaven became "The opening ceremonies, including the lighting a representation of reason and enlightenment, of of the sacred flame at Archaia Olympia and its freedom and the creative ability of the human relay to the 'New Olympia' are rites of separation race as a whole. In this case, too, Greek mythology from ordinary lire, initiating the period of public 1 has created an effect which can hardly be liminality."6 encompassed and whose influence can be seen in the Olympic ceremonies. The torch as a symbol and personification in At the ancient festivals held in honour of ancient and Christian mythology and art can PROMETHEUS in Athens, the craftsmen, particularly merely be mentioned here.
    [Show full text]
  • Olympic Truce Sport As a Platform for Peace
    OLYMPIC TRUCE SPORT AS A PLATFORM FOR PEACE INTERNATIONAL OLYMPIC TRUCE CENTRE OLYMPIC TRUCE SPORT AS A PLATFORM FOR PEACE Edited by Konstantinos Georgiadis - Angelos Syrigos ATHENS 2009 Published by The International Olympic Truce Centre 1A, Likavittou Street, 10672 Athens, Greece E-mail: [email protected] Website: www.olympictruce.org April 2009 In cooperation with the International Olympic Academy Editors: Konstantinos Georgiadis, Honorary Dean of the International Olympic Academy Angelos Syrigos, Director of the International Olympic Truce Centre Editorial Coordination: Olga Philippidou, IOTC Head of International Relations Editing: Roula Vathi, International Olympic Academy Coordination Assistant: Anastasia Vitsou, IOTC Administrative Assistant Greek texts translated and English texts reviewed by Dr Richard Witt Art editing: Konstantinos Adam Layout: Kristi Kassastogianni Publication production: ADAM Hellenic Reproduction SAIC ISBN: 978-960-8389-21-2 The works of the painters featured in this volume were part of the exhibition held at the Hellenic House in Beijing during the Cultural Year of Greece in China, on the occasion of the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games. They subsequently went on show at the Athens Megaron Concert Hall, in March 2009. The opinions of the authors - contributors to this edition do not necessarily reflect those of the International Olympic Truce Centre. [6] CONTENTS Forewords Jacques ROGGE................................................................................................................................09
    [Show full text]
  • In Greek Mythology, PROMETHEUS Brought a Spark of Heavenly Fire to Earth for Man, His Creation, Thus Making Him the Ruler Of
    n Greek mythology, PROMETHEUS brought a the Hephaistia, but also in honour of ARTEMIS spark of heavenly fire to earth for man, his BENDIS. The variation of a torch ride can be traced Icreation, thus making him the ruler of the back to Thracian influences.4 JÜTHNER describes elements. He was punished by being chained to the torch relays as "essentially a matter of cult, only the Caucasian mountains. However, the great secondarily a matter of sport."5 This ambivalence also step forward into civilization had been taken by marks the modern re-enactments and probably means of the glowing pith of a torch, made from has a direct effect on their power of fascination. It a giant fennel stalk, which had been lighted at serves, moreover, to reinforce the separate nature the fiery chariot of the sun. Following on from of the Olympic Festival as a whole. these mythical conceptions of ancient days, the fire that was brought down from heaven became "The opening ceremonies, including the lighting a representation of reason and enlightenment, of of the sacred flame at Archaia Olympia and its freedom and the creative ability of the human relay to the 'New Olympia' are rites of separation race as a whole. In this case, too, Greek mythology from ordinary lire, initiating the period of public 1 has created an effect which can hardly be liminality."6 encompassed and whose influence can be seen in the Olympic ceremonies. The torch as a symbol and personification in At the ancient festivals held in honour of ancient and Christian mythology and art can PROMETHEUS in Athens, the craftsmen, particularly merely be mentioned here.
    [Show full text]
  • The United States and the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games
    The Japanese Journal of American Studies, No. 20 (2009) Architects of a Masquerade Peace: The United States and the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games Sayuri GUTHRIE-SHIMIZU* Among international social movements that have endured into the present, few have more intimately associated themselves with peace and human soli- darity than the Olympics Games. Since their resurrection by French aristocrat Pierre de Coubertin in 1896, the Olympics have become entrenched in popu- lar imagination as a symbol of world peace and international brotherhood. Despite—or because of—this composite symbolism, the Olympic Games have been exploited to render their metaphoric power to other, often blatantly political, causes.1 Scholars and observers of the modern Olympics generally agree that dur- ing the movement’s fi rst half century, the Berlin Olympics of 1936 was the most egregious case of political manipulation and propagandizing committed by a host country. It was held in the immediate aftermath of the German re- militarization of the Rhineland, one of the opening gambits of Nazi military expansionism, which threatened the tenuous—and fl awed—post–World War I peace in Europe. The Nazis’ spectacular success in hosting the festival of peace increased the regime’s popularity at home and enhanced its prestige abroad. Because of the perverse irony of this achievement, the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games have been more intensely studied than others.2 From the beginning of the modern Games, held in Athens in 1896, the United States has been a crucial non-European player in the international Copyright © 2009 Sayuri Guthrie-Shimizu. All rights reserved. This work may be used, with this notice included, for noncommercial purposes.
