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Germany Bids To Host 2040 Summer Olympics
On Wednesday, the German government expressed its desire for the nation to serve as the host for the 2040 Summer Olympics, selecting a date that sidesteps any direct allusions to the centennial anniversary of the event held during the Nazi regime.
The capital city of Berlin, along with various other states within Germany, had previously considered a candidacy for the 2036 Games, marking the centennial of the 1936 edition, which is infamous for being labelled the Nazi Games.
The government, under Chancellor Olaf Scholz, is currently exploring alternative dates for the event.
“The federal government favours the year 2040 for the Games in Germany – 50 years after German reunification (in 1990),” said the government, reportedly signing a memorandum of understanding with the German Olympic Sports Federation and interested regions and cities.
The commemoration year presented an opportunity to demonstrate the core values upheld by liberal democracy, as articulated by Interior Minister Nancy Faeser in her statement.
Having recently successfully hosted the men’s European football championships, Faeser noted that Germany was recognized as an exemplary host for international sporting events.
Faeser elaborated that the country’s proposal would leverage existing sports facilities across various cities, eschewing the construction of new stadiums at a significant financial cost.
The memorandum of support was signed by several cities, including Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hamburg, Leipzig, and Munich, as well as the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Bavaria.
The government pledged its support to the bid, allocating nearly seven million euros ($7.6 million) in funding from 2024 to 2027.
Germany’s prior experience in hosting the Summer Olympics was marred by controversy and failure.
The country’s last hosting of the event occurred in Munich in 1972, a period marred by a hostage crisis and the subsequent tragic massacre of Israeli athletes.
