The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum presents this Web version of an exhibition depicting the 1936 Olympics as a two-week anomaly during which Germany attempted to conceal the racist and militaristic character of the newly powerful Nazi regime and appear a tolerant host for the international games. In spite of this, some individual athletes and countries elected to boycott the 1936...

During August 1936, Adolf Hitler's Nazi government played host to the Summer Olympics and many international observers and commentators wondered whether the United States might elect to boycott the Games entirely. They did not, and the triumphs of runner extraordinaire Jesse Owens were a highlight of those rather dark times in Germany. This engaging online exhibit on the Summer Games of 1936 was...