1936 Winter Olympics

Last updated
IV Olympic Winter Games
1936 Winter Olympics.svg
Logo of the 1936 Winter Olympics [lower-alpha 1]
Host city Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany
Nations28
Athletes646 (566 men, 80 women)
Events17 in 4 sports (8 disciplines)
Opening6 February 1936
Closing16 February 1936
Opened by
Stadium Große Olympiaschanze
Winter
Summer

The 1936 Winter Olympics, officially known as the IV Olympic Winter Games (German : IV. Olympische Winterspiele) and commonly known as Garmisch-Partenkirchen 1936 (Bavarian : Garmasch-Partakurch 1936), were a winter multi-sport event held from 6 to 16 February 1936 in the market town of Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. The country also hosted the 1936 Summer Olympics, which were held in Berlin. It was the last year in which the Summer and Winter Games both took place in the same country (the cancelled 1940 Olympics would have been held in Japan, with Tokyo hosting the Summer Games and Sapporo hosting the Winter Games).

Contents

The 1936 Winter Games were organized on behalf of the German League of the Reich for Physical Exercise (DRL) by Karl Ritter von Halt, who had been named president of the committee for the organization of the Fourth Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen by Reichssportführer Hans von Tschammer und Osten.

Organization and politics

While the 1936 Summer Olympics held in Berlin months later have attracted extensive examination for the Nazi Party's spectacles and the accompanying racial controversies – including the exclusion of most Jewish athletes and Jesse Owens's achievements – the Winter Games took place five months earlier and saw some of the same efforts by Adolf Hitler's propaganda machine.

Globally, there had been efforts to initiate boycotts from different countries, and a number of Jewish athletes faced pressure not to participate in an event held in a nation ruled by a blatantly antisemitic regime. [1]

The Nazis took steps to soften the appearance of their harsher policies before visitors from other nations arrived, such as removing antisemitic signage that was common in Germany, and – under pressure from a potential American boycott and Olympic officials – allowing the Jewish athlete Rudi Ball to play on Germany's ice hockey team. [2]

A few weeks before the Games began, William L. Shirer, the Berlin correspondent for the Universal wire service, wrote a series of articles describing preparations for the competition. "I had written... that the Nazis at Garmisch had pulled down all the signs saying that Jews are unwanted (they're all over Germany) and that the Olympic visitors would thus be spared any signs of the kind of treatment meted out to Jews in this country." [3]

Opening Ceremony with Rudolf Hess, IOC president Henri de Baillet-Latour, and Adolf Hitler Bundesarchiv R 8076 Bild-0019, Olympische Winterspiele.- Eroffnung.jpg
Opening Ceremony with Rudolf Hess, IOC president Henri de Baillet-Latour, and Adolf Hitler

None of the member nations boycotted the Winter Games, and 49 in all participated, the greatest number at that time. [4] The Games were completed with a minimum of political controversy, although the Canadian skiing team raised their arms in what appeared to be a Nazi salute as they entered the opening ceremonies. [5] The German crowd erupted in applause at the salute, which was later explained as the "Olympic Salute" that was identical to the Nazi version but with the arm extended laterally instead of forward. [4]

However, even Shirer was impressed by the effectiveness of the Nazis' efforts, writing:

This has been a more pleasant interlude than I expected. ... On the whole the Nazis have done a wonderful propaganda job. They've greatly impressed most of the visiting foreigners with the lavish but smooth way in which they've run the games and with their kind manners, which to us who came from Berlin of course seemed staged. I was so alarmed at this that I gave a luncheon for some of our businessmen and invited Douglas Miller, our commercial attaché in Berlin, and the best-informed man on Germany we have in our embassy, to enlighten them a little. But they told him what things were like, and Doug scarcely got a word in. ... Back to Berlin tomorrow to the grind of covering Nazi politics." [6]

Twelve days after the Games closed, Hitler sent German troops to remilitarize the Rhineland, his first territorial violation of the Treaty of Versailles and a critical test of European resolve to resist Germany's military expansion. None of the Western powers lifted a finger and Europe's first steps towards World War Two were taken.

Highlights

Sports

Medals were awarded in 17 events contested in four sports (eight disciplines).

Demonstration sports

Venues

Participating nations

A total of 28 nations sent athletes to compete in Germany. Australia, Bulgaria, Greece, Liechtenstein, Spain and Turkey all made their Winter Olympics debut, and Estonia, Latvia, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Yugoslavia returned after having missed the 1932 Winter Olympics.

Participating National Olympic Committees

Number of athletes by National Olympic Committee (from highest to lowest)


Medal count

Norwegian figure skater Sonja Henie Bundesarchiv Bild 102-09482, Sonja Henie.jpg
Norwegian figure skater Sonja Henie

  *   Host nation (Germany)

RankNationGoldSilverBronzeTotal
1Flag of Norway.svg  Norway 75315
2Flag of the German Reich (1935-1945).svg  Germany*3306
3Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden 2237
4Flag of Finland.svg  Finland 1236
5Flag of Switzerland.svg  Switzerland 1203
6Flag of Austria.svg  Austria 1124
7Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain 1113
8US flag 48 stars.svg  United States 1034
9Flag of Canada (1921-1957).svg  Canada 0101
10Flag of France.svg  France 0011
Flag of Hungary (1915-1918, 1919-1946; 3-2 aspect ratio).svg  Hungary 0011
Totals (11 entries)17171751

