Holidays and the Olympics in Nazi Germany
A journey through the whitewashing of Nazi Germany, promoting tourism and organising the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.
August is THE holiday month in the Northern Hemisphere, especially in Europe. Historically, it is when most factories closed, which settled in society as the time to visit family, to spend a week at the beach, or to breathe fresh air in the mountains. Away from the routine of the rest of the year.
A year ago, I published a book on propaganda in the Second World War1, which allowed me to gather a great deal of information on how different countries tried to clean up their image. That, together with this article I saw over a year ago by
, has encouraged me to write today's story.The revival of German tourism
When the Nazi Party came to power in 1933, it found Germany suffering from major economic problems, so it was imperative to boost industry and seek a return to normality. Hitler and Goebbels were aware that appearances could be everything, so they also worked on a campaign to whitewash the new regime and allow everyone to admire the wonders of the new Germany.
The recovery of tourism in Germany was gradual. At no point did the Nazi regime hide its political reality, as opposition to Bolshevik ideas, Russia and attempts to limit the power of the Jews were always present. Even so, to the outside world, it presented itself with a peaceful face, a country deeply rooted in culture and history, where unique experiences could be found.
German efforts were not limited to sending information to other countries and potential travellers, but also included setting up tourist offices in major cities in Europe, America, North Africa and Asia. As a competitive advantage, Germany offered a network of Zeppelin airships that was beyond the reach of any other nation, as well as security that was only comparable to that offered by some cities in England and France.
Tourist agencies were responsible for ensuring unparalleled assistance during the trip. In the mid-1930s, access to information was limited, so being able to plan a trip with ease was a guarantee of attracting the upper classes who could afford this type of travel.
The Nazi party did not lie about security, but it did hide all the repressive measures that had enabled the country to achieve that status. Government pressure on the population was such that every citizen was forced to participate in the government's plans. Tourism had become a cornerstone for financing the country's militarisation and enabling it to disengage from the economic engine of the Jewish community.
The Berlin Olympics, 1936
Over the last two centuries, international events have been a great tool for promoting countries' economies. For Paris, the succession of World fairs in the second half of the 19th century was key2, thanks to which it became the tourist city everyone dreamed of. More recently, in Spain, 1992 was a key year, when the Universal Exhibition of Seville and the Barcelona Olympic Games were combined. As China did with the Beijing Olympics in 2008, 1992 served as an opportunity for Spain to show the world that Franco's reign was a thing of the past and that it was now a safe country worth visiting.
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In 1931, the International Olympic Committee awarded the 1936 Olympic Games to Berlin, beating Barcelona in the final vote3. The Nazi party found this gift when it came to power in 1933, and it set out to make the most of it, surpassing the 1932 Olympic Games in Los Angeles in terms of grandeur. To this end, a large stadium was built to accommodate up to 100,000 spectators, along with six gymnasiums and several smaller stadiums.
Knowing that only a privileged class would be able to attend in person, a major investment was also made in new technologies: cinema and radio. Leni Riefenstahl was hired to capture all the events and edit the recordings before they were distributed to 41 countries around the world.
In addition to recording the sporting events, Germany took advantage of this opportunity to highlight its supremacist ideals. No German Jews were allowed in the event, and many countries chose not to send their Jewish athletes to avoid diplomatic conflicts with the host country, one of the main powers in the world at the time.
The Nazi party, independently but under the umbrella of the government, also used the opportunity to highlight its important role in the great success of the Olympic Games. Nazi flags and symbols were present in the stadiums, but also in all the recordings that were distributed. In similar fashion, the Nazi party ensured that Germany's great success in the medal table was attributed to Germany's improvement since the party came to power, as well as to the supremacy of the Aryan race.
On the brink of World War II
After the end of the Olympic Games, the policy of whitewashing continued on all possible fronts. Just one year later, in 1937, Germany was one of the countries in the world that received the most international tourists, with half a million people. This may seem like a humble number compared to today's figures, but it was incredible for the time. To put it into perspective, four years earlier, in 1933, France had not reached 100,000 international visitors, despite having Paris, one of the most popular tourist cities of the time.
As international conflicts increased in 1938 with the annexation of Austria and, a few months later, with the invasion of the Sudetenland, international tourism began to decline. This was not due to a lack of interest, but rather to a growing sense of danger in the face of a large-scale conflict that could erupt at any moment.
What did remain, even during the Second World War, was domestic tourism. The organisation Kraft durch Freude (Strength through joy) was responsible for covering all leisure options for the working class, thus occupying workers' leisure time with activities that, in addition to promoting entertainment and well-being, also gave the Nazi party a more friendly appearance. All workers received the annual leisure plan for their region, and short promotions were also included in the newsreels shown before films at the cinema to reinforce this need for enjoyment4.
The activities covered areas as diverse as art exhibitions, concerts and sporting events, although none of these stood out as much as the subsidised holidays. Through Kraft durch Freude, German workers were able to access affordable holidays, which helped to bridge the gap between them and the upper-middle classes.
In a twist on the propaganda strategy, many of these trips were documented to obtain snapshots showing how workers enjoyed their trips. In this way, the Nazi Party ensured that there was feedback from the working class, so that German citizens became ideologically closer to the regime.
The success was such that, in 1938, well over ten million Germans planned their holidays through this organisation. The domestic destinations, which were chosen by the majority of travellers, were full of symbols that constantly reminded them of the strength of the Nazi regime. Overall, this collaboration made it possible to limit the amount of private time that the population enjoyed outside the control of the Nazi party.
The outbreak of the Second World War halted government investment in this programme, leaving some pharaonic projects abandoned. Perhaps the most notable of all was the tourist complex that had begun construction in 1936 on Rügen, on the Baltic Sea coast, and which had to be halted in 1939 without being completed.
The aim of Prora, as this colossus was named, was to accommodate more than 20,000 people simultaneously during their holidays. The photo above shows five blocks stretching over two and a half kilometres, but when the project was halted, there were a total of eight blocks stretching over four kilometres.
After the end of the Second World War, this complex remained in East Germany and became the largest barracks of the national army. It is considered one of the main centres responsible for the rearmament of the German Democratic Republic, and was in operation from 1949 until reunification in 1989.
An Olympics that, if it had been awarded to Barcelona, could never have been held due to the Spanish Civil War.
Parts of Prora were recently renovated https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prora#Sale_and_redevelopment and https://www.ostseeappartements-ruegen.de/haus/strandresort-prora.html .
I visited the museum part about 20 years ago. The original rooms were microscopic.