1936 Summer Olympics torch relay

none 1936 Summer 1936 Summer Olympics torch relay on a German stamp Berlin, Germany Greece, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia (Serbia), Hungary, Austria, Czechoslovakia (Czechia), Germany 3,187 km 3,331 20 July 1936 1 August 1936 Walter Lemcke 3,840 The 1936 Summer Olympics torch relay was the first of its kind, following on from the reintroduction of the Olympic Flame at the 1928 Games. It pioneered the modern convention of moving the flame via a relay system from Greece to the Olympic venue. Leni Riefenstahl filmed the relay for the award-winning but controversial 1938 film Olympia. Organization Carl Diem#Torch Relay The Olympic flame was introduced to the modern Games in 1928 when it burnt atop a pillar above the stadium in Amsterdam. Four years later the same was repeated in Los Angeles. At both of these events the flame was lit on site at the stadium.http://olympic-museum.de/torches/torch1936.htm Torches olympic-museum.de 30 July 2012 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20120724033556/http://olympic-museum.de/torches/torch1936.htm 24 July 2012 Carl Diem used the idea of the torch relay devised for the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin by a Jewish archaeologist and sports official, Alfred Schiff. According to the official report for the Games, the torch relay was conceived as a publicity stunt to increase awareness for the Games.February 2023 The process was ratified by the International Olympic Committee and has been repeated at all the Games that have followed.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12297876 London 2012: What is the Olympic torch relay? BBC News 9 May 2012 30 July 2012 Claire Heald Diem and the organizing team realized that there would need to be very detailed plans in order to successfully complete the relay to a standard that would satisfy both themselves and the ruling Third Reich. At the time they were unsure about exactly how they could use the sun's rays to start the fire as well as how to create a torch that would remain alight whatever the conditions. Research was therefore required into the specialist technologies that would be needed. The route itself would need development and the path down from Olympia was deemed too difficult to access. The organising committees therefore agreed that new roads would be built to ensure that the relay got off to the best possible start.http://www.olympic.org/Documents/Reports/EN/en_report_655.pdf The Olympic flame and torch relay The Olympic Museum 2007 31 July 2012 Political significance thumb|Siegfried Eifrig carrying the Olympic Flame at the end of the relay Adolf Hitler saw the link with the ancient Games as the perfect way to illustrate his belief that classical Greece was an Aryan forerunner of the modern German Reich.https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7330949.stm The Olympic torch's shadowy past BBC News 5 April 2008 30 July 2012 Chris Bowlbyhttp://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article3699278.ece https://web.archive.org/web/20080706160528/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article3699278.ece dead July 6, 2008 Who put the Olympic flame out? timesonline.co.uk 7 April 2008 30 July 2012 London Nico Hines "The sportive, knightly battle awakens the best human characteristics. It doesn't separate, but unites the combatants in understanding and respect. It also helps to connect the countries in the spirit of peace. That's why the Olympic Flame should never die." Adolf Hitler, commenting on the 1936 Berlin Olympic Gameshttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/chris-weigant/the-olympic-torch-relays_b_96648.html The Olympic Torch Relay's Nazi Origin Huffington Post 14 April 2008 30 July 2012 Chris Weigant The event was designed to demonstrate the growing influence and power of the Third Reich. It was internationally viewed as a great success, sufficient for it to be replicated in all Games thereafter.https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/Schwarcz+London+2012+torch+lighter+brighter+safer/7001452/story.html London 2012 torch 'lighter, brighter, safer' Montreal Gazette 27 July 2012 4 August 2012 Joe Schwarcz Leni Riefenstahl, a film-maker admired by Hitler, filmed the relay for the 1938 release Olympia. While the film is often seen as a prime example of Nazi propaganda, it has also been hailed as one of the greatest films of all timehttp://www.time.com/time/2005/100movies/the_complete_list.html https://web.archive.org/web/20050523235033/http://www.time.com/time/2005/100movies/the_complete_list.html dead May 23, 2005 Time All-Time 100 Movies 30 July 2012 12 February 2005 and won many awards upon its release.http://www.german-way.com/cinema/bio-leni-riefenstahl_2.html Leni Riefenstahl (1902–2003) • Part 2 The German Way & More" 30 July 2012 Relay elements Torch thumb|The Berlin Olympic Torch Sculptor Walter Lemcke designed the 27 cm wood and metal torches. German manufacturer Krupp produced 3,840 copies for the runners, over 500 more than would be needed.