    [Show full text]
  • GERMANY from 1896-1936 Presented to the Graduate Council
    6061 TO THE BERLIN GAMES: THE OLYMPIC MOVEMENT IN GERMANY FROM 1896-1936 THESIS Presented to the Graduate Council of the North Texas State University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of Master of Science By William Gerard Durick, B.S. Denton, Texas May, 1984 @ 1984 WILLIAM GERARD DURICK All Rights Reserved Durick, William Gerard, ToThe Berlin Games: The Olympic Movement in Germany From 1896-1936. Master of Science (History), May, 1984, 237epp.,, 4 illustrations, bibliography, 99 titles. This thesis examines Imperial, Weimar, and Nazi Ger- many's attempt to use the Berlin Olympic Games to bring its citizens together in national consciousness and simultane- ously enhance Germany's position in the international com- munity. The sources include official documents issued by both the German and American Olympic Committees as well as newspaper reports of the Olympic proceedings. This eight chapter thesis discusses chronologically the beginnings of the Olympic movement in Imperial Germany, its growth during the Weimar and Nazi periods, and its culmination in the 1936 Berlin Games. Each German government built and improved upon the previous government's Olympic experiences with the National Socialist regime of Adolf Hitler reaping the benefits of forty years of German Olympic participation and preparation. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 0 0 - LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS....... ....--.-.-.-.-.-. iv Chapter I. ....... INTRODUCTION "~ 13 . 13 II. IMPERIAL GERMANY AND THE OLYMPIC GAMES . 42 III. SPORT IN WEIMAR GERMANY . - - IV* SPORT IN NAZI GERMANY. ...... - - - - 74 113 V. THE OLYMPIC BOYCOTT MOVEMENTS . * VI. THE NATIONAL SOCIALISTS AND THE OLYMPIC GAMES .... .. ... - - - .- - - - - - . 159 - .-193 VII. THE OLYMPIC SUMMER . - - .- -. - - 220 VIII.
    [Show full text]
  • The Origins of the Olympic Games' Opening and Closing Ceremonies: Artistic Creativity and Communication
    Intercultural Communication Studies XIX: 1 2010 Lattipongpun The Origins of the Olympic Games’ Opening and Closing Ceremonies: Artistic Creativity and Communication Wichian Lattipongpun, Macquarie University Nowadays, the Olympic Games’ Opening and Closing Ceremonies contribute greatly to, and draw from, the different cultures in the various host cities. This paper will explore the origins of the Olympic Games’ Opening and Closing Ceremonies (OGO and CCs). The extent to which theories concerning artistic creativity and communication are utilized will specifically be examined. Historically speaking, the modern Olympic Games were adapted from the ideology of the ancient Olympic Games, which originally treated sporting competitions as a form of religious ritual. Greek people used the games as a means to communicate with their Gods; games included music, dance, and art. Interestingly, only the victory ceremonies are present in historical records; no evidence of the OGO and CCs can be found. The hypothesis that this paper will test is the notion that the OGO and CCs began with the modern Olympic Games. This study aims to answer this by conveying the initial ideas and purposes of the OGO and CC through discourse analysis. The primary data used includes the minutes of the 1906 International Olympic Committee Congress in Paris and Baron Pierre de Coubertin’s biography. The results significantly illustrate that the OGO and CC were initially associated and influenced by personal interests and cultural patterns. The ceremonial aspects of the Olympic Games have served to set them apart from other international sports competitions. The protocol and splendor of the Olympic ceremonies, which go hand-in-hand with the celebration of the Games as everyone knows them today, make this event a unique and unforgettable festival.
    [Show full text]
  • BERLIN, 11Th OLYMPIC GAMES, 1936 283. Official
    276 277 278 279 280 281 272. Official Report in English Language. Published by the Organising Committee. 815pp. illus. in b&w and color, many color plates. Linen, orange and black embossed design, scuffed, contents EF. ($600) c273. Gold Winner’s Medal of the German Sport Championships in Nürnberg, 1934. Goldplated bronze, 9cm (3.5”). Large German eagle with swastika, views of marching athletes below. Rev. ”To the Winner” (transl.) below 6 city shields, encircled by 12 events as fencing, soccer, tennis, etc. The Games were first held in 1922 when Germany was not invited to the Antwerp 1920 Olympic Games. They were held the last time in 1934. Impressive design. EF, sm. spot. ($475) GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN, 4th OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES, 1936 c274. Bronze Third Place Winner’s Medal Awarded to a Member of the American Ice Hockey Team. Bronze, 100mm, by Richard Klein. 283 284 Victory holding laurel wreath in triga to left, bobsled, ski, hockey stick, and skate below. Rev. Large Olympic rings in center surrounded by BERLIN, 11th OLYMPIC GAMES, 1936 “IV. Olympic Winter Games 1936” (translated from German). Name 283. Official Torch. Steel, 27cm high (10.5”), made by Krupp Factory, of American hockey player engraved on edge. Largest size Olympic designed by Carl Diem. Route of torch run from Olympia to Berlin winner’s medal. One of 36 medals awarded. Toned EF, lt. stain on rev. on shaft, legend on top. Carried during the first Olympic torch relay from Very rare. ($22,000) Olympia, Greece to Berlin, a distance of 3075 km in 12 days.
    [Show full text]