Gretel: An Olympian’s Dream

German Jewish athlete Gretel Bergmann was poised to win a gold medal at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. At the qualifying trials held two months earlier, she equaled the German women’s high jump record of 1 meter 60 centimeters.
But Germany in 1936 was ruled by a one-party dictatorship that persecuted Jews and others. The Nazis’ control of all aspects of German life also extended to sports. This put Gretel’s opportunity to compete in the Berlin Olympics in jeopardy.
Watch a video testimony by Gretel, who changed her name to Margaret when she left Germany: collections.ushmm.org/search/...

[@juliecounterman244]

Powerful in her own right regardless of circumstances beyond her control, thank you for sharing your story so we never forget this happened.

[@marciobaterahvoltandoasrai793]

Shalom

[@gonefishing167]

What a sad story but she accepted her life with courage. What happened to her parents , that’s why she went back to Germany, to help her parents 🙏🙏🙏🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺🇦🇺

[@karismullersanderson2030]

Wondering why Jesse was allowed to compete but not Gretel .

[@amymetzger1290]

Gretel was a German citizen. Jesse was a US citizen. Germany had no control over competitors from other countries.

[@kathithonet771]

The Americans were more than shameless. Marty Glickman and Sam Stoller were American track and field stars who never got to compete. Blame the coach, Dean Cromwell, and the American president of the IOC, for wanting to appease Hitler and for probably being anti-Semitic as well.

[@rickylmoe5325]

As much as I love to watch films of Jesse Owens a black athlete running and winning, in my heart I know I am watching an event that was intended to humiliate the Jews in front of the world. I love Jesse Owens and the brave Ralph Metcalf but in my heart America never should have participated but we've participated in the anti-human act shame on us.

[@willfakaroni5808]

The Nazis wanted to show the world how they were racially superior, and a so called subhuman beat them

[@nyerineu3388]

so much for the fallacy that Olympics are unpolitical!

[@mollyv7399]

And this has taught us NOTHING, we now disrespect this great feat by allowing confused individuals to compete where they should NEVER be competing.