HISTORIC SITE: THE OLYMPIC GROUNDS 1909-1936-2006

The newly refurbished Berlin Olympic Stadium will once again be the focus of public attention during the 2006 FIFA World Cup football championship. This book traces the history of the Olympic grounds, opened to the public in 1936 as a unique combination of sporting location, military parade ground and showplace for the National Socialist politics of remembrance, from its beginnings as a racecourse, its history as the Reichssportfeld, up until the present day. It examines every important stage in the history of the building and events here, and three essays reflect on themes that are irrevocably linked to the Olympic site: the significance of the 1936 Olympic Games for the National Socialists' sports policy, the way in which the "commemoration of heroes" developed following the First World War, and the site's position in an international architectural context. Also an exhibition guide, this richly illustrated publication accompanies the documentation that will be presented in the stand beneath the Bell Tower.