1932
Without the assistance of the German government authorities and public neither the participation of an Olympic team at Los Angeles in 1932 nor the presentation of the Olympic Games of 1936 would have been possible. The Reich Commission for Physical Training has always maintained, however, that sport should be as self-sufficient as possible and that it should provide its own initiative. The preparation for the Olympic Games thus became the special task of German sport, and our aim was to accomplish this to the best of our ability.
We can assert today without fear of contradiction that our estimates were correct. The cost of the Games was placed at that time at 4,000,000 Reichsmarks, and it was planned to obtain this sum through a national lottery, voluntary contributions and the sale of special Olympic postage stamps similar to the so-called welfare stamps. The Reich Post Ministry had already given its provisional consent to provide a sum of about l,000,000 Reichsmarks, the condition established by the authorities being that sporting circles themselves institute a so-called "Olympic Penny" in the form of a slight extra charge on all admission tickets to sporting presentations.
The Olympic Penny
This suggestion by Dr. Diem met with general approval, and in the course of the same year several sporting federations took the initiative in instituting it, a part of the proceeds being retained for covering their own costs of preparing for the Olympic Festival. Following the accession of National Socialism to power, the Reich Sport Leader, Herr von Tschammer und Osten, included this practice in the general plans of the "German Sport Assistance." The complete change in the situation which came about in 1933 made it possible for the Organizing Committee to continue its work without relying upon the contribution of the German Sport Assistance, but it is a source of satisfaction and pride that this fund for the preparation of the Olympic Games of 1936 came about through the efforts of the sportsmen themselves
The self-sacrificing spirit evidenced by the sporting federations is indicative of the willingness with which, in spite of considerable opposition, the German sporting circles took up the task of preparing for the Olympic Games, and the German team departed for Los Angeles with the instructions to gain all the experience possible with the end in view of organizing their own Eleventh Olympic Games. The Secretary-General of the Reich Commission for Physical Training was especially requested to pay particular attention to the presentation of the Games in Los Angeles in order to derive useful knowledge for the great task facing Germany.
The Organizing Committee for the Tenth Olympic Games in Los Angeles had made its preparations in a most thorough manner and was able to provide Germany with well-ordered copies of all its printed matter and important documents as well as a comprehensive insight into the work carried out by the various departments, so that a complete survey of the American method of solving this huge task was possible.