Olympic Committee accused of 'Nazi propaganda' for selling Nazi-era 1936 t-shirt: 'Tone deaf'

The International Olympic Committee is being called 'tone deaf' and accused of 'normalising Nazi propaganda' over the sale of a t-shirt that features artwork from the 1936 Berlin Olympic Games, an event that Adolf Hitler used, to promote Nazi Germany.

The t-shirt features a man wearing a laurel crown, the Olympic rings and the Brandenburg Gate, a design that was used in Berlin 90 years ago, about three years into the reign of Hitler as a dictator.

The limited-edition t-shirt was being sold on the official Olympics website as a part of its Olympic Heritage Collection for $42 and has shockingly sold out online. However, many have questioned why the particular t-shirt was included in the sale when it commemorates one of the darkest periods of German history.

Numerous social media users have called out the IOC for its decision to sell the t-shirt, making criticism online. "Shocking sell-out—Olympics merch team really thought Nazi-era Berlin art was a good vibe? History lesson needed ASAP." wrote a person on X.

“Selling Berlin 1936 merch is tone-deaf; it risks normalising Nazi propaganda rather than critically acknowledging that dark chapter in Olympic history,” added another.

Why are the 1936 Olympics a sensitive issue?

These Olympic Games took place three years after Hitler rose to power. He used the global event to push his ideals of racial supremacy and antisemitism. The Nazis stopped German-Jewish athletes from partaking in the games and openly referred to Black athletes as "non-humans."

German politician Klara Schedlich stated the 1936 Olympic Games were a "central propaganda tool" of the Nazi regime. She accused the IOC of "clearly not reflecting sufficiently on its own history,” adding that, without context: “the choice of image is problematic and unsuitable for a T-shirt."

Yoav Potash, director of the award-winning Holocaust documentary Among Neighbours, described the t-shirts as a "sickening affront to human decency" to Fox News Digital.

"To say that the IOC's sale of these shirts is in poor taste would be a gross understatement," he said. "The IOC has the benefit of 90 years of hindsight here. We know that Nazi Germany used its role as the Olympic host for propaganda purposes, aiming to showcase supposed Aryan superiority."

Liora Rex, founder of StopAntisemitism also pointed out to the 1972 Munich Games when "terrorists butchered the Israeli Olympic team, the competition barely paused." She accused the IOC of refusing to "properly commemorate the massacre" while claiming that this year, "the Jew-hate is official."

However, this does not mark the first year the committee has brought back the 1936 Olympic Games in memory. At the 2020 Olympic Games, the IOC posted a Throwback Thursday picture commemorating the controversial year.

IOC has defended its choice of selling the t-shirt which reproduces the original 1936 poster by German artist Franz Wurbel. The t-shirt was added to the Heritage Collection, which features artwork from every Olympic Games. “Of course, we recognise the profound historical context surrounding the Berlin 1936 Olympic Games,” the IOC said in a statement to the New York Post.

As per the committee, the games also brought together "4,483 athletes from 49 countries competing in 149 events and included remarkable sporting achievements."

“Many of them stunned the world with their athletic achievements, including Jesse Owens,” the IOC added. Owens, an American track-and-field Olympian, directly challenged Hitler's racist ideology with his record-breaking victories at the 1936 Olympics. He won four gold medals in the 100m, 200m, 4x100 m relay, and long jump.

The IOC has been in deep waters this year at the 2026 Winter Olympics. In Milan and Cortina, gold, silver and bronze medals won by Olympians have been breaking or detaching from the ribbon. When the matter was brought into the limelight, Olympic organisers said they had since identified a problem with the medal’s cord and invited athletes to have their medals replaced.

Even during the opening ceremony on February 6, 2026, many accused the event to have projected 'satanic symbolism' while lighting the cauldrons which allegedly resembled the satanic pentagram, which is involved in satanic rituals.

At a time when every event is a stage for statement and symbolism, the usage of art and creativity needs to be mindful in expression, especially when it comes to international committees with global power and prestige.