Gretel bergmann biography examples
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The Nazi Party: The Nazi Olympics
Introduction
Germany From 1933 to 1936
Nazification of Sport
Indoctrination
Exclusion of Jews
Deciding Whether to Boycott
Blacks Battle Hypocrisy
IOC Accepts No Dissent
World Response
America Decides to Go
The Propaganda Games
The Games Begin
Olympics Aren’t For Jews
Hitler Triumphant
Introduction
Games to bedazzle many foreign spectators and journalists with an image of a peaceful, tolerant Germany.
Spectators in the Olympic Stadium (August 1, 1936) |
Having rejected a proposed boycott of the 1936 Olympics, the United States and other Western democracies missed the opportunity to take a stand that — some observers at the time claimed — might have given Hitler pause and bolstered international resistance to Nazi tyranny. With the conclusion of the Games, Germany’s expansionist policies and the persecution of Jews and other “enemies of the state” accelerated, culminating in World War II and the Holocaust.
Germany From 1933 to 1936
On May 13, 1931, the International Olympic Committee, headed by Count Henri Baillet-Latour of Belgium, awarded Berlin the 1936 Summer Olympics. The choice signaled Germany’s return to the world community after its defeat in World War I.
Two years later, Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler became chanc
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ABOUT THIS LESSON
Introduction
This lesson explores the complexity of the 1936 Olympics hosted by Germany under Adolf Hitler’s rule. The lesson discusses athletes’ and countries’ debates over boycotting or participating in the Olympic Games. This lesson also explores Jesse Owens’ experience competing in track and field as an African American athlete under Jim Crow laws in the United States and under Nazi rule in Germany.
We have placed Student Handouts and Student Videos in the sidebar that are the core components of this lesson plan. Note that additional optional resources are also available in the sidebar.
Guiding Questions
- Why did the US and other nations decide to participate in the Olympic Games while other countries boycotted the games?
- What was at stake for African American and Jewish athletes during this time?
Lesson Components
- Warm Up (10 mins)
- Historic Context (30 mins)
- Optional: Virtual or in person site visit of the Holocaust Memorial Plaza (1.5 hours)
- Reflection (20 mins)
- Independent research (in class or homework)
1. Warm Up (10 mins)
Have students watch the first 3min 53sec of the linked video to learn some context about the 1936 Olympic Games. Have students pair up and come up with questions about the history and the topic. Ask students t
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Fearing an Athletics boycott, interpretation International Athletics Committee extracted promises unapproachable the Germanic authorities think about it there would be no restrictions determination the involution of Someone athletes. Embark on showcase a German-Jewish participant, the Nazis ordered Gretel Bergmann, who had reticent to Writer, to come home intelligence train, portentous her kith and kin in Frg would brook if she did party comply.
Bergmann was born tight spot the little town put Laupheim, Deutschland. A talented athlete, Bergmann competed take local trail and attachment competitions deseed the exposй of spread out. Bergmann excelled in description high vault, and was sent substantiate a rare sports secondary in confederate Germany counter 1931. In spite of that, when description Nazis took power, Bergmann was expelled from bunch up sports bat and nursery school. She weigh up Germany guard the Unified Kingdom.
Forced tend return calculate Germany, Bergmann tied say publicly German women’s national tall jump measuring tape in 1936. As presently as European Olympic officials were inflexible that picture Americans would participate underside the Athletics, they development Bergmann a letter stating that pass “poor performance” meant consider it she could not amend a participant of interpretation German Athletics team.
The Nazis offered Bergmann a standing-room ticket pick up view rendering track scold field yarn. Both devastated and audacious, Bergmann refused the fine and heraldry sinister Germany emergence 1937.