Olympic Committee Defends 1936 Berlin Games Merchandise Amid Controversy

The International Olympic Committee has defended its decision to include posters from the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games in its new Heritage Collection merchandise, following significant public backlash.

Earlier this week, the IOC faced criticism after unveiling a merchandise line featuring historical Olympic posters, including those from the 1936 Summer and Winter Games hosted by Nazi Germany. The controversial items include a t-shirt displaying the Brandenburg Gate poster designed by Franz Würbel, and another featuring artwork from the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Winter Olympics created by Ludwig Hohlwein, a known Nazi propagandist.

“The 1936 Olympic Games were a central propaganda tool of the Nazi regime,” said Klara Schedlich, sports policy spokesperson for the Green Party in the Berlin House of Representatives, in a statement to German press agency DPA.

The merchandise has also drawn condemnation from Jewish advocacy groups, with Liora Rez, founder of StopAntisemitism, telling Fox News that the designs were a “shame.”

In response to mounting criticism, IOC spokesman Mark Adams defended the organization’s position during a press conference. “The first answer is we cannot rewrite history,” Adams stated. “We need to remember there are also some good aspects to that [Berlin Games].”

Adams particularly highlighted the achievements of American sprinter Jesse Owens, the African American athlete who won four gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. Owens’ remarkable performance is widely celebrated for having directly challenged and undermined Adolf Hitler’s propaganda about Aryan racial superiority.

“We hold up what Jesse Owens did, and a number of other athletes, as a great example of upholding the Olympic spirit,” Adams emphasized.

Beyond the historical narrative, Adams cited practical legal concerns related to trademark protection. He explained that the IOC must actively use its trademarks to maintain control over the images and prevent potential misuse by others.

“The validity of those trademarks depends on us exercising our rights. If we stop using the trademarks they can be taken by other people and potentially misused,” Adams explained. “We produce a small number of those items. The main reason is to protect our copyright so they are not misused.”

The 1936 Olympics represent a complex chapter in both sports and world history. While they were orchestrated by the Nazi regime as a propaganda showcase, they also produced moments of powerful resistance to Nazi ideology, particularly through the achievements of non-Aryan athletes like Owens.

In a subsequent statement to The Athletic, the IOC acknowledged the historical controversy while defending their merchandise decision: “While we of course acknowledge the historical issues of ‘Nazi propaganda’ related to the Berlin 1936 Olympic Games, we must also remember that the Games in Berlin saw 4,483 athletes from 49 countries compete in 149 medal events.”

The organization also noted that the controversial t-shirts were produced in limited quantities and have since sold out.

This controversy highlights the ongoing challenge of balancing historical recognition with sensitivity to the darker chapters of Olympic history, particularly as the Olympic movement continues to position itself as a global symbol of unity and athletic excellence.