100 years after Hitler’s infamous Games, the Olympics could return to Berlin

Berlin is making a bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games, potentially marking a century since the controversial 1936 Games held under Nazi rule.

Mayor Kai Wegner is set to unveil the city's plans on Tuesday at Berlin's Olympic Stadium, joined by representatives from four supporting German states.

While the invitation to the Tuesday event, sent on Friday, is ambiguous about the specific target year, the timing of the announcement suggests that the city is aiming for 2036 – 100 years after the last Berlin Games.

Los Angeles has been confirmed to host the event in 2028 and Brisbane in 2032.

However, the German Olympic Sports Confederation has also suggested a possible bid for the 2040 Games.

The states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, and Schleswig-Holstein would also host competitions as part of Berlin’s bid.

Berlin’s Olympic stadium, known as Olympiastadion in German, was built for the 1936 Games, as were multiple other gymnasiums and smaller arenas.

Adolf Hitler was personally involved in the design and construction of the 100,000-seat track-and-field stadium after the Nazis assumed power in 1933 – two years after the Games were awarded to the city.

The Nazi leader was initially unenthused by the idea of hosting the Games, but he changed his mind after being convinced of their potential for propaganda.

He invited Leni Riefenstahl to film the event and she used the material for her documentary film Olympia, released in 1938.

German Jewish athletes were mostly barred from competing in the 1936 Games, which were the last to be held for 12 years due to the turmoil caused by World War II. The next Summer Olympics were in London in 1948.

American track and field athlete Jesse Owens was the most successful athlete at the 1936 Games, winning four gold medals.

ESPN later said that as a Black man, Mr Owens “single-handedly crush[ed] Hitler’s myth of Aryan supremacy”.

Olympiastadion is still in use and hosted the European Championship final between Spain and England in 2024.

Hertha Berlin plays its home games there, and on Saturday it will host the German Cup final between Stuttgart and Arminia Bielefeld.

Additional reporting from AP