Controversy Erupts as IOC Offers Nazi-Era Olympic T-Shirts for Sale

Fri Feb 13 2026 01:31:29 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The International Olympic Committee faces backlash for selling Berlin 1936 Olympic T-shirts, seen by many as promoting a Nazi propaganda symbol.

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is under fire for selling T-shirts featuring designs from the Berlin 1936 Olympics, historically associated with Nazi propaganda. While the IOC defends the items as part of its Heritage Collection, critics argue it fails to adequately acknowledge the dark history behind the imagery. Calls for the cessation of the T-shirt sales are mounting in Germany, reflecting the ongoing sensitivity surrounding this chapter of Olympic history.

The official online fan shop of the Olympic Games has been selling T-shirts with designs from the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936, which were used by Adolf Hitler and the Nazis for propaganda.

There are calls in Germany for the sale of the shirts to be stopped, but the International Olympic Committee (IOC) has defended it as being part of its Heritage Collection, celebrating styles from all editions of the Games.

The T-shirts, which are emblazoned with the original poster design for the Berlin Olympics by Franz Würbel, are currently out of stock.

The 1936 Games were used by Hitler as a chance to promote his ideals of racial supremacy and to glorify Nazi Germany on an international stage.

The Berlin T-Shirt shows a male figure wearing a laurel wreath. Over his head are the Olympic rings. Underneath him is the Brandenburg Gate and the words Germany Berlin 1936 Olympic Games.

Klara Schedlich, spokesperson for the Green Party faction in Berlin, stated, The 1936 Olympic Games were a central propaganda tool of the Nazi regime, and criticized the IOC for not reflecting on its own history.

The IOC acknowledged the historical issues of Nazi propaganda but emphasized the athletic achievements of the games, highlighting athletes like Jesse Owens, who challenged Aryan supremacy with his victories.

A spokesperson for the IOC noted that the Heritage Collection celebrates 130 years of Olympic history and design, including a variety of emblems, posters, and mascots.

The situation underscores the ongoing discussions about how to appropriately honor Olympic history while remaining sensitive to its more troubling aspects.