Ironically Berlin had been approved as the venue for the 1936 Olympic Games before Hitler had come to political power. This was an opportune twist of fate for the Minister of Propaganda Josef Goebbels to promote the Nazi credo of racial superiority. Representatives of forty-nine countries would be present to participate in this historic event. They would be witnessing too the contrived façade of hospitality that won the approval of many foreign news reporters.
Colorful posters and magazine spreads linked Nazi athleticism with ancient Greek physical prowess. The message was that the superior German civilisation was an offspring of the classic Aryan culture. The racial archetype was blue-eyes, blond hair and finely chiseled features.
The pageantry was well-staged. Swaztika flags were flown from monuments and houses in Berlin along with the official Olympic flag. The flags of the participating nations were flown in grand display in the area of the Olympic stadium. All anti-semitic posters had been removed. The Nazis prepared the most lavish Olympic Games in history up until that point.
The propaganda machine put a warm, hospitable face on Nazism. Goebbels excelled at having exceptional access to the radio for all the foreign reporters. Twenty vans and three hundred microphones were made available to them so that radio broadcasts were done in twenty-eight languages worldwide. Goebbels was praised by the director of NBC in the US for the availability for this service.
The most outstanding athlete in these games was Jesse Owens a Black American who won four gold medals. The other members of the US Olympic sports team were ten African Americans who won 7 gold medals, 3 silver and 3 bronze between them. Owens broke 11 Olympic records and beat the German favorite Lutz Lang. These accomplishments directly defied the Nazi idealization of the Aryan superior race and was downplayed by the Nazi press referring to the black athletes as auxiliaries.
Germany still won more medals than any other country in the Olympics and had pulled off a hugely successful PR campaign casting a favorable light on the Nazi regime. Owens was warmly received by the crowd with many vying for his autograph. He would not receive this kind of attention even in his home country. His accomplishments were downplayed by the Nazis to the point where they were considered a minor irritation. The fact that the president of the US did not acknowledge Owns’ athletic accomplishments indirectly helped to support the Nazi propaganda campaign.
The main praise that the Germans got was for their hospitality and organization. The event was run extremely efficiently with great attention to detail in terms of visual imagery. The closing featured an inspirational flag raising of the Olympic, Nazi and German flags with the dimming of lights while the crowded stadium of 100,000 spectators gave the Nazi salute chanting Seig Heil. The ancient Greek Olympic torch relay was re-introduced by the Nazis at the 1936 Olympics and is still carried out today.
These were in essence the Nazi Olympics. A carnival that was almost boycotted by other countries not wanting to openly endorse the regime. Goebbels successfully carried out the Olympics.