ABSTRACT
The sports venues of the 1936 Olympic Games left Berlin a significant but difficult legacy. The grounds of the former Reichssportfeld, especially the Olympic Stadium, are important reminders of the history of the city of Berlin and the German state. They show us that sport cannot be non-political. In a staged spectacle the image of a tolerant and open regime was played to the world, but behind the illusion Jews and political dissidents were persecuted systematically and preparations were made for World War II, which had devastating effects on Europe and beyond.
