Olympics Medal, Berlin '36 - Anyone Know What It Is?

[TobyR]

Hi Everybody,

I've been offered this. As you can see it is related to the Berlin Games of 36. I haven't seen anything like it before. It has, IMHO, quite a striking design to it, and seems well done. There is also what appears to be a maker's signature on the reverse.

Any ideas what it was for?

Thanks for looking.

All the best,
Toby.

[TobyR]

As I understand it, the motto incorporated on the medal, i.e. "Ich rufe die Jugend der Welt (I call the youth of the world), originated with the Berlin Games, and is still in use today (though in English).

Here's the reverse:

[TobyR]

Any ideas?

All the best,
Toby.

[VerKuilen Ager]

Kind of strange, with no swastika, the partial SS eagle growing out of the guy's head, and the crowd on the back that look like they're from the Planet of the Apes. Might be ok, but it sure is ugly.

[Erich B.]

I don't think I'd take a chance on this one. Possibly made as a period souvenir, I think it's a fantasy piece. Look at where the ring is located in relationship to the design on the front. And the eagle doesn't look like a real III Reich eagle to me.
Erich

[TobyR]

VerKuilen, Erich,

Many thanks for replying. It has also been suggested to me that the medal might be a 60's produced award given out for hiking, and specifically, completing a 10km course. Although, this would seem odd, given the reference to the Berlin Games, and the Nazi-esque eagle. Anyway, taking everything into account, I'll most probably pass on this one.

Thanks again.

Best regards,
Toby.

[J Howland]

Somebody, perhaps as recently as the late 80's or early 90's, was producing and selling fake "olympic" stuff to sports - not militaria - collectors. Some were new made copies of originals that show up in halftone b/w photos in Olympic history books while others were complete fantasy creations (like this "thing") that tried to mimic known motifs and tie them together...

Believe me, I collected German Sports and '36 Olympics material for many years and I never, ever laid eyes on anything this ugly.

Jim

[Tony Farrell]

Agreed, the use of the SS adler is the giveaway.

[phaleranumismatics]

It's from a series of 22 fantasy souvenir medals representing past games made in mid 80's and sold Europe. Comes with the olympic colors neck ribbon. Sells at around $4 bucks. The last one in the series was Moscow. Russian text on obverse - German on reverse. Most probably the whole set was made in Germany.