Nazi Olympics Essay
The 1936 Olympic Games will forever be known as the Nazi Olympics. The games took place in Berlin and were heavily sponsored by the Hitler regime. Countries all around the world gathered to test their greatest athletes against each other, under Hitler's home. The Nazi dictator used the Summer Olympics to conceal his horrid plans and racist ideas. In heeding with the strength and importance of German athletics, many Jewish athletes were banned from participating in sporting events and clubs, such as Erich Seelig who was the professional light heavyweight boxing champion in 1933. Most anti-Jewish signs were temporarily removed and newspapers toned down their harsh rhetoric, in line with directives from the Propaganda Ministry(Holocaust Encyclopedia).
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On May 13, 1931, headed by Count Henri Baillet-Latour, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) awarded Berlin the 1936 Summer Olympic Games (Mandell, 86). Berlin was chosen as the site of the Games over Barcelona (Mandell, 86), because the IOC wanted to show Germany’s return to the international community after its devastating defeat in the Great War (Jewish Virtual Library). Hitler was never known to be a ‘sports fan’, nor did he care about the outcomes of sporting events. In fact, Hitler did not wish to see proud “Aryans” sharing the same field with racial inferiors; moreover, Hitler told his chief architect, Albert Speer, that in the future there will be only “Aryan Games” (Kruger, 1). Hitler did not endorse the Games until Joseph Goebbels, Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, understood the propaganda potential of the Olympic Games. However, Goebbels knew that in order for propaganda to be successful, it had to win the heart of the people (Kruger, 20). Hitler changed his views of sports, and adopted Goebbels’ view of the Olympic Games (Mandell, 235). As a result, the German government attached sport as part of its intent to propel and strengthen the ‘Aryan race,’ to have political control over its citizens, and most importantly, to prepare German youth for war (Jewish Virtual
On May 13, 1931, headed by Count Henri Baillet-Latour, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) awarded Berlin the 1936 Summer Olympic Games (Mandell, 86). Berlin was chosen as the site of the Games over Barcelona (Mandell, 86), because the IOC wanted to show Germany’s return to the international community after its devastating defeat in the Great War (Jewish Virtual Library). Hitler was never known to be a ‘sports fan’, nor did he care about the outcomes of sporting events. In fact, Hitler did not wish to see proud “Aryans” sharing the same field with racial inferiors; moreover, Hitler told his chief architect, Albert Speer, that in the future there will be only “Aryan Games” (Kruger, 1). Hitler did not endorse the Games until Joseph Goebbels, Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, understood the propaganda potential of the Olympic Games. However, Goebbels knew that in order for propaganda to be successful, it had to win the heart of the people (Kruger, 20). Hitler changed his views of sports, and adopted Goebbels’ view of the Olympic Games (Mandell, 235). As a result, the German government attached sport as part of its intent to propel and strengthen the ‘Aryan race,’ to have political control over its citizens, and most importantly, to prepare German youth for war (Jewish Virtual