Olympiastadion, Berlin

Part One of a brief tour of German sporting venues:

While in Berlin, one of the sites I wanted to see was the Olympiastadion.  The Stadium has hosted the 1936 Summer Olympics, matches during the 1974 and 2006 World Cups, and is currently the home for the German soccer club Hertha Berlin.  I read that it even hosted one of the largest attended baseball games, with 110,000 people on hand.  I can only imagine that many of those in attendance were dumbfounded Europeans who were wondering why the hell Americans love the sport so much. 

However, the Stadium is most famous for being the site of the epic smackdown that track athletes Jesse Owens and (Western Pennsylvania's own/University of Pittsburgh alum) John Woodruff laid upon Hitler and the Third Reich during the 1936 Summer Games.  Interesting fact:  people have accused Hitler of being racist--now why would they think that?--for not congratulating Owens.  The truth of the matter is that International Olympic Committee rules forbid the host country's leader from congratulating any athlete, from any country.  So Hitler was technically following IOC protocol.  President Roosevelt, on the other hand, didn't have IOC rules to hide behind--he simply didn't congratulate Owens at all. 

   

The Stadium is not the only structure in the area, though.  It is part of what was termed the "Reichssportfield."  Because the 1936 Olympics was a crucial cog in Hitler's propaganda machine, the area had to be a massive forum fit to host all of the Summer Games and any subsequent events.  So, the 300-plus acre site held the Stadium; the Maifeld ("May Field"), which held gymnastic demonstrations, equestrian events, political events (Germany held a big welcoming party for Benito Mussolini when he visited the country...sounds fun, doesn't it?), and a massive bell tower; a natatorium and other small amphitheatres made up the rest of the space.

Maifield and Bell Tower

What remains of the Maifeld's grandstand

Bell Tower and grandstand where Hitler and Friends sat

The bell has since been removed from the Tower and is now on display next to the Stadium

Natatorium

Looking at the Maifeld really embodies what makes the Olympiastadion complex a compelling visit.  All at once, it's amazing, powerful, chilling, and unnerving to see the place where hundreds of thousands of people frenetically waved swastika-emblazoned flags in the service of one of history's most notorious figures.  Anyone who says that history and sport are unrelated has never been here and, frankly, needs to come here.  Even inside the Stadium, despite its modern overhang and well-kept pitch, history still manages to make itself known.



The Bell Tower as seen from inside the Stadium



Olympic torch

Top row, half-field

I can't stress enough that, if you're ever in Berlin, a visit to the Olympiastadion is well worth your time and the measley 3 Euro entrance fee.  Stay tuned for my recap of Munich's Olympiapark, which should be up in a few days.