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The 1936 Winter and Summer Olympics My first two Olympic Games were the ones in Germany in 1936 GARMISCH - PARTENKIRCHEN, IV. OLYMPIC WINTER GAMES, 6 to16 February,1936. Since I already skied and ice skated at age five, I had a most wonderful time at the 1936 Winter Games, the very first in my life at age ten and it was very exciting, starting with the Opening Ceremony. When Reichs Chancellor Adolf Hitler entered the Stadium, an Orchestra played the German National Anthem, "Deutschland ueber alles". After Hitler and his entourage were seated, the teams and athletes entered the stadium led by Greece and after marching past Hitler, they lined up in front of the Honor Tribune. Then the President of the German Olympic Organizing Committee, Theodor Lewald, welcomed all the officials and participants and asked Reichs Chancellor Adolf Hitler to open the games, which he did with following words: "Ich verkuende die Spiele von Garmisch - Partenkirchen zur Feier der vierten Olympischen Winter Spiele der neuen Zeitrechnung, als eroeffnet!". Thousands of pigeons are released and the Olympic Flag is hoisted, the Olympic Hymn performed by Chorus and Orchestra and for the first time at the Winter games, the symbolic Olympic Flame is lit and burned until the end of the Closing Ceremony. Than the flag-bearers make a semicircle around the podium and Olympic Skier Willy Bogner, holding the Olympic and German Flag with his left hand and raising his right arm, takes the Olympic Oath with the following words: "Wir geben unseren Eid, an diesen Olympischen Winter Spielen gerechtlich teilzunehmen, mit vollen Respekt zu zeitigen Regeln, in wahrer Hingabe zur Sportlichkeit, als auch zur Ehre unseres Vaterlandes und zum Ruhm des Sportes." Although Hitler and most of the Officials sat on the balcony of the Honor Tribune, Hitler and some of his cronies sometimes walked freely amongst the spectators, shaking hands with kids, with hardly any visible security. There were no enormous crowds either, other than on the last day, when many spectators showed up for the final events and the Closing Ceremony. I saw Birger Ruud, NOR win the Gold in Ski Jumping, as well as many other great Skiers. I watched Downhill races, Slalom for men and women, as well as the Finns perform in Biathlon. Sonja Henie, won her third Gold for Norway and Austrian Karl Schaefer won his second Gold. Both gave wonderful performances. Triple Gold Medal winner Ivar Ballangrud, NOR. was outstanding in Speed Skating, but the Austrian Ski Team had a big problem. Their best skiers were not allowed to compete by orders of the IOC and the Austrian Alpine Ski Team decided to go home. The Closing Ceremonies were also quite beautiful and ended with a speech by Count Henry Baillet Latour thanking the Judges, Officials and Athletes for participating and wishing to see them again in1940, and with this, the Closing Ceremony came to an end with a wonderful exhibition of grandiose fireworks. I have been back several times to beautiful Garmisch-Partenkirchen, by myself and with my wife and never fail to visit the Ski Stadium, where I watched such great skiing and ski jumping, then the Ice Arena, where I watched Sonja Henie and Karl Schaefer and the last Hockey game between Great Britain and Canada, with Great Britain winning the Gold with a team that consisted mainly of Canadian players.
BERLIN, GERMANY, XI. OLYMPIC GAMES, 1st August to the16th,1936. I remember the very impressive Opening Ceremony, as if it happened yesterday. Around four o'clock in the afternoon, while the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of the famous German composer Richard Strauss, who was performing music by Richard Wagner, when two trumpeters at the towers of the Marathon Gate played the new Olympic Fanfare, announcing the entrance of the German Chancellor Adolf Hitler, who entered the Olympic Stadium, at the Marathon gate, accompanied by IOC President Count Henry Baillet Latour, Organizing Committee President Theodor Lewald, the Torch Relay Director Dr Karl Diem and an entourage of IOC Officials and other Dignitaries, with many high SS Officers led by Heinrich Himmler and other high rank German Officers and Generals, coming down the stadium steps among a loud, unending ovation of Heil Hitler and Nazi salutes from spectators and another Trompeter's Fanfare filled the Air while the entourage was being led to their seats at the Honor Tribune and the large Symphony Orchestra playing " Marsch der Treue ", (The March of Allegiance) by Richard Wagner. When everybody was seated, the Berlin Philharmonic played the German National Anthem " Deutschland ueber alles" and afterwards the