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-13424048 London 2012: Torch relay heading for 1,000 places BBC News 18 May 2011 30 July 2012 It was designed with two fuses to help it cope with different weather conditions and could stay alight for ten minutes, longer than each section of the route. Route On 20 July 1936 the Olympic flame was lit in Greece by a concave mirror made by German company Zeiss. The Nazi Party wanted to demonstrate their organisational prowess and enhance their influence on various countries along the route of the relay. The torch travelled through south-eastern and central European countries to demonstrate and enhance their influence. The National Olympic Committees (NOCs) of the countries along the route all agreed to support the relay which would pass through Greece, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia, Hungary, Austria, and Czechoslovakia and then Germany. These countries would fall under Nazi domination as the second World War began just over three years later. In Austria, a country that would be annexed into the Third Reich less than two years after the relay, the torch was met by major pro-Nazi public demonstrations. In all the torch was transported over 3,187 kilometres by 3,331 runners in twelve days and eleven nights from Greece to Berlin. Much of the route was split into kilometre-long sections and it was anticipated that each runner would traverse that distance in five minutes, though some leeway was given to allow for difficult terrain and sparsely populated areas. The names of most of the torch bearers, all of whom were male, were not recorded.http://www.germanroadraces.de/274-1-6031-siegfried-eifrig-last-berlin-torch-bearer.html Siegfried Eifrig – Last Berlin Torch Bearer from 1936 Dies German Road Races 30 July 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20140104205331/http://www.germanroadraces.de/274-1-6031-siegfried-eifrig-last-berlin-torch-bearer.html 2014-01-04 dead Route in Greece LocationsThe XI Olympic Games Berlin, 1936 Official Report Volume I http://library.la84.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1936/1936v1sum.pdf library.la84.org 29 October 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170130043451/http://library.la84.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1936/1936v1sum.pdf 30 January 2017 deadMap (larger dots indicate celebrations along route)20 July: Olympia, Ladon, Vytina 21 July: Tripoli, Argos, Corinth, Eleusis, Athens 22 July: Thebes, Livadeia, Delphi, Amfissa, Bralos, Lamia 23 July: Domokos, Farsala, Larissa, Elassona, Servia, Kozani 24 July: Veria, Gidas, Philicos, Thessaloniki, Langadas, Serres 25 July: SidirokastroGreece 500 center Greece Olympia, Greece 37.6384 21.6298 Greece Ladon (river) 37.6761 21.9046 Greece Vytina 37.6699 22.1829 Greece Tripoli, Greece 37.5105 22.3728 Greece Argos, Peloponnese 37.6350 22.7288 Greece Corinth left Corinth (modern city) 12 37.9400 22.9325 Greece Eleusis 38.0436 23.5416 Greece Athens Athens 12 37.9683 23.7410 Greece Thebes, Greece 38.3224 23.3203 Greece Livadeia 38.4383 22.8763 Greece Delphi bottom Delphi 12 38.4797 22.4937 Greece Amfissa 38.5278 22.3778 Greece Bralos 38.7268 22.4631 Greece Lamia Lamia (city) 12 38.8999 22.4331 Greece Domokos 39.1278 22.3014 Greece Farsala 39.2972 22.3826 Greece Larissa Larissa 12 39.6371 22.4178 Greece Elassona 39.8974 22.1894 Greece Servia, Greece 40.1895 22.0020 Greece Kozani 40.3006 21.7888 Greece Veria 40.5195 22.2069 Greece Alexandreia, Greece 40.6252 22.4482 Greece Thessaloniki bottom Thessaloniki 12 40.6413 22.9437 Greece Langadas 40.7541 23.0694 Greece Serres 41.0852 23.5491 Greece Sidirokastro 41.2364 23.3898 Route in Europe LocationsMap (larger dots indicate celebrations along route)Bulgaria 25 July Kula Kresna Gorna Dzumaja Dupnitsa Sofia SlivnitsaBulgaria 500 center Bulgaria Kula, Bulgaria 41.3867 23.3623 Bulgaria Kresna 41.7213 23.1647 Bulgaria Gorna Dzumaja Blagoevgrad 12 42.0204 23.0944 Bulgaria Dupnitsa 42.2630 23.1130 Bulgaria Sofia Sofia 12 42.7008 23.3221 Bulgaria Slivnitsa 42.8561 23.0392Yugoslavia 26 July Caribrod Pirot