IOC criticised for selling Nazi-era Olympics T-shirt

BBC News - WorldCenterEN 2 min read 100% complete February 12, 2026 at 09:37 PM

AI Summary

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The International Olympic Committee (IOC) is facing criticism in Germany for selling T-shirts featuring designs from the 1936 Berlin Olympics in its official online fan shop. The 1936 Games were used by Adolf Hitler and the Nazi regime for propaganda purposes. German politicians are calling for the sale to be stopped, arguing the image is problematic without sufficient historical context. The IOC defends the T-shirts as part of its Heritage Collection, celebrating Olympic art and design from all Games editions. The IOC acknowledges the historical issues of Nazi propaganda but highlights the athletic achievements and international participation of the 1936 Games, including Jesse Owens' four gold medals. The T-shirts are currently out of stock.

Key Entities & Roles

Key Player Opposition Context

Lausanne 30% Olympic Museum 35% Franz Würbel 40% Brandenburg Gate 40% Green Party 40% Klara Schedlich 50% Jesse Owens ×260% Germany ×370% Nazis ×275% Adolf Hitler ×280% Berlin Olympic Games ×485% International Olympic Committee ×490%

Keywords

1936 olympic games 100% nazi propaganda 90% international olympic committee 80% t-shirt controversy 70% olympic heritage collection 60% racial supremacy 50% adolf hitler 50% jesse owens 40%

Sentiment Analysis

Negative

Score: -0.40

Source Transparency

Source

BBC News - World

Political Lean

Center (0.00)

Far LeftCenterFar Right

Classification Confidence

90%

Geographic Perspective

Germany

This article was automatically classified using rule-based analysis. The political bias score ranges from -1 (far left) to +1 (far right).

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1936 olympic games nazi propaganda international olympic committee t-shirt controversy olympic heritage collection racial supremacy adolf hitler jesse owens

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