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Berlin, on Tuesday, May 27, hit the headlines for presenting its proposal to host the 2036 Olympics, which will mark the century of the games hosted by the Adolf Hitler-ruled Nazi Germany. The event took place in August 1936 four months after Hitler-led Germany invaded and occupied the Rhineland and Treaty of Versailles. This time, Berlin’s allies for the application are Brandenburg, Saxony, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia. The hosts have to submit their concepts to the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) before May 1. DOSP will take the decision on the bid to be presented to the distinguished International Olympic Committee (IOC) by autumn 2026.
On this submission of the Olympics 2026 bid, Berlin’s Mayor Kai Wegner has given his views. He said that it doesn’t matter where the Games will be played, the event will remind the world about the 1936 Olympics. He also remarked that the event will also highlight how the city has reformed itself in the past 100 years. “No matter where they take place, the 2036 Games will bring the Nazi Olympic Games from 1936 back into focus. A city which has changed in the past 100 years. No longer do we stand for exclusion and hate, but we instead are a colourful, diverse metropolis which is open to the world.” said Kai Wegner during the presentation at the city’s Olympic Stadium, which was erected for the 1936 Games.
Berlin keen to host Olympics in 2040 or 2044 as well
Berlin has expressed its intention to host the Olympics in 2040 or 2044 as well, without alluding to a preference if they can't get the 2036 edition. The German capital’s tactic would witness the tournament to be played across the north and east of the nation and at urban venues, which is similar to the plan implemented in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Over the years, Berlin has also seen its previous bids getting weakened by other German cities. Munich, with the objective to show public support for the bid, has scheduled a plebiscite for October 2025. An initiative named ‘NOlympia Berlin’ has promised to organise a referendum to preclude Berlin from hosting the Games.