German Military Honor Band played the " Horst Wessel Lied ". While the large Olympic Bell, the symbol of the Berlin Olympics with the inscription " Ich rufe die Jugend der Welt " was tolling, announcing the opening of the games and the flags of all the nations are being hoisted by the German Naval Corps , the Olympic teams and athletes started to enter the Stadium and while marching past Hitler, dipping their countries flags, except the American Team, giving the Nazi or IOC salute, which is similar, marching around the Stadium and lining up in front of the Honor Tribune, filled with Invitees. Baron Pierre de Coubertain's famous words were transmitted over loud speakers in French: " L'important aux Jeux Olympiques n'est pas d'y gagner, mais de d'y prendre part, car l'essentiel dans la vie n'est pas tant de conquerir, que de bien lutter ", as IOC Officials and OC Officials made a half circle in front of the speaker's stand in front of the Honor Tribune, as the Organizing Committee President Dr. Theodor Lewald mounted the speaker's stand and delivered the welcome address and inviting Reichs Kanzler Adolf Hitler to open the games, who proclaims them with these words: " Ich verkuende die Spiele von Berlin, zur Feier der elften Olympiade neuer Zeitrechnung, als eroeffnet! " After that the gigantic Olympic Flag is brought by eight German Athletes, followed by cannon salutes fired by German Artillery and Fanfares are filling the air again and 30,000 Pigeons are released and the Olympic Hymn, composed by Richard Strauss is performed by the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and the Berlin Opera Chorus, under the direction of the composer. Then the last Torchbearer, 1936 Olympian Fritz Schilgen enters at the East side of the Stadium and standing for a minute with his right arm raised, holding the Flame up high, looking at the completely filled stadium and the crowd exploding into a loud ovation as he comes down the steps and passes the honor tribune where Hitler gives him the Nazi salute, he runs to the West Gate and up the steps to the Olympic Cauldron, holds the Olympic Flame high up and lights the Olympic Cauldron, which bursts into a big flame, among a roaring ovation from the spectators. The Greek National Hero, Spiridon Louis, the first Olympic Marathon Winner for 1896 Athens, approached the honor tribune in order to hand Chancellor Adolf Hitler, an Olive Branch, the symbol of the Ancient Olympics, 2700 years ago. The flag-bearers of all the nations are assembled around the speaker's platform and after dipping their flags, Rudolf Ismayr, a 1936 Olympian, takes the Olympic Oath with the same words as for the Winter Olympics (see above). The Orchestra performs Haendel's Hallelujah Chorus and after that, the teams leave the Stadium in a very orderly fashion by way of the Marathon Gate and as the athletes are leaving the stadium, so does Hitler and all the other officials, whereby the Opening Ceremony and the first day of the1936 Berlin Olympic Games and eleventh of the modern era has come to an end. Competitions started the next day at the Stadium and so did Football (Soccer) eliminations. I enjoyed all the Track and Field events, the short and long distance races, Swimming, Diving, Water Polo, Yachting, Rowing, the Marathon and the Football games and Sprints. To watch Jesse Owens run or jump and win four Gold Medals in world record times, was a special treat for me, as they were sports I have competed for in school. By being in the Village often, I met and shook hands with him, John Woodruff, Archie Williams, also Ralph Metcalfe who with Frank Wykoff, Foy Draper and Jesse Owens won the 4x100 m Relay in world record time, to become Gold Medal winners. Very nice people and the world's best sprinters and the best advertising for the USA. I noticed Jesse Owens and Luz Long several times together on the field and so must have quite a few Nazis. Luz Long won the Silver in Long Jump, Jesse Owens the Gold. Hitler did not like Owens who won 4 Gold medals against his "Superior Race" Germans and did not forget that insult against him and Germany. Luz Long befriending a black American, he may have been sent to the front lines on purpose during the war, where he got killed. I also never could understand that Jesse Owens, who was not wealthy and of course did not get paid to compete in the Olympics and did participate in some of the Post-Olympics without pay, until he had to go home to his family and make a living, for which he was expelled from the AAU, by orders of Avery Brundage, for not going to Sweden, a decision that hurt him the rest of his life. Winning unprecedented four Gold Medals for the United States, Jesse Owens was one of the