The written guaranty which Avery Brundage, chairman of the American Olympic Committee has obtained from the German government that Jews will be treated “fairly” at the Olympic games does not touch the fundamental attitude of the Nazis to discriminate against Jews even in the field of sports, it must be pointed out.
Many times I was told by the German Olympic authorities during my sojourn in Berlin that Jews receive equal treatment and are allowed to train themselves for the Olympic games. As an “earnest of good faith” they have permitted six Berlin Maccabi runners to begin training. But all this is just a front to deceive the gullible.
The truth is, the racial principle is applied fully in sports as in any other field of activity. Jewish sport organizations are forbidden to use general sport fields, and games between Jewish and non-Jewish organizations are invariably stopped.
As an example of the inability of Jewish sport organizations to make use of public fields can be taken the city of Berlin. The Jews have had to build their own sport field, which is supported by the Jewish Community of Berlin. And the same is true all over the Reich, only that outside of Berlin and Frankfurt Jews cannot afford private fields and are consequently forced to carry on indoor sports only.
As to competitive games between Jewish and non-Jewish teams, that has ceased entirely. On the very Saturday before my detainment by Gestapo (August 25), such an inter-racial game was arranged in Berlin, but, at the last minute, was called off by the order of the Reich Sport Leader.
Innumerable examples of such continuous discrimination can be given. The fact cannot be doubted: Jews are treated “fairly” in the field of sport: Their sport organizations suffer persecutions and are repeatedly prohibited, as happened a few weeks ago in Westphalia, and previously in Aachen and Dortmund and a host of other places. The Aryan principle finds full application there as in any other governmentally – controlled field of activity.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.