OLYMPISCHE SPIELE 1936 – “Olympic Games 1936” Official publication of the 11th Olympic Games Committee – Booklet No. 14. July, 1936. An elegant booklet that reviews the various branches of competition in the fields of gymnastics, swimming, horse riding in articles and many quality photographs (some of them large over a whole page) , the Olympic boxing tournament, and more, emphasizing the racial superiority of the German athletes and being role models and teachers for the athletes of the other countries. On the cover is an illustration of a German man and woman representing the superiority of the Aryan race.
The booklet is written in the spirit of the sporting superiority of the German athletes with the sturdy body and the long sports tradition. As part of the description of the various sports in the Olympics, the writer emphasizes that Germany is at the top of the “nations of the most powerful countries” alongside Switzerland and Finland. When he adds that the success of the gymnasts from Finland is credited to Germany: “The Finns made great progress in gymnastics. The Germans were their teachers… The Germans showed the Finns the beginning concepts of gymnastics…”. It is also written that the French gymnasts achieved excellent results in sports thanks to the “German gymnastics teacher Bruno Günsche, ” adding, “Much more could be said. This way, it can be proven that nations sent their gymnasts to Germany and thus were introduced to the sport of gymnastics for the first time…” The booklet’s author notes that Americans, too, have something to learn from the Germans. Throughout the booklet, there is a subjective review asserting the superiority of German sports over the entire world’s sports.
The brochure is filled with many advertisements for resorts and leisure throughout Germany, among them an advertisement for events held in the city of Reich Nuremberg – “the treasure chest of the German Empire” – there is a long list of German cultural sites and museums in the city including: “Particularly outstanding because of the large and unique facilities of the Nazi Party…”, ancient historical sites and more. The booklet is printed on thick and elegant paper and is accompanied by high-quality photographs of the German contestants in the Olympics comparing them to the contestants of the other countries.
52 p. 35 cm. Pages 6-10 were accidentally double bound. Very good condition.
