IOC Faces Criticism Over 1936 Berlin Olympic Games Commemorative T-shirts

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has drawn sharp criticism from Holocaust remembrance organizations for selling T-shirts commemorating the 1936 Olympic Games held in Nazi Germany, a period when Adolf Hitler had already been in power for over three years.

Holocaust advocacy groups have condemned the merchandise, which was part of the IOC’s “Heritage Collection” but has since sold out. The controversial T-shirt featured Franz Würbel’s original 1936 Olympic poster design showing a muscular statue adorned with an Olympic wreath and Berlin’s Brandenburg Gate, along with the text “Germany Berlin 1936 Olympic Games.”

“The Nazis used the 1936 Olympics to showcase their oppressive regime to the world,” explained Christine Schmidt, co-director of the Wiener Holocaust Library, in comments to CNN. “They aimed to smooth over international relations while simultaneously preventing almost all German-Jewish athletes from competing, rounding up the 800 Roma who lived in Berlin, and concealing signs of virulent antisemitic violence and propaganda from the world’s visitors.”

Historians widely acknowledge that Hitler exploited the international sporting event as a propaganda platform to promote his ideology of Aryan racial superiority. The Nazi regime systematically excluded German-Jewish athletes from participation and openly referred to Black athletes as “non-humans.”

Scott Saunders, CEO of International March of the Living, which organizes educational trips to the former Auschwitz concentration camp, emphasized the broader implications of commemorating such an event without proper context. “Sport has the power to unite, to inspire, and to elevate the very best of humanity. But history reminds us that it can also be manipulated to sanitize hatred and normalize exclusion,” Saunders told CNN.

The controversy highlights the complex relationship between sports, politics, and historical memory. The Berlin Olympics, while ostensibly celebrating international athletic competition, took place against the backdrop of the Nazi regime’s escalating persecution of Jews and other minorities, which would ultimately lead to the Holocaust.

Despite the backlash, the IOC defended its decision to sell the merchandise. An IOC spokesperson told CNN that while they “acknowledge the historical issues of ‘Nazi propaganda’ related to the Berlin 1936 Olympic Games,” they believe this did not diminish the athletic accomplishments of the 4,483 athletes from 49 countries who competed in 149 medal events.

The spokesperson specifically highlighted Jesse Owens, the African American athlete who won four gold medals at the Berlin Games, directly challenging Hitler’s notions of Aryan supremacy. Images of Owens giving a traditional salute on the podium while surrounded by others performing the Nazi salute became powerful symbols of resistance to fascism through athletic excellence.

“The historical context of these Games is further explained at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne,” the spokesperson added, noting that only a limited number of T-shirts were produced and sold, which is why they are currently sold out.

The incident raises important questions about how sporting organizations should navigate complex historical events. While the IOC’s Heritage Collection aims to celebrate the legacy of past Olympic Games, critics argue that commemorating the 1936 Berlin Olympics without adequately acknowledging its exploitation by the Nazi regime risks sanitizing a dark chapter in both Olympic and world history.

For Holocaust education organizations, the controversy serves as a reminder of how easily historical memory can be commodified without proper context, potentially undermining efforts to ensure that lessons from one of history’s darkest periods are not forgotten or diminished through commercial memorabilia.