Bidspirit auction | Berlin 1936 - The Games

Berlin 1936 - The Games of the XI Olympiad - Photographic Booklet Produced Especially for the Olympic Games - Heinrich Hoffmann - XI. OLYMPISCHE SPIELE / BERLIN 1936 (”The Games of the XI Olympiad / Berlin 1936”). First edition. Official publication issued by Verlag Heinrich Hoffmann, located at 10 Kochstraße, Berlin. Published in four languages: German, English, French, and Spanish. Designed and written by E. F. Werner-Rades. Rare. An official booklet published in Berlin in advance of the Games of the XI Olympiad in 1936 under the Nazi regime. Its primary purpose was to present to the world an image of Germany as an enlightened, peaceful, united, and peace-loving nation, using sport and public spectacle to gain international legitimacy. The booklet showcases the monumental sports facilities and advanced infrastructure prepared for the Games in anticipation of the arrival of delegations from around the world. Among its highlights are a striking panoramic aerial photograph of the National Sports Complex, featuring the immense Olympic Stadium in the advanced stages of construction, and a photograph of the Dietrich Eckart Open-Air Theatre. These pages are accompanied by a text written by the Reich Minister of Sport, Hans von Tschammer und Osten, emphasizing the importance of physical education for the masses, alongside a page illustrating a collection of historic Olympic postage stamps from various countries. As the booklet was intended for the many foreign visitors and journalists attending the Games, it was produced in a multilingual format, with every heading and explanatory text printed in German, English, French, and Spanish. The overall tone is celebratory and highly welcoming, emphasizing humanitarian and sporting ideals that stood in stark contrast to the actual policies and actions of the Nazi regime at the time. Alongside its focus on the Olympic Games, a substantial portion of the booklet is devoted to constructing a positive and approachable cult of personality around Adolf Hitler. Under headings such as ”Outside the Führer's Daily Life, ” a photographic collage depicts him smiling while speaking on the telephone, strolling in the countryside, conversing warmly with young children, and greeting ordinary citizens and workers. Other photographs document massive rallies at the Deutschlandhalle and in the Lustgarten square before Berlin Cathedral, where vast crowds enthusiastically cheer him and perform the Nazi salute, accompanied by carefully staged banners proclaiming the German people's desire for peace. Additional photographs show children cheering outside the Reich Chancellery. The booklet also describes Berlin's principal historic landmarks as destinations for Olympic visitors, portraying the city as a flourishing and dynamic world center of progress in every field. To complete its image of a ”united Germany caring for its citizens, ” the publication includes photographic collages devoted to the Winter Relief Campaign (Winterhilfswerk, WHW) under the slogan: ”One for All, All for One!” These images depict the distribution of hot soup, senior officials collecting charitable donations in the streets, and the distribution of books to the poor. The booklet also documents official diplomatic occasions, including events of the Anglo-German Fellowship attended by the British Ambassador and Deputy Führer Rudolf Hess, intended to present the regime as a respected and cooperative member of the international community. Throughout the booklet, the illustrations are based on dozens of press photographs by Heinrich Hoffmann himself, together with images supplied by other photographers and agencies, including the Staatliche Bildstelle (State Photographic Office), Max Ehlert, Otto Hoffmann, Paul Mai, the Presse-Bild-Zentrale photographic agency, and August Scherl Verlag. The booklet was printed entirely in Berlin in advance of the opening of the Olympic Games using the high-quality copper gravure (Kupfertiefdruck) process at the printing house of Albert Frisch, located at 64–66 Lützowstraße, Berlin. This printing technique accounts for the exceptional quality of the illustrations and their remarkable durability over the years. [128] pages. Staining to the cover. Printed throughout on heavy paper in high-quality black-and-white and sepia tones. Good condition.