Bidspirit auction | Special commemorative issue of the

Special commemorative issue of the German weekly „Die Woche“ - a complete documentation of the Berlin 1936 Olympic Games - Special commemorative issue of the German weekly „Die Woche“, devoted entirely to the Berlin 1936 Olympic Games and the Nazi propaganda surrounding the Olympics - numerous photographs taken by Heinrich Hoffmann, the personal photographer of Adolf Hitler. Nazi Germany, 1936. The captions throughout the issue appear in four languages: German, English, French, and Spanish. At the beginning of the issue appear quotations from the words of Adolf Hitler: “Those who want to live must fight, and those who do not want to fight in this world of eternal struggle do not deserve to live, ” and a photograph of Adolf Hitler at the opening ceremony of the Olympics presenting a bouquet of flowers to Spyridon Louis (the winner of the marathon at the 1896 Athens Olympics). An introduction by the Nazi Minister of Propaganda Dr. Goebbels appears in four languages: German, English, French, and Spanish. In it, he thanks the members of the Olympic Committee and the national sports committees, adding that the games of the XI Olympiad were “a true celebration of peace, ” and addresses the criticism directed at Nazi Germany, claiming that the boos were heard only outside Germany’s borders, but not among the participants or the audience present at the games. The issue accompanies the Olympics from its opening with the opening remarks of Adolf Hitler, presents the speeches of the German speakers, provides detailed information about the people who worked behind the scenes to enable the holding of the Olympics in Berlin, and includes countless photographs both of the packed stadium, of the athletes, and of the central events. In one of the photographs Adolf Hitler is seen alongside the Nazi leadership - Hermann Göring, Joseph Goebbels, Rudolf Hess, and others, giving the Nazi salute at the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. Special pages are devoted to the American athlete, one of the greatest athletes of all time - Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals at these Olympics. A photograph taken by Hoffmann appears in which Adolf Hitler is seen giving his autograph to the “fastest woman in the world, ” Helen Stephens, the representative of the United States, and more. Also included are rare photographs of the representatives of the various countries in the living quarters and hotels where they were accommodated, photographs of young people from around the world who came to watch the Olympics, photographs of the medal winners in the various events, and more. In many of the photographs in the issue, Nazi symbols appear very prominently, such as swastika flags at ceremonies held in the stadium and at its entrance areas, the uniform of the German delegation which was also adorned with swastikas, and occasional photographs of Germans giving the Nazi salute. Among other things, there also appears a large group photograph of Adolf Hitler alongside the “German athletes who excelled during the Games” - beside him can be seen the film director and photographer Leni Riefenstahl, who directed the famous documentary film “Olympia.” Nevertheless, the issue deliberately avoids presenting overt Nazi propaganda, both because of the watchful eye of the Olympic Committee, which at least officially prohibited it, and in order to present an atmosphere of “world peace” and remove concerns about German aggression.  The cover design, at whose center appears a classical Greek statue, monumental architecture, and the Olympic rings, clearly reflects the sense of “continuity” that the regime sought to create - from the ideal of the body in classical Greece to the new architecture of Berlin (including the Olympic Stadium). „Die Woche“ was a popular illustrated weekly in Germany already during the Imperial period, and in the 1930s it operated under the supervision and ideological line of the Nazi regime. Toward the 1936 Summer Games in Berlin, prestigious issues were produced, sometimes of considerable scope, which included photographs of sporting events, opening ceremonies, stadiums, foreign delegations, and prominent figures. The XI Olympiad, held in Berlin, the capital of Nazi Germany, under the dictatorial regime at the height of its power, is one of the most memorable Olympic Games of the 20th century. The Nazi propaganda apparatus, headed by Joseph Goebbels, Germany’s Minister of Propaganda, operated at full force throughout it. Indeed, the Olympics are still regarded today as an example of the success of Nazi propaganda. As part of the Olympic events, the Nazi Minister of Propaganda Goebbels and the filmmaker Leni Riefenstahl (under the direction of the photographer Hans Ertl) produced the film Olympia, which presented the Olympic events to the German public through the lens of Nazi propaganda, employing fascist and Nazi aesthetics and the Nazi visual imagery promoted by Riefenstahl,