BERLIN — The European Championship final on Sunday will see Spain and England face off at Berlin’s historic Olympic Stadium, a venue steeped in history and symbolism. Constructed for the 1936 Olympic Games, the stadium bears the marks of World War II and relics of its Nazi past.
Initially, Adolf Hitler was unenthusiastic about hosting the Olympics but was persuaded of their propaganda potential. Plans to remodel the existing national stadium were scrapped in favor of a new sports complex, the Reich Sports Field, designed by Werner March. Inspired by the Colosseum in Rome, the stadium was built to impress, with 2,600 workers laboring to complete it in time for the Games.
The 1936 Olympics, held from August 1, became a significant propaganda victory for Nazi Germany. Despite Jesse Owens, a Black American athlete, winning four gold medals and challenging Hitler’s notions of racial superiority, Germany topped the medal tally. The Nazis portrayed an image of peace and tolerance to the world, engaging in what is now recognized as one of the first major instances of sportswashing.
During the Olympics, the stadium was adorned with Nazi flags, and a swastika was prominently displayed above the entrance. Members of the Nazi paramilitary SA were ordered to cease attacks on Jews during the Games. Jewish athletes were largely excluded, with only two half-Jewish athletes, fencer Helene Mayer and hockey player Rudi Ball, allowed to compete for Germany.
After the Olympics, the Reich Sports Field complex continued to serve the Nazi regime. Italian dictator Benito Mussolini visited in 1937, welcomed by thousands of torch-carrying Nazis on the May Field behind the stadium. During World War II, the stadium and sports field were damaged, though they escaped relatively unscathed compared to other parts of Berlin. Post-war, the British sector reopened the stadium in 1946 and used it as their military headquarters until 1994.
The stadium was largely unchanged after the war, gaining protected status in 1966. Significant renovations were made for the 2006 World Cup, including the addition of a roof. Today, the stadium does not hide its Nazi past. Information signs in English and German detail its history, and some relics remain, such as an eagle beside the training ground of Hertha Berlin and the old bell from the Bell Tower, though its swastika is partially covered.
In a sign of post-war rehabilitation, a large conference room in the stadium and a road along the sports field’s southern perimeter are named after Jesse Owens. The stadium, now with a capacity of 71,000 for the European Championship, still evokes mixed feelings among visitors.
Many fans focus on their teams’ fortunes rather than the historical information provided. Tour guide Ryan Balmer suggested that the stadium could use “a more prominent reminder of how and why places like this were built.” Marian Wajselfisz, a Holocaust survivor and co-founder of Jewish soccer club Makkabi Berlin, expressed regret that fans, including those attending Sunday’s final, are not more aware of Nazi atrocities against Jews.
As Spain and England prepare for their showdown, the match will unfold in a venue that stands as a testament to both the dark history of the 20th century and the resilience of a nation that has strived to remember and learn from its past.
Source: AP
