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Nazi Olympics Berlin 1936

German citizens saluting Adolf Hitler at the opening of the 11th Olympiad in Berlin.

German citizens saluting Adolf Hitler at the opening of the 11th Olympiad in Berlin. —National Archives and Records Administration, College Park

In August 1936, Adolf Hitler’s Nazi dictatorship scored a huge propaganda success as host of the Summer Olympics in Berlin. The Games were a brief, two-week interlude in Germany’s escalating campaign against its Jewish population and the country’s march toward war.

From April 25 to August 24, 2008, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum hosted a special exhibition, The Nazi Olympics Berlin 1936, that originally debuted in 1996 in conjunction with the opening of the Atlanta Games and the 60th anniversary of the 1936 Olympics. The exhibition explores the issues surrounding the 1936 Olympic Games—the Nazis’ use of propaganda, the intense boycott debate, the history of the torch run, the historic performance of Jesse Owens, and more.

Explore the Online Exhibition

浏览网上展览  |  Exposición en línea  | العرض الفوري على الإنترنت

Video Gallery

Watch featured videos about the 1936 Olympic Games.

View videos

 

 

1936 Olympic Torch RelayDid you know?

The Olympic Torch relay was inaugurated by the Nazis during the 1936 Games.

Learn more



Spanish and Arabic translations of The Nazi Olympics Berlin 1936 made possible by the generosity of the Leo Rosner Foundation.

Related Articles and Information

  • Bibliography—1936 Olympics
  • Traveling Exhibition information for The Nazi Olympics Berlin 1936
  • Listen to “Nazi Olympics Tangled Politics and Sport” (NPR / All Things Considered; external link)

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Historical Film Footage

See film footage from the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin

Historical Photos

See additional photos from the 1936 Olympic Games

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United States Holocaust Memorial Museum United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

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