The 1936 Olympic Commemorative Medal stands among the most significant awards of National Socialist Germany and is directly connected to the XI Olympic Summer Games, which took place in Berlin from August 1 to 16, 1936. The object described here is a ribbon for the miniature of this medal, a 15 mm wide and 100 mm long textile ribbon in unworn condition.

The 1936 Olympic Games were awarded to Berlin by the International Olympic Committee in 1931, before the Nazi seizure of power. After 1933, however, the NS regime quickly recognized the propagandistic significance of this event and used it to present the “Third Reich” on the world stage. Under the direction of Reichssportführer Hans von Tschammer und Osten, the Games were expanded into a gigantic propaganda spectacle.

The 1936 Olympic Commemorative Medal was established by decree on June 1, 1936, and was to be awarded to participants, organizers, and helpers of the Olympic Games. The medal existed in several versions: a large version with a diameter of approximately 70 mm for special merits, as well as a smaller variant. Additionally, there were miniature versions that could be worn on the ribbon bar - for which the described ribbon was needed.

The medal ribbon of the Olympic Commemorative Medal displayed a characteristic color combination: The Olympic colors blue, yellow, black, green, and red in stripe form, representing the five Olympic rings. This coloring was arranged on the 15 mm wide textile ribbon in a fixed sequence and made the award immediately recognizable. The miniature itself was attached to this ribbon and could thus be worn at official occasions together with other decorations.

The award criteria for the Olympic Commemorative Medal were broadly defined. It was awarded to:

Members of the Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games
Official functionaries and helpers
Members of police, Wehrmacht, and other organizations involved in the execution
Artists and persons who had special merits in hosting the Games

The medal itself showed on the obverse the Quadriga from the Brandenburg Gate with the Olympic bell tower in the background, while the reverse displayed the Olympic flame and the intertwined Olympic rings. The artistic design came from sculptor Otto Placzek.

Historically viewed, the 1936 Olympic Games are highly controversial. While they were athletically successful and brought technical innovations such as the first television broadcast of Olympic Games, they primarily served NS propaganda. The African-American athlete Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals, factually refuted the racist theories of the National Socialists, but this did not prevent the regime from staging the Games as a triumph of the “new Germany.”

The 1936 Winter Games in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, which took place from February 6 to 16, were also honored with the Olympic Commemorative Medal, with the same award being used for both events.

From a collector's perspective, ribbons for miniatures are rarer today than the medals themselves, as they were considered consumables and were often damaged or disposed of. An unworn ribbon in the described length of 100 mm is in original condition and shows no signs of use, which increases its historical and collectible value.

After World War II, wearing the Olympic Commemorative Medal was not prohibited in the Federal Republic of Germany, as it was considered a sporting award and not a political honor. This distinguished it from other NS awards that were excluded from public wearing by the Law on Titles, Orders and Decorations of 1957.

Today, the Olympic Commemorative Medal and its components are important historical documents that remind us of a complex historical period in which sports and politics were intertwined in problematic ways. They are preserved in military-historical collections and museums and serve historical research and education about the instrumentalization of sports by totalitarian regimes.