Art competitions at the 1936 Summer Olympics explained

Art competitions were held as part of the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany. Medals were awarded in five categories (architecture, literature, music, painting, and sculpture), for works inspired by sport-related themes.^[1]

The art exhibition was held in a hall of the Berlin Exhibition from 15 July to 16 August, and displayed 667 works of art from 22 countries. Additionally, the literature competition attracted 40 entries from 12 countries, and the music competition had 33 entries from 9 countries.^[2]

The art competitions at the 1936 Games were similar to the 1928 and 1932 Games, with medals being awarded in multiple subcategories for each of the five artistic categories.^[3] The judges declined to award any medals for three subcategories, and no gold medals for another three subcategories.Art competitions were part of the Olympic program from 1912 to 1948.^[4] At a meeting of the International Olympic Committee in 1949, it was decided to hold art exhibitions instead, as it was judged illogical to permit professionals to compete in the art competitions but only amateurs were permitted to compete in sporting events.^[5] Since 1952, a non-competitive art and cultural festival has been associated with each Games.^[6]

Architecture

Architectural design	Skiing Stadium	Reich Sport Field	Sporting Centre in Vienna
Municipal planning	Reich Sport Field	Marine Park, Brooklyn	Municipal Planning and Sporting Centre in Cologne

Literature

Lyric works	"The Runner"	"Profili Azzurri"	"The Discus"
Dramatic works	none awarded	none awarded	none awarded
Epic works	"Avoveteen"	"For the Top of the World"	"Dysk Olimpijski"

Music

Solo and chorus	"Olympic Vow"	"Olympic Cantata, 1936"	"The Runner"
Instrumental	none awarded	none awarded	none awarded
Orchestra	"Olympic Festive Music"	"The Victor"	"Mountain Suite"

Painting

Paintings	none awarded	"Runners at the Finishing Line"	"Ice Hockey"
Drawings and water colours	none awarded	"Four Sketches for Frescoes"	"Classical Horse Racing in Japan"
Graphic art	none awarded	none awarded	none awarded
Commercial graphic art	"Arosa I Placard"	"“International Automobile Race on the Avus"	"Yachting Club Certificate"

Sculpture

Statues	"Sulky Driver"	"Decathlon Athlete"	"Wrestling Youths"
Reliefs	"Hurdlers"	"Ball"	none awarded
Medals	none awarded	"Medals"	"Equestrian Medals"

Medal table

At the time, medals were awarded to these artists, but art competitions are no longer regarded as official Olympic events by the International Olympic Committee. These events do not appear in the IOC medal database,^[7] and these totals are not included in the IOC's medal table for the 1936 Games.^[8]

Dance

Hitler wanted to add a further selection of artistic events that he believed would glorify the Nazis to the programme of the 1936 Games, including dance. The International Olympic Committee declined to approve any of the events, though dance had been among the original planned art events when they were first introduced. Still, dance was included as an unofficial art event at the 1936 Games, known as the Internationale Tanzwettspiele.^[9] Fourteen nations took part, and a festival with choreography and performance by Harald Kreutzberg and Mary Wigman was held. Rudolf von Laban had also been contracted to contribute, but his choreography was not deemed to be suitable propaganda and he was placed under house arrest. Kreutzberg and Wigman then also took part in the competitive part of the dance event, being among the (honorary) medalists.^[10] ^[11]

Events summary

Architecture

Designs for Town Planning

The following architects took part:^[12]

Rank	Name	Country
1
2
3
AC
AC

Architectural designs

The following architects took part:^[13]

Rank	Name	Country
1
2
3
AC
AC

Further entries

The following architects took part:^[14]

Rank	Name	Country
AC	Nomen Nescio
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC	Herbert Ruhl
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC

Rank	Name	Country
AC	Paride Contri
AC
AC
AC
AC	Guglielmo Giuliani
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC	Hans Hofmann
AC	Fritz Trautmann
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC	Jaroslav Nedvěd

Rank	Name	Country
AC	Josef Bauer
AC
AC	Hans Ruda
AC	Rudolf Procházka
AC	Karel Martínek
AC	Egon Plefka
AC
AC
AC
AC	Béla Piros
AC
AC
AC
AC	F. L. Gregory
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC	Hans Schlottmann
AC
AC
AC	Comune della Città di Torino