Niš Ražanj Pojate Paraćin Ćuprija Jagodina Kragujevac 27 July Topola Oplenac Mladenovac Belgrade Zemun Inđija Novi Sad Stari Vrbas Bačka Topola 28 July Subotica HorgošSerbia 500 center Serbia Dimitrovgrad, Serbia 43.0193 22.7799 Serbia Pirot 43.1624 22.5802 Serbia Niš Niš 12 43.3196 21.8990 Serbia Ražanj 43.6734 21.5495 Serbia Pojate 43.7427 21.4520 Serbia Paraćin 43.8627 21.4096 Serbia Ćuprija 43.9253 21.3767 Serbia Jagodina Jagodina 12 43.9839 21.2582 Serbia Kragujevac 44.0121 20.9101 Serbia Topola 44.2538 20.6801 Serbia Oplenac Oplenac 12 44.25 20.6666 Serbia Mladenovac 44.4363 20.6940 Serbia Belgrade Belgrade 12 44.8117 20.4617 Serbia Zemun 44.8534 20.3696 Serbia Inđija 45.0469 20.0825 Serbia Novi Sad Novi Sad 12 45.2400 19.8255 Serbia Vrbas, Serbia 45.5676 19.6504 Serbia Bačka Topola 45.8112 19.6314 Serbia Subotica Subotica 12 46.0959 19.6639 Serbia Horgoš 46.1539 19.9666Hungary 28 July Szeged Kiskunfélegyháza Kecskemét Sári Soroksár Budapest 29 July Tát Szőny Győr Moson OroszvárHungary 500 center Hungary Szeged 46.2511 20.1451 Hungary Kiskunfélegyháza 46.7112 19.8476 Hungary Kecskemét 46.8979 19.6858 Hungary 47.2107 19.2812 Hungary Soroksár 47.3938 19.1242 Hungary Budapest Budapest 12 47.4974 19.0409 Hungary Tát 47.7427 18.6451 Hungary Szőny 47.7351 18.1699 Hungary Győr 47.6874 17.6509 Hungary Mosonmagyaróvár 47.8684 17.2708 Hungary Rusovce 48.0552 17.1440Austria 29 July Kittsee Hainburg Markt Vienna Stockerau 30 July Maissau Horn Göpfrür Waidhofen Heidenreichstein ReingersAustria 500 center Austria Kittsee 48.0929 17.0590 Austria Hainburg an der Donau 48.1483 16.9468 Austria Vienna Vienna 12 48.2088 16.3719 Austria Stockerau 48.3865 16.2150 Austria Maissau 48.5737 15.8295 Austria Horn, Austria 48.6656 15.6582 Austria Göpfritz an der Wild 48.7257 15.3999 Austria Waidhofen an der Thaya 48.8151 15.2827 Austria Heidenreichstein 48.8671 15.1197 Austria Reingers 48.9670 15.1479Czechoslovakia 30 July Nová Bystřice Jindřichův Hradec Soběslav Tábor Benešov Prague 31 July Straškov Terezín Teplice PetroviceCzechia 500 center Czechia Nová Bystřice 49.0200 15.1030 Czechia Jindřichův Hradec 49.1445 15.0072 Czechia Soběslav 49.2607 14.7188 Czechia Tábor 49.4131 14.6790 Czechia Benešov 49.7808 14.6844 Czechia Prague Prague 12 50.0730 14.4351 Czechia Straškov-Vodochody 50.3634 14.2481 Czechia Terezín 50.5127 14.1480 Czechia Teplice 50.6413 13.8314 Czechia Petrovice (Ústí nad Labem District) 50.7894 13.9734 Route in Germany LocationsMap31 July Pirna Dresden Meissen GroßenhainGermany Saxony 500 center Germany Saxony Pirna Pirna 51.051437 13.941917 Germany Saxony Dresden Dresden 50.962517 13.737262 Germany Saxony Meissen Meissen 51.161784 13.497659 Germany Saxony Großenhain Großenhain 51.291227 13.531304Elsterwerda Liebenwerda Herzberg Jüterbog Luckenwalde TrebbinGermany Brandenburg 500 center Germany Brandenburg Elsterwerda Elsterwerda 51.463258 13.520220 Germany Brandenburg Liebenwerda left Bad Liebenwerda 51.517825 13.400940 Germany Brandenburg Herzberg Herzberg (Elster) 51.680143 13.210162 Germany Brandenburg Jüterbog Jüterbog 51.996473 13.075631 Germany Brandenburg Luckenwalde Luckenwalde 52.090390 13.163691 Germany Brandenburg Trebbin Trebbin 52.218000 13.2249751 August Berlin Lustgarten Olympic StadiumGermany Berlin 500 center Germany Berlin Berlin top Berlin 52.520495 13.404954 Germany Berlin Lustgarten bottom Lustgarten 52.518682 13.399203 Germany Berlin Olympic Stadium left Berlin Olympic Stadium 52.514737 13.239683 Runners per country #CountryRunners1Greece11082Bulgaria2383Yugoslavia5754Hungary3865Austria2196Czechoslovakia2827Germany267 Lighting of the cauldron Two urns in the centre of Berlin, within two long rows of large swastika flags, were lit by 400m-runner Siegfried Eifrig on 1 August 1936. The urns burnt for the duration of the Games and served as the starting point for the final relay runner. Fritz Schilgen, a three time 1500m champion, was suggested by former German athletics president Karl Ritter von Halt as the final runner. Schilgen, viewed as a "symbol of German sporting youth", was accepted by the three advisory boards. One of these, the aesthetics commission, included film-maker Riefenstahl on the panel.http://www.bmw-berlin-marathon.com/en/news-and-media/news/2005/09/18/fritz-schilgen-made-olympic-history-the-final-runner-of-the-olympic-torch-relay-in-berlin-1936.html Fritz Schilgen made Olympic history – the final runner of the Olympic torch relay in Berlin 1936 BMW Berlin Marathon 18 September 2005 30 July 2012 References Torch Relay, 1936 Summer Olympics Category:Summer Olympics torch relays Category:1936 in Germany