BERLIN (AP) — The grand and somber Olympiastadion, a stadium shadowed by its past, will be the stage for the European Championship final between Spain and England this Sunday.
Constructed for the 1936 Olympic Games, Berlin’s iconic stadium carries the vestiges of World War II, a time-stamped relic that echoes its Nazi legacy.
Yet, the Olympiastadion stands as a symbol of rebirth, mirroring Germany’s journey from despotism to democracy post-World War II. It welcomed global audiences during the 1974 World Cup in the former West Germany and once again in 2006, 16 years post-reunification.
Hitler’s Architectural Vision
Adolf Hitler personally supervised the design and construction of this colossal 100,000-seat stadium, a project undertaken after the Nazi regime seized power in 1933, two years after securing the 1936 Games for Germany.
Initially indifferent to the Games, Hitler recognized their potential for propaganda, transforming his stance into fervent support. Plans to refurbish the existing national stadium were abandoned in favor of a grander vision—a new sports complex known as the Reich Sports Field. Werner March, the architect behind the Olympiastadion, drew inspiration from Rome’s Colosseum, aiming to evoke awe. The tapered Olympic Square, flanked by flagpoles and trees, was designed to amplify the dramatic approach, heightening the anticipation of visitors and making them feel integral to the spectacle.
At the height of construction, up to 2,600 workers labored to complete the Reich Sports Field in time for the Games, which commenced on August 1, 1936. The Nazi regime’s discriminatory policies were evident in the workforce composition, with mandates to employ only “compliant, non-union workers of German citizenship and Aryan descent.”
The stadium was adorned with a plethora of Nazi flags, and a prominent swastika crowned one of the towers holding the Olympic rings above the entrance. This symbol was removed in 1945 as the war concluded.
During the Games, the Nazi paramilitary SA, or Brownshirts, were ordered to halt their attacks on Jews, temporarily suspending their violence for the duration of the event. Despite the regime’s push to exclude Jewish athletes, two athletes deemed “half-Jewish” by the Nazis—fencer Helene Mayer and hockey player Rudi Ball—were permitted to compete for Germany. This was a calculated move to placate international critics, as noted by Ryan Balmer, a historian and Berlin resident.
Post-Olympics, the Reich Sports Field remained a venue for Nazi gatherings, including a 1937 visit by Italian dictator Benito Mussolini, where he was greeted by thousands of torch-bearing Nazis in the May Field, reportedly attended by up to 800,000 people.
Olympiastadion’s Wartime Survival and Postwar Era
Although the Olympiastadion and the Reich Sports Field sustained damage during the war, the stadium itself escaped the extensive destruction suffered by central Berlin. Surviving structures were repurposed, with Nazi symbols expunged.
Post-war, the Olympiastadion fell under British control as Berlin was divided among the four Allied powers—the Soviet Union, the U.S., France, and Britain. The British reopened the stadium in 1946 and maintained a military presence at the former Reich Sports Field until 1994.
The stadium underwent minimal changes after the war, achieving protected status in 1966. The most significant renovations occurred prior to the 2006 World Cup, when the stadium was outfitted with a new roof.
Present-Day Olympiastadion
Modern Germany confronts its Nazi past with transparency, ensuring that the horrors of that era are not forgotten. Information placards in English and German are strategically placed throughout the stadium to educate visitors about its historical significance.
While swastikas have been removed, some vestiges of the Nazi era remain, including an eagle on a pillar near Hertha Berlin’s training ground. The old bell from the Bell Tower still bears a Nazi eagle and Olympic rings, albeit with the swastika partially obscured.
As a gesture of post-war reconciliation, a conference room within the stadium and a road along the sports field’s southern perimeter have been named in honor of Jesse Owens, the African-American athlete who famously triumphed at the 1936 Olympics.
The stadium’s history elicits mixed emotions from visitors. Many fans attending matches, including the upcoming European Championship final, are more focused on the competition and may overlook the historical context provided.
Ryan Balmer, the historian, suggests that the stadium could benefit from more prominent reminders of its origins and the ideology it once symbolized. Similarly, Marian Wajselfisz, a Holocaust survivor and co-founder of the Jewish soccer club Makkabi Berlin, lamented the lack of awareness among spectators regarding the atrocities committed against Jews during the Nazi regime.
Horizon Legal 