Todo Concostrina (SER Podcast)

Acontece que no es poco | 1 de agosto de 1936: Inauguración de los Juegos de Berlín. El mundo deportivo, a los pies de Hitler

Host: Cadena SER
Guest/Commentator: Nieves Concostrina
Air Date: October 2, 2025

Overview

This episode explores the complex interplay between sports and politics during the 1936 Berlin Olympics, focusing on how the international sporting world ultimately capitulated to Nazi Germany’s propaganda showcase. Nieves Concostrina delivers her unique historical analysis, blending biting humor and blunt criticism, to highlight the willful blindness and complicity of nations and sporting authorities in the face of Nazi policies and repression.

Main Discussion Points & Insights

1. Context: Failed Boycott and the International Spectacle

• The episode picks up from the previous day's discussion on the failed Popular Olympiad in Barcelona, which was meant as a protest against the Berlin Olympics ([00:36]).
• As the Spanish Civil War erupts, the rest of the world flocks to Berlin, insisting, “no hay que mezclar política con deporte.”
• Nieves:

  “El 1 de agosto, 200.000 espectadores cuajaban el estadio Olímpico de Berlín en una ceremonia de inauguración impresionante en la que los nazis, maestros de la propaganda, echaron el resto porque Alemania iba a ser el escaparate al que todo el mundo iba a mirar.” ([00:59])

• Despite clear evidence of Nazi repression, including the recent opening of another concentration camp and the subsequent suicide of the Olympic Village director, the world chooses to look the other way.

2. Nazi Propaganda and Racial Laws

• Nieves reveals chilling contrasts:

  “15 días antes de la inauguración de los Juegos, no muy lejos de la Villa Olímpica se inauguraba otro campo de concentración. Y tres días después de la clausura, el director de la Villa Olímpica se pegó un tiro en la cabeza.” ([00:59])

• Discussion of Folgan Furzner’s suicide, forced by anti-Jewish laws despite his service ([03:06]).
• The Nazis institutionalized their racial policies a year earlier with the Nuremberg Laws ([04:44]):
  • Removal of citizenship and civil rights for Jews, later extended to Roma, Black people, homosexuals, and disabled individuals.
  • “Para ser considerado alemán, tenías que tener los cuatro abuelos alemanes. Pero en cuanto tuvieras un abuelo judío y tres alemanes, ya te ponían en la lista negra.” ([05:21])
• Nieves uses a genetics metaphor (Mendel’s peas and rabbits) to illustrate how Nazi laws dehumanized people through arbitrary ancestry charts.

3. Complicity and Hypocrisy of the International Community

• The world’s diplomats and governments were well aware of these policies, yet still participated ([05:21]).
• Only Republican Spain formally boycotted.
• Nieves ridicules excuses:

  “A no ser que todos los diplomáticos fueran una panda de vagos que estaban todo el día en el bar y no se enteraban de nada.” ([05:21])

4. Incidents during the Berlin Games

• Host asks about incidents/protests ([07:28]), and Nieves enumerates discriminatory acts that were ignored:
  • Hitler refuses to greet Black and Jewish athletes, but warmly embraces German medalists.
  • The IOC tells Hitler to greet either everyone or no one; Hitler chooses to salute none ([07:34]).
  • Six Jewish athletes from other countries who won gold were ignored by Hitler.
• Jesse Owens’ Triumph and Ironies
  • “Jesse Owens, que también te digo que era más tolai que un obrero de derechas, dijo que Hitler era un tipo injustamente tratado porque a él lo había saludado en la parte de atrás del estadio y que él tenía una foto estrechándole la mano. Foto que nadie vio jamás porque Hitler jamás le saludó.” ([08:45])
  • Owens, though paraded in New York, faced racism at home and was also not congratulated by President Roosevelt.

5. The Scandal of the Peru–Austria Match

• One of the most blatant examples of racism and unfairness:
  • Peru beat Austria 4–2 (could have been 7–2, as three Peruvian goals were disallowed) ([10:13]).
  • Hostile crowd, alleged Nazi pressure; FIFA annuls result, orders replay behind closed doors due to supposed pitch invasion by Peruvian fans ([10:49]).
  • Peru and Colombia withdraw in protest.
• Nieves on the absurdity of Nazi “evidence”:

  “Claro, todo el mundo sabe que los peruanos que estaban en Berlín viendo aquel partido… Entraron con pistolas y barras de hierro al campo a pegar a los austriacos. ¿Estamos tontos? ¿Cómo es esto?” ([10:49])

6. Political Indifference and the Cost of Escapism

• Final reflection on the spectacle’s scale:
  • 200,000 at the stadium, a million on the streets, 300 million listening by radio ([12:07]).
  • “La verdad, no les importaba nada más allá de la diversión de los juegos.”
  • “¿Por qué lloran ahora tanto? ¿Por los judíos que aniquiló Hitler? ¿Porque salvo a España? A nadie le importó.” ([12:07])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On diplomatic willful blindness:

  “A no ser que todos los diplomáticos fueran una panda de vagos que estaban todo el día en el bar y no se enteraban de nada.” — Nieves ([05:21])

• On Nazi eugenics:

  “Para ser considerado alemán, tenías que tener los cuatro abuelos alemanes. Pero en cuanto tuvieras un abuelo judío... ya te ponían en la lista negra.” — Nieves ([06:09])

• On the Jesse Owens paradox:

  “Jesse Owens... recibió un gran desfile... Pero luego en su país sólo podía ir a hoteles de negros y a restaurantes para negros.” ([08:45])

• On the Peru–Austria scandal:

  “Entraron [peruanos] con pistolas y barras de hierro al campo a pegar a los austriacos. ¿Estamos tontos? ¿Cómo es esto?” — Nieves ([10:49])

• On collective guilt:

  “¿Por qué lloran ahora tanto? ... A nadie le importó.” — Nieves ([12:07])

Segment Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment Description | |------------|--------------------| | 00:36 | Context: Failed boycott and Berlin Olympics opening | | 00:59 | Nazi propaganda, ceremony details, new concentration camp, Olympic Village director suicide | | 03:06 | Suicide of Folgan Furzner, Nuremberg Laws backstory | | 04:44 | How Nuremberg Laws functioned, genetic metaphors | | 05:21 | Complicity and knowledge among international diplomats | | 07:34 | Discrimination against Jewish and Black athletes at Games | | 08:45 | Jesse Owens’ case and American racism | | 10:13 | Peru–Austria match scandal, FIFA annulment, withdrawal of Peru and Colombia | | 12:07 | Scale of the games, spectatorship, the cost of ignoring politics |

Tone & Style

• Blunt, irreverent, with dark humor and irony (characteristic of Nieves Concostrina).
• Mixes historical rigor with colloquial language and pointed critique of hypocrisy.

This episode masterfully exposes the contradictions and moral failures surrounding the 1936 Berlin Olympics, making a compelling case that sports and politics are inextricably linked—even when the world tries to look away.