On the day the 33rd Olympiad kicked off in Paris, the radio documentary series HISTORIAS MINIMAS takes us back to 1936, when efforts were made to host the People’s Olympiad in Barcelona that same summer. The episode, developed in collaboration with Radio Panik of Belgium, aired on Friday, July 26, 2024, on Voice of Greece radio.
ERT journalist Thomas Sideris delves into historical records to uncover the story behind the attempt to organize the People’s Olympiad amidst the shadow of the Nazi regime. What became of this particular event? Did Greek athletes take part? Have there been other People’s Olympiads in the past?
Back on May 26, 1931, almost two years before Adolf Hitler rose to power in Germany, the International Olympic Committee awarded the 1936 Summer Olympics to Berlin.
Criticism and objections arose swiftly following the decision, especially after the 85-year-old German president, Paul von Hindenburg, appointed Hitler as chancellor in a coup, intensifying as the games drew closer.
This radio documentary aims to explore a pivotal historical event from various angles, serving as an early form of resistance against the growing influence of Nazi and fascist ideologies between the wars.
Research/documentation – presented by Thomas Sideris