Berlin has launched its bid to host the Summer Olympics, with a promise from the city’s mayor that the Games will “create long-term added value for all Berliners”.
At a press conference on Tuesday at Olympiastadion, Kai Wegner stood in front of a photo of Berlin’s largest stadium decorated with the famous interlocking ring logo and promised that “the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games are a great opportunity for all of us”. The money invested in them, Wegner said, would “promote urban development in Berlin.”
This stadium has an infamous history, forming the centrepiece of the last time Berlin hosted the Olympics. That was in 1936, during Nazi rule, and Wegner was keen to stress that in contrast, the next Berlin Games would promote “peace, solidarity and freedom”. They could be held in 2036, 2040 or 2044. (The Summer and Winter Games are already booked through 2034).
Berlin’s Senator for the Interior and Sport, Iris Spranger (SPD), has long claimed that Germany is ready for the challenge of hosting the world’s biggest sporting event, and said that “more than 90% of the sports facilities are already available today or can be built temporarily.” Spranger cited Berlin’s hosting of the Euros last summer – for which the city ran a simulated terrorist attack with 900 crisis actors – as an example of its preparedness.
However, Berlin wouldn’t be going it alone. The proposal, dubbed “Berlin+”, would also see events hosted in four other states; Brandenburg, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Saxony, and Schleswig-Holstein.
Spranger suggested that the Games be brought into the heart of the city, as in Paris 2024, and said that Tempelhofer Feld could be used for skateboarding competitions. She also imagined water sports in Grünau, and beach volleyball at the Brandenburg Gate.
Organisers offered little more detail at Tuesday’s press conference, stating that the idea was at “concept phase” and that an official bid would be made by autumn 2026 after discussions with the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Germany last hosted the Summer Olympics in 1972 in Munich. Since then, it has made three unsuccessful bids, with Berlin last applying to host the games in 2000.
If their bid is successful, hosting in 2036 could present a political challenge for Germany. As the 100-year anniversary of the city’s last Games, it would likely reignite memories of the last Olympics held in the 100,000-seater stadium – which Hitler had designed to his personal specifications. Hosting in 2040 could help organisers present a more positive message, as it would coincide with the 50th anniversary of the nation’s reunification in 1990, a year after the fall of the Berlin Wall.
The next Olympics and Paralympics, in 2028, will be hosted in Los Angeles, US, with Brisbane, Australia grabbing the torch for 2032. Germany will face tough competition to get the Games after that, with Chile, India, Indonesia and Turkey among 17 countries to have so far expressed an interest.
If Berlin doesn’t win, it won’t be for lack of investment: the German Federal Government has confirmed that it will provide around €7 million for the bid.
