Germany navigates Nazi games anniversary as it prepares to launch Olympic hosting bid

euronews (in English)

Germany’s Olympic hopes received a major boost last month when the government threw its support behind hosting the event — but the memory of the 1936 games looms large.

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00:00This could be the centerpiece of Germany's Olympic bid, but also symbolic of the controversy

00:08around it.

00:12Berlin's Olympic Stadium has been used for the country's top sporting events, from the

00:17Euro 2024 to last year's Special Olympics.

00:21But it has a dark past.

00:23It was built for the 1936 Olympics under the Nazis.

00:28Now the German Olympic Sports Confederation is considering bidding for the 2036 Olympics,

00:34the 100-year anniversary.

00:36Supporters say it will let the country show how far democracy has come, but opponents

00:41say they're concerned the sign it could send.

00:44And I think what would happen is that everybody would just talk about that year, and we cannot

00:51tell now what Germany will look like in 2036.

00:56We really don't know how democratic and nice Germany will be in that year.

01:04The interim minister was in Paris last month to sign a declaration for a bid for the Games.

01:10The government says it prefers the 2040 Olympics, as it marks the 50-year anniversary of reunification.

01:17The country could have European competition for both.

01:20London's mayor says he wants his city to host the 2040 Games.

01:25While Hungary is considering a bid for 2036.

01:29A spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior and Community told Euronews that the government

01:33will be following closely upcoming talks between the IOC and the German Olympic Sports Confederation.

01:40It would not say whether the government would support a bid for the 2036 Olympics.

01:46Talks were organized to gauge the public mood.

01:48The leading opposition party, the Christian Democrats, say they're in favor of hosting

01:53the Games, but are concerned there won't be enough public support.

01:57I think this is the most important task, and to be honest, I don't perceive this movement

02:05among the German public today at least, certainly it still can be created in the upcoming future,

02:15but there's a long way to go.

02:19Critics say money instead should be focused on sports infrastructure in need of repair.

02:25It would cost us 240 million euros to renovate all of the sport infrastructure in Berlin.

02:31When we host the Olympic Games, the estimated sum for just the security measurements would

02:36be two billion euros.

02:38So that is really a big difference, and we should first do our own homework before hosting

02:45a big event.

02:46The German Olympic Sports Confederation says a decision on what year it will bid for the

02:51Games will be made in 2025.

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