greatest sports heroes this country has ever had and definitely was the fastest runner of the Berlin Games. When he entered the field the entire stadium exploded in applause and roar for him, not just the Americans but most of the Germans as well, whether Hitler liked it or not. He was polite to everybody and especially with us kids he was very nice and he was the greatest athlete and best diplomat the USA has ever had. He went to Berlin after the war in the 1950's,1960's and during the 1972 Olympics and everybody that saw him cheered him on and called his name. He was worshiped as a hero in Germany and all over Europe. Only in the United States, the country of his birth, to which he gave so much honor, he was not treated the way he deserved and on top, yet thrown out of the AAU. I am glad that I met and spoke with him several times. He was always very polite and friendly, as well as extremely kind and down to earth and that is how I will always remember him. Since I only met certain athletes in the Village, especially the American sprinters, which were superior than the ones from all the other nations and also very popular in Berlin, I missed many good athletes from the USA, as I found out later. One of them was Helen Stephens, who was the fastest women in Berlin and won gold in the 100m sprint and 4x100 relay. I also found out about the controversy of two Jewish athletes, Marty Glickman and Sam Stoller, that were supposed to run in the men's 4x100 meter relay with Foy Draper and Frank Wykoff, but were told by the two coaches just before the race, that they were replaced by Jesse Owens and Ralph Metcalfe. They gave them a stupid excuse, but the truth is most likely, that they were the only Jews on the team, which was a good enough reason at that time to be excluded. Both were excellent athletes, that won many events until 1939, when they were good enough to serve in world war II for this country. But things like that happen, as I found out twelve years later in Argentina, but for another reason. At least they, as well as myself, were considered Olympians and received participation medals, even without having the thrill of winning, which in my case was not possible, because we were not good enough, but in their case, they would most likely have had gold medals hanging from their neck. In any case, I am sure that we all had a lot of fun being there. Austria did not do well, but other small countries did. Hungary won Gold in Water Polo. Olivier Halassy won his third Gold medal in three Olympics with only one leg. A streetcar ran over the other. (Paralympics did not exist in 1936) Julio Gaudini, Italy Fencing, won 3 Gold, 4 Silver, 2 Bronze in three Olympics. Jack Beresford, G.B. 5 medals in 5 Olympics,13 year old Marjorie Gestring, USA Diving, Gold and the youngest ever, to win Gold. Helen Stephens, USA won Gold in the 100 meter dash and again as anchor for the 4x100 against an eliminated Germany. Harold Whitlock, G.B. Gold in 50 km Walk, Kitei Son, Japan, Gold in the Marathon, John Morris, USA, Gold in Decathlon, Cornelius Johnson USA Gold in High Jump, Ken Carpenter USA, Gold in Discus, Gisela Mauermeyer GER, Gold in Discus, Archie Williams USA,Gold in 400m, John Woodruff USA Gold in 800 m, Jack Lovelock, N.Z. Gold in 1500 m, Gunner Hockert, FIN Gold in5000 m, Ilmari Salminen, FIN Gold in 10000 m, Volmai Iso Hollo, FIN Gold in 3,000 m Steeplechase, Gerhard Stock GER, Gold, Javelin, G. B. Gold for 4x400 Relay. The best Gold Medal performances given in Berlin, all with records, were India in Hockey, Argentina in Polo, USA in Basketball, Swimming & Diving, GER in Handball, FRA, Biking 5 Gold, with Charpentier and Lapebie. But in total, Germany won the Olympics and most Gold Medals. I met Mack Robinson, a Silver medal winner, in Berlin. And I met him again during the '84 Olympic Gold Book Ceremony. Even so he was not a Gold but Silver Medal Winner, we were honored by his presence and appreciated his signature of "Mack Robinson. Berlin 1936". In case you are interested, a few of these numbered all leather covered books with his and about thirty other Gold Medal winner's signatures of the 1984 Olympics are still available with a very rare Program, which was only sent to about eighty special guests like President Reagan and Vice President George Bush. Only a few of these rare books are left from a total edition of only 500 individually signed and numbered books and 100 programs. They come with the official program and a list of the gold medalists in each individually numbered book and a Certificate of Authenticity, signed by Paul Ziffren and Harry L. Usher. The final Football game between Austria and Italy ended 2 -1 Italy. It was an exciting