Podium sweeps

DateSportEventNOCGoldSilverBronze
13 February Nordic combined Individual Flag of Norway.svg  Norway Oddbjørn Hagen Olaf Hoffsbakken Sverre Brodahl
15 February Cross-country skiing Men's 50 kilometre Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden Elis Wiklund Axel Wikström Nils-Joel Englund

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1948 Winter Olympics</span> Multi-sport event in St. Moritz, Switzerland

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The 1972 Winter Olympics, officially the XI Olympic Winter Games and commonly known as Sapporo 1972, were a winter multi-sport event held from February 3 to 13, 1972, in Sapporo, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. It was the first Winter Olympic Games to take place outside Europe and North America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canada at the 1936 Winter Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Canada competed at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. Canada has competed at every Winter Olympic Games. Canadian Olympic Committee secretary-treasurer Fred Marples served as head of mission for the Canadian delegation to the Olympics and oversaw all travel arrangements. Amateur Athletic Union of Canada president W. A. Fry self-published a book covering Canadian achievements at the 1936 Winter Olympics and 1936 Summer Olympics. His 1936 book, Canada at eleventh Olympiad 1936 in Germany : Garmisch-Partenkirchen, February 6th to 13th, Berlin, August 1st to 16th, was printed by the Dunnville Chronicle presses and subtitled an official report of the Canadian Olympic Committee. He wrote that Canadians did very well at the 1936 Olympic games despite having one-tenth of the population of other countries. He opined that the length of the Canadian winter negatively affected summer training, and that Canadian athletes were underfunded compared to other countries.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sweden at the 1936 Winter Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Sweden competed at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States at the 1936 Winter Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

The United States competed at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Norway at the 1936 Winter Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Norway competed at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Austria at the 1936 Winter Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Austria competed at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Switzerland at the 1936 Winter Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Switzerland competed at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hungary at the 1936 Winter Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Hungary competed at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Finland at the 1936 Winter Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Finland competed at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Yugoslavia at the 1936 Winter Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Athletes from the Kingdom of Yugoslavia competed at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. Yugoslavia returned to the Winter Olympic Games after having missed the 1932 Winter Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poland at the 1936 Winter Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Poland competed at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Germany at the 1936 Winter Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Germany was the host nation at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The country placed second in the medal standings.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greece at the 1936 Winter Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Greece competed at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. It was the first time that the nation sent athletes to compete in the Winter Olympic Games. Greek athletes have competed in every Summer Olympic Games.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Japan at the 1936 Winter Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Japan competed at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. With Sapporo being the host of the cancelled 1940 Winter Olympics, a Japanese segment was performed at the closing ceremony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Latvia at the 1936 Winter Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Latvia competed at the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. The nation returned to the Winter Games after having missed the 1932 Winter Olympics. These Games would be the last time that Latvia would compete at the Winter Games as an independent nation until the 1992 Winter Olympics. After the nation was annexed by the Soviet Union in 1940, Latvian athletes would compete at the Olympic Games as part of the USSR delegations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Germany at the Winter Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Athletes from Germany (GER) have appeared in only 20 of the 22 editions of the Winter Olympic Games as they were not invited to two events after the World Wars, in 1924 and 1948. Germany hosted the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen and had been selected to host in 1940 again.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poland at the Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

Poland first participated at the Olympic Games in 1924, and has sent athletes to compete in every Summer Olympic Games since then, except for the 1984 Games, when they were part of the Soviet-led boycott of the 1984 Summer Olympics. Poland has also participated in every Winter Olympic Games.

For the 1936 Winter Olympics in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, a total of six sports venues were used. Alpine skiing events took place for the first time and were held in three different locations. Riessersee held the speed skating and some of the ice hockey matches while the bobsleigh events took place south of the lake. The ski jump and its neighboring stadium played host to the cross-country skiing, Nordic combined, and ski jumping events. Even though figure skating and some of the ice hockey matches took place outdoors at the ice stadium, the ice itself was artificially refrigerated to prevent ice thawing.

References

Notes

  1. The 1936 Olympic Logo comprises the Olympic rings in the foreground and the summit of the Garmisch-Partenkirchen Alps with a ski track leading to the mountains in the background. Around, there is the inscription "IV. OLYMPISCHE WINTERSPIELE 1936
    GARMISCH-PARTENKIRCHEN"

Citations

  1. Marsha Lederman, "A Glimpse of Canada at the 1936 Nazi Games," The Globe and Mail, October 13, 2009
  2. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 1936 Olympics Bibliography, found at https://www.ushmm.org/collections/bibliography/1936-olympics
  3. William L. Shirer, Berlin Diary, ©1941 reprinted 2011 by Rosetta Books, entry for January 23, 1936
  4. 1 2 Lederman, "A Glimpse of Canada at the 1936 Nazi Games"
  5. Adam Martin, "So This Happened: Hitler's Winter Olympics in Photos, New York Magazine, February 12, 2014, found at https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2014/02/this-happened-hitlers-winter-olympics.html
  6. Shirer, Berlin Diary, undated entry February 1936

Further reading

Winter Olympics
Preceded by IV Olympic Winter Games
Garmisch-Partenkirchen

1936
Succeeded by
Sapporo/Garmisch-Partenkirchen
cancelled due to World War II