Original Item. Only One Available. This is a very nice original German 1936 Olympia 1936 Band II cigarette card album, published by the Cigaretten-Bilderdienst of Altona-Bahrenfeld to commemorate the XI Olympic Summer Games held in Berlin. The album is complete with all 200 collectible photographic cards, accompanied by extensive German-language accounts of the competitions, athletes, and events. It is the second volume of the two-part publication Die Olympischen Spiele 1936 in Berlin und Garmisch-Partenkirchen (The Olympic Games 1936 in Berlin and Garmisch-Partenkirchen).

The large-format album is bound in blue cloth, with bold black Olympia 1936 lettering across the front and a gold-colored Olympic bell emblem beneath. The emblem bears the German eagle above the Olympic rings and the inscription Ich rufe die Jugend der Welt! ("I call upon the youth of the world!"). The lower portion of the cover reads Band II – Die XI. Olympischen Spiele in Berlin 1936. The interior contains 165 numbered pages, additional preliminary and concluding pages, and illustrated plates. The publication was compiled under the direction of Hamburg sports editor Walter Richter.

The contents provide an extensive photographic account of the Berlin Games, covering the opening ceremonies, track and field, swimming, rowing, boxing, wrestling, field hockey, and numerous other sporting events. Particularly interesting are the photographs of American athlete Jesse Owens, New Zealand runner Jack Lovelock, American high jumper Cornelius Johnson, and the Indian field hockey team. Other illustrations capture the enormous crowds, Olympic venues, and public ceremonies, including a full-page photograph of AH and German officials. The text includes competition results, records, and detailed commentary on individual performances.

The album is in very good overall condition, showing expected age and handling wear. The blue cloth cover retains strong coloration, with scattered staining, surface marks, and wear along the spine and outer edges. The interior pages exhibit age-related toning and occasional minor discoloration, while the printed text and photographic illustrations remain well preserved. All 200 collectible cards are present. The original dust jacket is absent. This second volume was issued without a foldout plate; the folding plate belonged to Band I.

Historical Context

The XI Olympic Summer Games took place in Berlin from August 1 to August 16, 1936, bringing together athletes from 49 nations. Berlin had been selected as the host city in 1931, during the final years of the Weimar Republic. Following the NSDAP's rise to power in 1933, the German government undertook an extensive program of construction and preparations, intending to use the international event to demonstrate the country's organization, sporting achievements, and national prestige.

At the center of the Games stood the newly constructed Olympic Stadium, part of the extensive Reichssportfeld complex in western Berlin. The stadium accommodated enormous crowds and hosted the principal athletic competitions, as well as the opening and closing ceremonies. Other specially prepared venues included the swimming stadium, rowing facilities at Grünau, and the Olympic Village, which housed athletes from around the world.

One of the most enduring developments associated with the Berlin Games was the introduction of the modern Olympic torch relay. Proposed by German sports organizer Carl Diem, the relay carried the Olympic flame from ancient Olympia in Greece to Berlin, passing through several European countries before reaching the Olympic Stadium. The final runner, Fritz Schilgen, lit the Olympic cauldron during the opening ceremony on August 1, establishing a tradition that continues in the modern Olympic Games.

The sporting competitions produced numerous memorable performances, particularly in track and field. American athlete Jesse Owens won four gold medals, triumphing in the 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump, and 4 × 100-meter relay. His victories made him one of the most successful competitors of the Games and received considerable international attention, especially given the racial ideology promoted by the German government.

The middle-distance events produced another important achievement when New Zealand runner Jack Lovelock won the 1,500 meters in a world-record time of 3 minutes, 47.8 seconds. American Cornelius Johnson won the high jump with an Olympic-record clearance of 2.03 meters, while Finnish athletes continued their strong tradition in long-distance running. These events attracted enormous attention and were extensively covered in contemporary German sporting publications.

Other competitions were equally significant. In swimming, American Adolf Kiefer won the men's 100-meter backstroke, while Japanese competitors achieved several notable victories. Hungary's Ibolya Csák won the women's high jump, and the Indian men's field hockey team, led by Dhyan Chand, secured another Olympic gold medal. Germany also achieved considerable success, particularly in rowing, equestrian events, and several other disciplines, finishing at the top of the overall medal table.

The 1936 Games were also closely connected with the German government's international propaganda efforts. Berlin was extensively decorated with Olympic flags, national banners, and political emblems, while elaborate ceremonies and public celebrations emphasized German hospitality and national unity. The authorities temporarily reduced some visible expressions of their discriminatory policies during the Games, seeking to present a favorable impression to foreign athletes, spectators, and journalists. Behind this public presentation, political persecution and racial discrimination continued.

The Olympic Games generated an enormous amount of contemporary printed material, including newspapers, illustrated magazines, commemorative books, postcards, and collectible albums. Among the most successful German publishers of such material was the Cigaretten-Bilderdienst, established in 1932 as the illustrated publishing operation of the Reemtsma cigarette company.

Cigarette card collecting had become a popular pastime in Germany during the interwar years. Manufacturers distributed collectible illustrations through cigarette packaging and promotional coupon systems, encouraging customers to obtain complete sets for specially prepared albums. These publications covered subjects ranging from sports and geography to German history and contemporary political events.

The Cigaretten-Bilderdienst produced particularly substantial albums, combining collectible photographs with professionally written articles, detailed captions, and illustrated plates. The albums were designed to be assembled gradually, as the owner obtained and mounted the individual pictures in their designated spaces. Their popularity made them an effective form of commercial promotion and an important means of distributing illustrated information to German households.

The Olympia 1936 series was among the publications produced during this period of intense public interest in the Olympic Games. Its two-volume arrangement allowed extensive coverage of both the Winter Games at Garmisch-Partenkirchen and the Summer Games in Berlin. The text was assembled by sports editor Walter Richter, incorporating detailed competition reports and contemporary commentary intended for German readers following the events.

The publication also preserves the particular style of German sports journalism during the Reich. Its athletic reporting incorporates enthusiastic descriptions of competition, national achievement, and the international atmosphere surrounding the Games. Ceremonial photographs and accounts of the crowds and celebrations further illustrate the importance placed on the Olympics as a public spectacle.

Today, Olympia 1936 remains an interesting contemporary record of one of the most politically significant Olympic Games of the twentieth century. Its extensive sporting coverage preserves the names, performances, and records of athletes from numerous countries, while its presentation provides insight into the German public's experience of the Berlin Olympics in the years immediately preceding the Second World War.