game, but I was sorry that Austria lost and hoarse from screaming. The Closing Ceremony was extremely nice, with great fireworks, just like the winter Olympics, but for some reason I felt sad when the last flicker of the Olympic Flame stopped burning. I felt I left something in that Stadium and the Field, that would never return again, which actually did not until 12 years later. Other than in Berlin, London and Helsinki I would never again be able to be as close to the Athletes on the field. And there were many changes in my life, from my native Vienna to 3,400 foot high La Paz, Bolivia and five years later to Buenos Aires, hired to play Football and go to school and college. I had three great weeks in Berlin, collected pins, badges, medals and other things as well as an Olympic Torch with a Diploma, which I lost at one point in my life, but was able to replace later at an Auction, but that is another long story. I am glad, not to have missed the Berlin Olympics, as far as I am concerned, the best organized and most imposing Olympics I have ever seen. Is that because of my young age, or by being overly impressed by the German people's idolatry towards Adolf Hitler, who mass hypnotized the German people by his commanding appearance and harsh speeches? Perhaps I was overly impressed and excited, being the first time at two Olympics. But as I found out later from Avery Brundage himself, he was just as overwhelmed as I was. It is unbelievable how Hitler could fool the German people first and later take country after country without any opposition until it was almost too late. Even in Bolivia and Argentina he was idolized and I heard that people idolized him in the United States and possibly still do, as they still do in Germany and possibly Austria. In Garmisch-Partenkirchen he was standing next to me among other kids my age and greeted us all and put his arms on our shoulders...... It is really incredible what terrible things he was capable of. He did not look nor behave like an evil man when I saw him up close. I have seen other leaders, up close. They all had the same attitude without being evil. I met other leaders personally: Two in Austria, several in Bolivia, one of them living in the same house my parents were living while planning to overthrow the government. In Argentina it was Juan D. Peron and his wife Evita, and on the second day I arrived in the United States and was standing on Post Street in San Francisco across from the back entrance of the St. Francis Hotel, President Dwight David Eisenhower came out and walked across the street which was closed off to traffic and gave me one of the warmest and most sincerest handshakes I have ever received from any American personality since. He took the time to speak to each of us standing there across the hotel. I do not even recall if there were many people guarding him, something, that surely would not be possible these days. The only other was Bobby Kennedy, a candidate at the time in front of the Press Club on Post Street across from the Olympic Club shaking hands with all the people while campaigning, only two days before he was shot in Los Angeles. Most of the people from Berlin were very polite, intelligent and straight forward and I had a great time during the 1936 Olympics, first at the Winter Games, then at the four Torch Ceremonies, which were unforgettable and then at the Berlin Olympics which I remember with the greatest delight, now at age 80. I have been back to Berlin several times, either alone or with my wife and always visit the Stadium and all the other places, where I was able to re-live the wonderful days of 1936 again. The time before last it was being restored and it is very beautiful now again. I have been to many Olympics since than. Understandably the 1948 London and 1952 Helsinki Olympics were very special for me, even so my non participation was not through my choice, although I had a great time anyway and in the USA I enjoyed the 1960 Squaw Valley, the 1984 Los Angeles 1996 Atlanta and the 2002 Salt Lake Olympics, not only because of being a Torchbearer, but also because of being in the United States, but of course all the Olympics I went to were wonderful, specially so, when I realize that from now on to go to Olympics will get much harder for me and my dear wife, but at least we will be able to watch them on live Television, which is quite comfortable. And if you enjoyed some of the pages of this website, we would be happy to hear from you. Please give us your Feedback in the provided space at the bottom of our Home Page. E-mail checked daily at: enash327@yahoo.com or weekly at: museum@olympicsource.org Telephone: Summer: 541-765-2923 Winter: 702-346-1776 |
