Berlin Approves Olympic Bid for 1936 Centennial

Berlin's state parliament voted Thursday to endorse the city's proposal to host the Summer Olympics on the 100th anniversary or later of the 1936 Games. The vote follows a 90-minute debate and clears the legislative hurdle for an IOC submission.

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The bid references the 1936 Olympics held in the same stadium where Jesse Owens challenged Nazi ideology. Organizers present the new bid as a symbolic renewal, describing it as a “summer fairy tale for the world.”

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Mayor Kai Wegner (CDU) led the approval, with support from SPD members and the AfD. DOSB president Thomas Weikert welcomed the decision. Opposition came from the Left Party’s Tobias Schulze and the Greens, who warned of financial risk. The bid relies on existing venues, such as the former Tempelhof airport park, and estimates construction costs of €4.82 billion, revenues of €5.24 billion, and a net profit of about €420 million, with a quarter for the IOC.

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Mayor Wegner framed the bid as a promise for future generations and a catalyst for development in Berlin. He highlighted the symbolic importance of hosting the Games near the 1936 centennial. DOSB president Weikert congratulated Berlin, noting broad support in the German sporting community. The Left and Greens cautioned that recent Olympics have exceeded initial budgets by more than double, raising financial sustainability concerns.

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The Left and Greens called the proposal “empty promises” and “castles in the air,” arguing many venues need renovation and the financial outlook is uncertain. Tobias Schulze emphasized cost overruns of the past three Olympics. The group “NOlympia Berlin” is collecting signatures for a referendum, contrasting Berlin’s choice not to hold one, unlike Munich and North Rhine-Westphalia, which approved bids through public votes, and Hamburg, which will vote on May 31.

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• May 2025: Initial bid presentation in the historic stadium.

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• Thursday (date unspecified): State parliament approval.

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• September 26: German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) will select one of four German bids for IOC submission.

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• Future: Potential referendum driven by “NOlympia Berlin” if sufficient signatures are collected.

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• “Our bid is a genuine promise for future generations,” — Kai Wegner, Mayor of Berlin

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• “We want positive development for Berlin.” — Kai Wegner, Mayor of Berlin

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• “If we put on a summer fairy tale for the world, then it's a chance for the world,” — Kai Wegner, Mayor of Berlin

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• “On behalf of the entire German sporting community, I congratulate Berlin on this decision, which was supported by a large majority,” — Thomas Weikert, President of the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB)

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• “Tobias Schulze of the Left party said the past three Olympic Games were more than twice as expensive as initially planned, and he pointed out that many of the proposed venues need renovation.” — Tobias Schulze, Left Party

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