IOC criticized for selling T-shirts with symbols of Olympic Games hosted by Hitler
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) faced criticism from Germany for selling T-shirts with themes from the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, which were used by the Nazis and Adolf Hitler for propaganda, writes the BBC.
Photo: shop.olympics.com
The T-shirts, sold in the official Olympic Games online store, depict a male figure with a laurel wreath, above which are the Olympic rings, and below it — the Brandenburg Gate and the inscription Germany Berlin 1936 Olympic Games. This design was created by artist Franz Würbel for the official poster of the 1936 Games, which were held in what was already Nazi Berlin.
Calls have been made in Germany to stop the sale of such T-shirts, as many consider them "inappropriate and unacceptable" due to their lack of historical context. Clara Schedlich, a representative of the Green Party faction in the Berlin parliament, noted that the 1936 Games were a central tool of Nazi propaganda and that the IOC "has not sufficiently come to terms with its own history."
In response, the IOC stated that while it "recognizes the historical problems of Nazi propaganda," it also seeks to highlight the achievements of the Games: in Berlin, it said, 4,483 athletes from 49 countries participated in 149 disciplines. The T-shirts are part of the Olympic Heritage Collection series, which showcases 130 years of Olympic art and design, including emblems, posters, pictograms, and mascots from all Olympic Games.
The IOC also noted that many participants of the Berlin Olympics impressed the world with their achievements, particularly African-American athlete Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals and shattered the myth of Aryan racial supremacy. At the same time, the historical context of the 1936 Games is explained in the Olympic Museum in Lausanne, and a very limited number of T-shirts with this design were released.
Nevertheless, following the scandal, the T-shirt was removed from sale.
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МОК уже давно продался, за деньги он проведем игры в любой стране, будет отмывать любого кровавого диктатора.