Remembering the 1936 Berlin Olympics and the Defeat of Nazi Prejudice

It is not unusual for a nation’s leaders to try to show off their superiority to the rest of the world. Sometimes this takes the form of a war. But, during the 20th and 21st Centuries, every four years the Olympics are used for this purpose. That’s exactly what Hitler hoped to do in 1936, but as the excerpt below from an article by Chris Ramirez shows, things didn’t go exactly the way the Fuehrer expected!

The 1936 Olympics in Berlin were supposed to prove Adolph Hitler’s case for Aryan supremacy. Blacks and Jews, he said, were inferior and had no place in the Games. Athletes trained under his Nazi regime were supposed to crush them. Instead, some Jews and blacks would go on to re-write the history book by flourishing on the playing field with the hate-filled German chancellor looked on from the stands.

“The Nazi Olympics: Berlin 1936,” an acclaimed exhibition by the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, recounts through photos and other artifacts how athletes dispelled Hitler’s racist dogma with their performances. It will be on display at the August Wilson Center for African American Culture during the next four months.

“One of most important things anyone can learn (from this exhibit) is the shared history of the Jewish and African-American communities,” says Joy Braunstein, director of Holocaust Center of Greater Pittsburgh. “It shows that people can overcome adversity and become powerhouses in the world.”

The exhibit explores issues surrounding the 1936 Olympic Games, including the Nazis’ use of propaganda, the intense boycott debate leading up to the opening ceremonies and Jesse Owens’ historic performance on the track. It features haunting images of Hitler amid a sea of spectators, flashing the Nazi salute at Olympic Stadium. Hitler envisioned the Berlin Games as his chance to showcase the merits of his government and his agenda of racial supremacy. He banned Jewish athletes from competing for Nazi Germany, but had no control over whether they or blacks from other countries participated.

“African-American and Jewish athletes were particularly aware of Hitler’s ideologies about Aryan superiority ...  and wanted to trample them right there in his front yard,” says Sala Udin, interim co-director at the August Wilson Center. “That was a strong motivation for them.”

Thirteen Jews won medals in Berlin. Most of them competed for other countries in Europe, including Poland and Hungary. Some of them were killed in the years following the games, during the Holocaust. Seven American Jewish athletes went to Berlin.

“The real purpose of this exhibit ... is to illustrate that blacks and Jews collaborated in important ways throughout history in the 20th century,” Udin says. “It also gives us a chance to evaluate the condition of our relationship today and the opportunities to continue it.”

“The Nazi Olympics: Berlin 1936” will be in Pittsburgh until Feb. 28.

It’s easy to see that Hitler intended the worst for much of Europe - - especially the Jews.  How much more successful people are when they adhere to Romans 12:18, “If it be possible, as much is it be in your power, live peaceably with all men.” Much like Hitler, however, there is a portion of the Arab world that does not strive to live peaceable with God’s Chosen People.

That’s why it is important for us to continually pray according to Psalm 122:6 - - to pray for the peace of Jerusalem!

To read more of Mr. Ramirez’s article, go to the Trib Live website.