Saturday, April 05, 2008

The Olympic torch's shadowy past



The Olympic torch's shadowy past



A torch bearer passes the Brandenburg Gate, Berlin, 1 August 1936





By Chris Bowlby
BBC News



The Olympic torch is being welcomed this weekend in the UK as a symbol of the sporting spirit, uniting people around the world in peaceful competition.


But the idea of lighting the torch at the ancient Olympian site in Greece and then running it through different countries has much darker origins.


It was invented in its modern form by the organisers of the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.


And it was planned with immense care by the Nazi leadership to project the image of the Third Reich as a modern, economically dynamic state with growing international influence.






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