Olympic Bell 1936 Berlin

This bell was cast in Bochum in 1935 for the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. The bell hung in the original bell tower, which was severely damaged during the war and blown up by the British in 1947. The bell is decorated with the Olympic Rings, the Reichsadler and the Brandenburg Gate, with the inscriptions “Olympische Spiele 1936” and “Ich rufe die Jugend der Welt” and swastikas at the bottom.

The bell was damaged when it was blown up and buried because of the risk of theft. In 1960, the tower was rebuilt and fitted with a replica clock. The original clock was excavated and now occupies a prominent place on the Olympic site.

The swastikas were partially obscured, and in 1972 Leni Riefenstahl and Albert Speer had their photograph taken in front of the clock.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar
• Photos: Koos Winkelman