NAZI GERMANY
SUMMER OLYMPICS POSTCARDS
1936
The 1936 Summer Olympics (also known as the XI Summer Olympics) was held from 1st to 16th Aug 1936, in the German Capital city of Berlin. The games featured participants from 49 countries and included almost 4,000 athletes. This was the first time that parts of the games were shown on TV, and the first to include the Olympic Torch Relay. These games are perhaps most remembered due to the victories of Jesse Owens and the intense Nazi propaganda that touched every part of the event.
Germany was the outright winner in terms of the medal tally with 89 medals in all, including 33 gold, 26 silver and 30 bronze medals. The USA finished in second place with 56 medals, which included 24 gold, 20 silver and 12 bronze. Great Britain finished in a disappointing 10th spot with 14 medals, 4 gold, 7 silver and 3 bronze.
Hundreds of postcards and other memorabilia were released before, during and after the games and a few examples from my collection can be found below.
SUMMER OLYMPICS
FLAGS
FLAGS of the COMPETING NATIONS
FROM MY COLLECTION
FLAGS of the COMPETING NATIONS
FROM MY COLLECTION
FLAGS of the COMPETING NATIONS
FROM MY COLLECTION
SUMMER OLYMPICS
LAYOUT
LAYOUT of the VENUE
FROM MY COLLECTION
SUMMER OLYMPICS
REICHSSPORT VERLAG
This postcard was from a series of cards celebrating the games and published by Reichssport Verlag of Berlin. This example is No. 1 in the series. The card it titled 'Reichssportfeld, Blick von der Deutschen Kampfbahn durch das Osttor' - 'Reichssportfeld, view from the German Arena through the east gate'.
No. 1
Reichssportfeld, Olympia-Stadion
Reichssportfeld, Olympia-Stadion
FROM MY COLLECTION
I also have another almost identical version of this card below. The image is exactly the same, but the text on the reverse is in a different font and the value is now 10Pf instead of the 15Pf of the card above.
No. 1
Reichssportfeld, Olympia-Stadion
Reichssportfeld, Olympia-Stadion
FROM MY COLLECTION
This example is No. 2 in the series. The card it titled "Reichssportfeld, Osttor mit Blick auf die Deutsche Kampfbahn" - 'Reichssportfeld, east gate with a view of the German Arena'.
No. 2
Reichssportfeld, Olympia-Stadion
Reichssportfeld, Olympia-Stadion
FROM MY COLLECTION
SUMMER OLYMPICS
INDUSTRIE-FOTOGRAFEN KLINKE & Co.
This postcard was from a series of cards celebrating the games and published by Industrie-Fotografen Klinke & Co of Berlin. This example is No. 13 in the series.
No. 13
Reichssportfeld, Olympia-Stadion
Reichssportfeld, Olympia-Stadion
FROM MY COLLECTION
SUMMER OLYMPICS
OTHER PUBLISHERS
This postcard features an iconic image of the 1936 games, the Olympic bell. The bell was originally housed in the 77 meter tall bell tower until a fire in 1947 made the structure unsave, and it was demolished by British Army Engineers. The bell which was still in place at the top of the tower, was cracked when the tower was destroyed. The bell can still be seen at the Olympic Stadium, where it now rests at ground level, probably never to ring again.
The Olympic Bell
FROM MY COLLECTION
OTHER PUBLISHERS
This postcard is quite often seen on eBay and other sites and usually references the 1936 Olympic Games, However, I doubt that this is an Olympic related postcard at all, and could find no record of an Albert Urich competing at the games (in fact I couldn't find any sporting reference to an Albert Urich at all). [More Research is Required].
Albert Urich T.B. Ulm
Parallel Bars
Parallel Bars
FROM MY COLLECTION
ADDITIONAL POSTCARDS LINKED
to the GAMES
The following card does not feature an Olympic Games theme, however it was posted in Berlin during the games and was bound for New York. It bears a special Olympic Games slogan cancel inscribed "Olympische Spiele | Berlin 1.-16 August | 1936" - 'Olympic Games | Berlin 1st to 16th August | 1936'.
The message from the sender, Bill Rotch, is short and simple "Am now in Berlin, aunt Jessie. and think it is a very nice city". Apparently he was a man of few words and not easily excited, however aunt Jessie must have been delighted to hear from him no matter how short the message.
Fredderick the Great's Monument
FROM MY COLLECTION
AUSTRIAN POSTCARDS
The design for this attractive postcard was also used on posters promoting the games. It was produced in Austria and carries the inscription:"OLYMPISCHER FACKELLAUF | IN ÖSTERREICH | WEIHESTUNDE | WIEN HELDENPLATZ | 29. JULI 1936 20 UHR"
'OLYMPIC TORCH RACE | IN AUSTRIA | CHRISTMAS | VIENNA HELDENPLATZ | JULY 29, 1936 8 PM'
The Torch Relay was the first time that a lit Olympic Torch was to be carried from Greece to the games venue, the previous games in Amsterdam and Los Angeles saw the flame being lit at the stadium. The torch was carried from Mount Olympia in Greece on the 20th July, through Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Austria (29th Jul), Czechoslovakia and finally Germany from the 31st Jul until it's arrival in Berlin on 1st Aug, opening day of the games.
FROM MY COLLECTION
This Austrian postcard has a German Michel 609 stamp cancelled in Berlin-Grünau on the 15th August. The text on the back is exactly the same as that used on the earlier Austrian Olympic Committee's Winter Olympics postcard.
FROM MY COLLECTION