Berlin: Tour Olympic Stadium & the nazi Olympics

Step into Berlin’s historic Olympic Stadium and explore the complex history behind the 1936 Olympic Games — an event in which international sport was used as a powerful instrument of Nazi propaganda.

Explore the monumental architecture and spaces that played a central role in the 1936 Games and that hosted the final of the 2006 FIFA world cup. Walk through the stadium and the former Reich Sports Field, explore how the Nazi regime designed and staged the Olympics to present an image of a modern, peaceful and powerful Germany to the world, while hiding its persecution, racism and growing militarism.

Learn about the planning and construction of the Olympic site, the spectacular opening ceremonies and the political symbolism incorporated into the Games. The tour will also examine the experiences of athletes who challenged Nazi ideology, including the achievements of African American athlete Jesse Owens, as well as the discrimination and exclusion faced by Jewish athletes.

We will also discuss the international debate surrounding participation in the Berlin Olympics, including calls for a boycott in response to the Nazi regime’s persecution and racial policies. The visit goes beyond sporting history.

By visiting the Olympic Stadium in person, you can see the physical setting in which this history unfolded and better understand the scale, symbolism and legacy of the 1936 Games.

Today, the stadium provides an important place to confront and remember this history. The tour presents the subject critically and respectfully, focusing on the victims of persecution, the role of propaganda and the lessons that can be learned from the misuse of sport and international events.