Spandau Olympic Village The place of the most infamous Olympic Games in history

The Olympic village is located at Estal in Wustermark, on the western edge of Berlin. The site, which was 30 kilometres from the centre of the city, consisted of dormitories, dining areas, a swimming pool and training facilities.

On the site of the 4,600 male athletes were exclusively housed. The few women had their own accommodations at the “Reich Sports Field” – 20 kilometer away.

During the Second World War, the “House of Nations” was used as a hospital for injured Wehrmacht soldiers. The balconies of the building were specially constructed so that the hospital beds could be pushed out of the rooms there to speed up the healing process of the soldiers.

In 1945 it was taken over by the Soviet Union and became a military camp of the union occupation forces. The dormitory building used by Jesse Owens has been fully restored, and tours are given daily to small groups and students

In the “House of Nations” there was a dining room for each of 38 participating nations – with its own (large) kitchen. Some countries brought even own cooks from home.

After the fall of the GDR and the reunification of the area decayed noticeably – not least due to vandalism.

Today, a private foundation takes care of the remaining buildings under monument protection care. Sightseeing opportunities and photo Tours are available.

Text by Christian Hartmann

Ph. Christian Hartmann

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