Literature

Epic works

The following writers took part:^[15]

Rank	Name	Country
1
2
3

Lyric works

The following writers took part:^[16]

Rank	Name	Country
1
2
3

Unknown event

The following writers took part:^[17]

Rank	Name	Country
AC
AC
AC
AC	Jerry
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC

Rank	Name	Country
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC	Hermann Stowasser
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC

Rank	Name	Country
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC	Richard Augsten
AC
AC
AC	Teofil Marschalkó^[18]
AC
AC
AC

Music

Compositions for orchestra

The following composers took part:^[19]

Rank	Name	Country
1
2
3
HM
HM
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC

Compositions for solo or chorus

The following composers took part:^[20]

Rank	Name	Country
1
2
3

Instrumental and chamber

The following composers took part:^[21]

Unknown event

The following composers took part:^[22]

Rank	Name	Country
AC	Chiffre
AC
AC
AC
AC	František Koubek
AC	Hans Luckasch
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC	Ludwig Miller
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC

Painting

Drawings and water colours

The following painters took part:^[23]

Rank	Name	Country
1	Not awarded
2
3
AC
AC	Rūdolfs Mazūrs
AC
AC
AC

Graphic arts

The following painters took part:^[24]

Rank	Name	Country
AC
AC

Paintings

The following painters took part:^[25]

Rank	Name	Country
1	Not awarded
2
3
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC	Grace Browne
AC
AC
AC

Rank	Name	Country
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC

Rank	Name	Country
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC

Unknown event

The following painters took part:^[26]

Rank	Name	Country
AC	Ann Graham
AC
AC	Erika Hartig
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC	Toru Arai
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC

Rank	Name	Country
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC	Gee Burcharth
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC	Haruo Nagasaka
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC	Hiroshi Tsuruta
AC
AC
AC
AC	Isamu Toyofuji
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC	Jean-Pierre Romuald
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC	Jules Jambers
AC	Kanjiro Namie
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC	Masanobu Kobuchi
AC
AC

Rank	Name	Country
AC
AC
AC	Naotake Yamamoto
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC	Piero Fervelli
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC	Seishi Takanezawa
AC
AC
AC	Shigeki Goto
AC	Shigeko Ishida
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC	Suzuko Ito
AC
AC
AC
AC	Takahisa Kato
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC

Applied arts

The following painters took part:^[27]

Rank	Name	Country
1
2
3
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC

Sculpture

Medals

The following sculptors took part:^[28]

Rank	Name	Country
1	Not awarded
2
3
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC

Reliefs

The following sculptors took part:^[29]

Rank	Name	Country
1
2
3	Not awarded
AC
AC
AC

Statues

The following sculptors took part:^[30]

Rank	Name	Country
1
2
3
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC

Rank	Name	Country
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC

Rank	Name	Country
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC

Unknown event

The following sculptors took part:^[31]

Rank	Name	Country
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC	August Peisker-Disler
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC

Rank	Name	Country
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC	Jules Heyndrickx
AC
AC
AC	Kyushichi Miyajima
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC	Matti Büschmann
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC

