Euronews · Feb 15, 2026 · Collected from RSS
The T-shirt sold on the Olympic Games' online stores has caused widespread controversy across Germany as people accused the IOC of dismissing brutal Nazi-era and Adolf Hitler association.
By Kirsten Ripper & Euronews Published on 15/02/2026 - 21:50 GMT+1 The Men's "Natural 1936 Berlin Games Olympic Heritage T-Shirt" is sold out in the online Olympic shop. It was listed on the online store for 39 euros and has caused controversy after fans criticised selling merchandise related to what are referred to as the "Nazi Games". German outlet Der Tagesspiegel emphasises that people who purchased the clothing article appear to have been drawn in by the design and that "it can be assumed that the vast majority of wearers do not want to use the shirt to draw critical attention to the Nazi propaganda show." The T-shirt however, due to the political context of the 1936 Berlin games, is likely to be very popular among neo-Nazis and right-wing extremists. Green Party politician Klara Schedlich has called on the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to stop selling the T-shirt. "IOC, are you serious?" and "Propaganda as Olympic merchandise?", asked the 26-year-old politician. "This shows that the IOC has absolutely no understanding of history," says Schedlich, who is also against Berlin's renewed bid for the Olympics. According to Deutsche Welle, the T-shirt shows an excerpt from the original poster that Franz Würbel designed for Adolf Hitler in 1936 to promote the games. Are Nazi symbols becoming socially acceptable? In the USA, Elon Musk has shown the Hitler salute and repeatedly supported the right-wing populist AfD. He has also called for Germany to leave the past behind. The billionaire was also summoned by the French judiciary in April for denying the Holocaust on his platform X. High-ranking US Border Patrol agent Greg Bovino, who has since been removed from Minnesota by US President Donald Trump, wears a coat that reminds many of the SS uniforms of the Nazi era. Nazi symbols outlawed in Germany Thuringia's AfD party leader Björn Höcke has already been convicted twice for using a Nazi slogan, but the court decisions against him are not yet final. Höcke is therefore still allowed to appear in public. In Germany, references, even hidden ones, that publicise the Nazi era are prohibited. For example, the letters SS may not appear on car licence plates. Under National Socialism, SS stood for "Schutzstaffel" and was initially Hitler's bodyguard. It was later responsible for the persecution and murder of Jews and dissidents, the organisation of the death camps and for crimes committed during the Second World War. The IOC does not want to withdraw the controversial T-shirt from its online stores. The historical problem of Nazi propaganda in connection with the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin is being analysed at the Olympic Museum in Lausanne. "At the same time, we must not forget that 4,483 athletes from 49 countries competed for medals in 149 events in Berlin," said an IOC press release. The 1936 Berlin Games The games exemplified Nazi racism across the board. It was widely reported that Adolf Hitler only wanted to shake hands with the German medallists at the 1936 Olympic Games. The IOC objected to this. US athlete Jesse Owens, won the most medals in Berlin in 1936, taking gold in the 100 metres, 200 metres, the 4x100 metre relay and the long jump. In doing so, the then 22-year-old US athlete disproved the Nazis' racial ideology for all to see. It is important not to forget the Holocaust and the crimes of National Socialism. However, with fewer and fewer contemporary witnesses able to recount the horrors of the Nazi era, this is becoming more difficult. This is why historical context is needed - including that of the 1936 Olympic Games.