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The Nazi Olympics<br />
Let the Games begin<br />
1936 saw the advent of the Olympic torch relay. The<br />
brainchild of sports administrator Carl Diem, 3,422<br />
runners ran one kilometre each as the torch made<br />
the journey all the way from Olympia, Greece, the<br />
spiritual home of the Ancient Greek Olympics, to<br />
Berlin. The relay travelled through Greece, Bulgaria,<br />
Yugoslavia, Hungary, Austria and Czechoslovakia,<br />
countries that would later side with the Axis or<br />
come under its occupation during World War II.<br />
The man who carried the flame for the final leg<br />
was Siegfried Eifrig, who personified the link the<br />
Nazis believed the Third Reich had with the great<br />
civilisations of antiquity. Tall, blonde and blue-eyed,<br />
he brought the torch into the Olympiastadion and<br />
the games got under way on 1 August.<br />
The two anthems Deutschland über <strong>All</strong>es and<br />
Horst Wessel Lied rang out around the stadium as<br />
the Hindenburg airship did a flyby in what was a<br />
tremendous yet carefully rehearsed spectacle. A<br />
key moment came later as Hitler raised his arm in<br />
salute. Athletes from roughly half of the countries<br />
involved – including Afghanistan, Austria, Bulgaria,<br />
Bolivia, Bermuda and Iceland – all saluted back<br />
while other nations including Britain and the USA<br />
did not, receiving jeers from the largely German<br />
crowd in the process. The Americans even went<br />
The Games was one to remember for<br />
Jesse Owens who starred on both track<br />
and field, infuriating Hitler in the process<br />
An American hero<br />
JesseOwens’sdaughter,MarleneRankin,explainshowthe<br />
Olympics changed her father’s life<br />
American divers Dorothy Poynton-Hill<br />
and Velma Dunn smile for the camera<br />
with Käthe Koehler of Germany<br />
Prior to her work at the Olympics,<br />
Leni Riefenstahl had already<br />
directed the 1935 Nazi propaganda<br />
film Triumph Of The Will<br />
What do you<br />
know about<br />
the 1936<br />
Olympics?<br />
Did your<br />
father talk<br />
about it?<br />
Since I was<br />
not born<br />
then, I only<br />
know what I have read, seen on<br />
film, and gleaned from speeches<br />
Ihaveheardmyfathermake<br />
about his experience there. In our<br />
home, the 1936 Olympics was not<br />
a topic of conversation. There was<br />
very little mention of it ever but<br />
therewasalwaysaroominthe<br />
house where photos from it, and<br />
my father’s trophies and medals,<br />
were displayed.<br />
Do you think your father’s<br />
achievements and<br />
contributions in Berlin have<br />
been remembered in the right<br />
spirit over the years?<br />
I think that my father’s<br />
achievements and contributions<br />
in Berlin have been remembered<br />
in the right spirit, depending on<br />
whoyouask.Hewasarathershy<br />
young man who was extremely<br />
talented athletically and who<br />
lovedwhathedid.Hewentto<br />
the Olympics to compete with<br />
the best the world had to offer.<br />
Hewasahumbleyoungman<br />
who believed in himself and his<br />
teammates and the promise of<br />
America.Hewasateamplayer<br />
and had a tremendous sense of<br />
fair play.<br />
There are conflicting views<br />
over whether Adolf Hitler<br />
refused to shake your father’s<br />
hand or acknowledged him<br />
in any way or not. Did Jesse<br />
everspeakofitandwhatis<br />
the truth?<br />
I’ve heard my father say in<br />
speeches when asked the Hitler<br />
question:“IwenttoBerlintorun<br />
and not to shake hands with<br />
Hitler. I am here today and where<br />
Hitleris,Idon’tknoworcare.”So<br />
I would conclude from that he<br />
didnotshakehandswithHitler.<br />
How do you think what<br />
happened at the 1936<br />
Olympics changed your<br />
family’s life?<br />
What happened in the 1936<br />
Olympics made Jesse Owens.<br />
Hebecameaherotothe<br />
American Black Community, an<br />
internationalstarforhisathletic<br />
accomplishments, and a celebrity<br />
to the American community<br />
atlarge.Assuch,itshapedhis<br />
life.Thoughhenevercompeted<br />
as an amateur athlete again, it<br />
placedhiminanenvironmentof<br />
opportunitythatprobablywould<br />
not have been available to him<br />
hadhenotaccomplishedwhathe<br />
did in Berlin. His life became a<br />
series of tried opportunities that<br />
allowedhimtofindhisstrengths<br />
beyond athletics where he could<br />
makealivingforhimselfandhis<br />
family. His personality, charisma<br />
and new skills catapulted him<br />
intoacelebritylife.TheJesse<br />
Owens Foundation was founded<br />
in 1980 after his untimely<br />
deathbyfriendsandfamilyto<br />
perpetuatethespiritofJesse<br />
Owens and his belief that the<br />
youthofanycountryisits<br />
greatest resource.<br />
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