Rank	Name	Country
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC
AC

Notes and References

Web site: Art Competitions at the 1936 Summer Olympics . Olympedia . 11 August 2020 .
Book: Diem, Carl . XIth Olympic Games, Berlin 1936 Official Report . Wilhelm Limpert . Berlin . 1937 . 1106–1123 . PDF . 25 March 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080406153656/http://www.la84foundation.org/6oic/OfficialReports/1936/1936v2sum.pdf. 6 April 2008 . live.
Web site: Olympic Art Competition 1936 Berlin . Olympic Games Museum . Wagner, Juergen . 26 March 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080501132445/http://www.olympic-museum.de/art/1936.htm . 1 May 2008 . dead .
In Search of the Lost Champions of the Olympic Art Contests . Kramer . Bernhard . Journal of Olympic History . 12 . 2 . May 2004 . 29–34 . PDF . 25 March 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080410082301/http://www.la84foundation.org/SportsLibrary/JOH/JOHv12n2/johv12n2m.pdf. 10 April 2008 . live.
Report on Art Exhibitions . Bolanaki . A. . Bulletin du Comité International Olympique . 27 . June 1951 . 34 . International Olympic Committee . Lausanne . PDF . 26 March 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080410082302/http://www.la84foundation.org/OlympicInformationCenter/OlympicReview/1951/BDCE27/BDCE27l.pdf. 10 April 2008 . live.
News: Kurt Kohlstedt: Pentathlon of the Muses . 27 December 2021 . . December 21, 2021.
Web site: Olympic Medal Winners . International Olympic Committee . 26 March 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080328072243/http://www.olympic.org/uk/athletes/results/search_r_uk.asp . 28 March 2008 . live .
Web site: Berlin 1936 Medal Table . International Olympic Committee . 26 March 2008. https://web.archive.org/web/20080412092713/http://www.olympic.org/uk/games/past/table_uk.asp?OLGT=1&OLGY=1936. 12 April 2008 . live.
O'Bonsawin . Christine . Heine . Michael . The 1936 Olympic Dance Competitions, Canadian Settler Colonialism, and the Indigenous Absence . Journal of Olympic Studies . 3 . 1 . 2022-05-01 . 2639-6017 . 10.5406/26396025.3.1.04 . 49–71.
Web site: Hanley . Elizabeth A. . The Role of Dance in the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games: Why Competition became Festival and Art became Political . Olympic World Library . 2017-06-20 . 2024-01-28.
Book: Toepfer, Karl Eric . Empire of Ecstasy: Nudity and Movement in German Body Culture, 1910–1935. . 1997 . University of California Press . 9780520918276 . Berkeley, Los Angeles, Oxford . 315.
Web site: Art Competitions at the 1936 Summer Olympics: Architecture, Designs For Town Planning, Open . Olympedia . 11 August 2020.
Web site: Art Competitions at the 1936 Summer Olympics: Architecture, Architectural Designs, Open . Olympedia . 11 August 2020.
Web site: Art Competitions at the 1936 Summer Olympics: Architecture, Further Entries, Open . Olympedia . 11 August 2020.
Web site: Art Competitions at the 1936 Summer Olympics: Literature, Epic Works, Open . Olympedia . 12 August 2020.
Web site: Art Competitions at the 1936 Summer Olympics: Literature, Lyric Works, Open . Olympedia . 12 August 2020.
Web site: Art Competitions at the 1936 Summer Olympics: Literature, Unknown Event, Open . Olympedia . 12 August 2020.
born Teofil Savniky; under this name he competed for Hungary in the 1921 Summer Olympics (1500 metres).
Web site: Art Competitions at the 1936 Summer Olympics: Music, Compositions For Orchestra, Open . 13 August 2020.
Web site: Art Competitions at the 1936 Summer Olympics: Music, Compositions For Solo Or Chorus, Open . 13 August 2020.
Web site: Art Competitions at the 1936 Summer Olympics: Music, Instrumental And Chamber, Open . 13 August 2020.
Web site: Art Competitions at the 1936 Summer Olympics: Music, Unknown Event, Open . 13 August 2020.
Web site: Art Competitions at the 1936 Summer Olympics: Painting, Drawings And Water Colors, Open . Olympedia . 14 August 2020.
Web site: Art Competitions at the 1936 Summer Olympics: Painting, Graphic Arts, Open . Olympedia . 14 August 2020.
Web site: Art Competitions at the 1936 Summer Olympics: Painting, Paintings, Open . Olympedia . 14 August 2020.
Web site: Art Competitions at the 1936 Summer Olympics: Painting, Unknown Event, Open . Olympedia . 14 August 2020.
Web site: Art Competitions at the 1936 Summer Olympics: Painting, Applied Arts, Open . Olympedia . 18 August 2020.
Web site: Art Competitions at the 1936 Summer Olympics: Sculpturing, Medals, Open . 18 August 2020.
Web site: Art Competitions at the 1936 Summer Olympics: Sculpturing, Reliefs, Open . 18 August 2020.
Web site: Art Competitions at the 1936 Summer Olympics: Sculpturing, Statues, Open . 18 August 2020.
Web site: Art Competitions at the 1936 Summer Olympics: Sculpturing, Unknown Event, Open . 19 August 2020.