Olympic Torch Relay

The Olympic rings, flag, and mascots are just a few of the many symbols and traditions connected to the games. Who could forget the relay of the torches, of course? Every time, the torch is brought from Olympia, Greece, through several cities until it reaches the host city, where it is used to ignite the Olympic flame and signal the beginning of the games. It is a prestigious tradition that perfectly captures the pageantry and allure of the Olympics. Just that it was developed by Nazi Germany is a shame.

Yes, that is accurate. The 1936 Berlin Olympics marked the debut of the Olympic torch relay. Although it may seem like something that would have been done in antiquity, Germany was actually searching for anything that would establish a symbolic connection between the present Nazis and the ancient Greeks.

Carl Diem, one of the key organizers of the 1936 Games, is typically credited with coming up with the idea for the torch relay. Although he wasn't a Nazi personally, Hitler and Goebbels co-opted the entire event and made sure that every single aspect was used to demonstrate the superiority of the Third Reich once they understood the propaganda potential of the Olympics.