The preparations for the Festival Play made satisfactory progress. Many difficulties had to be contended with, however, because few could envisage this presentation in its entirety. One group insisted on regarding the plans from a purely literary point of view, while others could see only the musical side. Many failed to take into consideration the fact that the Festival Play would be presented in a gigantic arena and not on a stage. For this reason there were numerous proposals and suggestions, but the author knew exactly the aims he wished to attain. The two composers completed the music for the Play during the summer of 1935, and after each part had been tested and studied from the point of view of length, rhythm, appropriateness to the theme, etc., it was recorded by the Philharmonic Orchestra and the Youth Orchestra of the Gьnther School under the direction of the composers. Sufficient records were made to enable rehearsals of the dances and exercises to be held, this work extending throughout the entire winter of 1935-36. It was naturally necessary to make many adjustments and improvements, but the thorough preparatory work by Frau Gьnther and Herr Medau provided a firm basis for later progress. An unexpected difficulty arose in April, 1936 when the "Bund Deutscher Mдdel" (German Girls' League) suddenly refused to continue rehearsing and we were forced to begin anew with the training of chorus and group leaders. The enthusiastic cooperation of the Berlin school teachers, however, from Director of Physical Education Rabenhorst to the youngest gymnastic instructress enabled us overcome this setback. Active work also commenced on the exhibition, "Sport in Hellenic Times," a cast of the famous Athenean bronze statue of "Zeus the Spear-Thrower" being ordered in April and paid for with funds from the Lewald Grant. Dr. Lewald financed with the same means the journey of Professor Hege, Weimar, to Olympia, where, assisted by the Greek authorities, he succeeded in making extremely attractive photographs. These were exhibited in the exhibition, "Sport in Hellenic Times," and utilized by Professor Rodenwaldt in the book, "Olympia," which was presented to the victors and members of the International Olympic Committee. At the instigation of Dr. Lewald, the "Memoires Olympiques" of Baron de Coubertin were also published in German (Limpert Publishing Company) on the occasion of the Berlin Olympic Games.
To return from artistic to prosaic facts : The publicity campaign was making rapid progress through the Olympic Exhibition, which was opened in Berlin in Lenne Strasse on February 8th, 1935 and became so popular that it remained in the Capital City for a period of 59 days. Thereafter it spent 21 days in Hamburg, 21 in Munich, 30 in Stuttgart, 21 in Cologne, and 31 in Frankfort-on-Main. The Exhibition was thus open to countless thousands of visitors in Germany's largest cities for a period of eight months and contributed substantially towards building up interest in the Olympic Games throughout the country. The outstanding success of this exhibition encouraged the Publicity Committee to organize a special travelling exhibition housed in four motor lorries and eight trailers, and containing a large tent under which films were shown. This "Olympic Caravan"