Olympiade 1936

HerrScheisse

Here below is a piece of memorabilia from the 1936 Olympics that I picked up in Austria. It is a beautiful piece, a white enameled Brandenburg gate with the gold trim sitting on the five Olympic rings.

These were the summer games that was filmed by Leni Riefenstahl using techniques that have since become commonly used in sports today (such as filming the athletes from low angles).





It is also known for the furore around Jesse Owens who won four gold medals at the event and that he was snubbed because he was black.

But it is ironic that the treatment he experienced back home is not mentioned when people discuss these games. Much has been made that he did not get a handshake at the games. But he stated himself that he was never invited to the White House to shake the Presidnts hand either. While at college he was not permitted to eat in the restaurant or sleep on campus but had to avail of "black only" facilities.

Shameful treatment considering he won four gold medals.

Morlar

I have often thought that too about the fact that the treatment he was accustomed to in the USA never gets mentioned. I have also read (though it was a loooong time ago and I can't find the link) that in fact he was not snubbed by a.h due to his race and in fact it was either that a.h didn't shake all medal winners hands or there was some other more pressing engagement at the time.

Looks like a nice item. I have a few photos of the olympic stadium and one of Reinhard Heydrich at the games but none which are online. I think the olympic games were useful practice in the staging of mass public events which had been steadily perfected at the yearly Reichsparteitag events.

Morlar

FYI here is the cover of the souvenir photo album issued for the games :



(though this example was used by an SS totenkopf man and has no olympic content).

HerrScheisse

I would be interested to see your Olmpiade photos Morlar. Any chance to post them?

There is a lot of controversy over the handshake. Olympia protocol states that it is not required for impartiality of the hosts. But Hitler did shake hands with the German athletes but left before Owens got his award. there are quotes supposedly from Hitler but they could be apocryphal. There is also a tale that Hitler did shake Owens hand nehind the scenes but unfortunately Owens refused to confirm or deny this. He seemed more piqued by the treatment in his own country.

I also read and cannot find the link that he was free to eat and drink in cafes in Berlin whereas this was not possible back home because of the segregation laws.

Stange times indeed and funny how one side of the story is usually only told.

HerrScheisse

Morlar - is that photo album in your possession?

So the souvenir album was empty and you could use it for whatever photos you wish??

very curious of what pictures are in there!

R.Dub.Fusilier

Morlar wrote: »

I have often thought that too about the fact that the treatment he was accustomed to in the USA never gets mentioned. I have also read (though it was a loooong time ago and I can't find the link) that in fact he was not snubbed by a.h due to his race and in fact it was either that a.h didn't shake all medal winners hands or there was some other more pressing engagement at the time.

cant remember where i read this but from what i remember of it hitler was spending too much time talking to medal winners and was told due to time he couldnt do it anymore and that owens said that hitler gave him a nod , so to speak, after he won a race.

as has been mentioned here already owens was badly treated in the USA and this treatment is not mentioned. a case of the pot calling the kettle black.

Morlar

HerrScheisse wrote: »

Morlar - is that photo album in your possession?

So the souvenir album was empty and you could use it for whatever photos you wish??

very curious of what pictures are in there!

Hi yep it's one I got a while back. It was issued for the games as a blank souvenir album. This one is filled up with non olympic photos (in this case by the owner who was in SS-Totenkopf-Standarte 2 Brandenburg). The pics are here if your curious (starts with family pics for the first bit) :

http://www.militaria-archive.com/albumsII/ss-totenkopf/index.html


I also looked through some on my other photos and found one collection from a Hitler youth member which has a couple of sports training pics and at least one from the olympic stadium. (from page 2 onwards)
http://www.militaria-archive.com/hitler%20youth/index.html

Also here is a period postcard :

HerrScheisse

I regret now that I never thought of visiting the Stadium when I was in Berlin! Next time I am there I will be sure to drop by.

Outside the military aspect, that album gives a unique insight into life at the time. The way people dress and some of the photos are actually quite well composed.

Nice website by the way - must have been a lot of work!

MedalFuhrer

Wow, I have to say that I really like that badge. Very nice! And this history behind it- both the sports history as well as the 3rd Reich history.

Just on the above comments. From what I read years back, Adolf was raging that Jesse Owens won medals. He could not understand how a negro had beaten his “super athletes” of an pure Aryan bloodline, who got the best of the best in regard to training and education. He had planned that his super athletes would show the world the superiority of the German race, and then for this to happen in front of the worlds eyes! He was fuming and outraged by it. I can’t remember the book where I read this as it is going back years.
The treatment of Owens in his own home country is a separate issue, but one that I hadn’t thought about before to be honest. Interesting time in history, it was a very socially unjust world, not to mention backwards.

HerrScheisse

Here is another Olympic medal I picked up last week. The name of the Bayern mint is imprinted on the rim.