Aiming for a “Made by Germany” Bid

German Olympic Sports Federation (DOSB) launches “YOUR IDEAS. YOUR GAMES.” Dialogue Initiative

„YOUR IDEAS. YOUR GAMES.“ the German Olympic Sports Federation (DOSB) is launching a dialogue and information initiative on a prospective bid for the Olympic and Paralympic Games – on 7 July. The objective of the process is to work with the public to define framework conditions on the basis of which an innovative bid concept will be developed – one that will be accepted by a majority of the population.

“Before we make a final decision on whether or not a bid should be submitted, we want to engage in an open and constructive dialogue with the rest of Germany to answer the question why Germany wants to submit a bid for the Olympic and Paralympic Games – or why not,” says DOSB Chairman Torsten Burmester. “Recent polls show that the approval ratings for a bid are quite high. However, some reservations remain, which we want to dispel with good arguments. To do so, it is crucial that we inform people all over the country that a lot has changed in recent years with regard to the Olympic and Paralympic Games and the bidding process. The Games of the future will be very different to those we have seen in the past. The opportunity to rethink and redesign many aspects of the Games has been on the table for quite some time. ‘The Games adapt to the hosts. The hosts no longer adapt to the Games.’ We aim to take advantage of that credo. We would like to submit a bid that is not only ‘Made in’ but ‘Made by Germany’,” continues the DOSB Board Chairman.

No New Construction / Five Regions Invited to Participate in the Evaluation Process

Major sporting events in Germany, such as the European Championships in Munich and the Special Olympic World Games in Berlin, are particularly well received by the public if they are planned in an urban, sustainable, and transparent manner and involve other sectors of society at an early stage. The latter will be made possible with the “YOUR IDEAS. YOUR GAMES.” initiative. Beyond the communication initiative, the DOSB has also set new guidelines for the prospective bidding process. For example, whether for a Summer or Winter edition of the Games, only existing or temporarily upgraded sports facilities are to be used, which would possibly involve more than just one host city.

“The DOSB has invited the interested and suitable cities and states of Hamburg, Berlin, Munich, Leipzig, and North Rhine-Westphalia to participate in the process. We would like to jointly define and develop which concept is best for Germany, has the highest chance of international success, and best covers the rationale of a bid. Based on our past experience, we are committed to approaching the entire project differently and, above all, sensitively. However, we are also self-confident enough to say: The Olympic and Paralympic Games, planned in a participatory and future-oriented manner, will not only generate added value for sports, but for the entire country,” says Stephan Brause, Head of the Olympic Bidding Department at the DOSB.

Since early 2023, the Federal Ministry of the Interior and Home Affairs (BMI), which is responsible for sports activities in Germany, has been closely involved in the planning of the “Olympic Bid Roadmap”. Among other things, the BMI and the DOSB jointly oversee the process in a steering committee, which was established in accordance with the resolution of the DOSB’s 2022 General Assembly. “Germany is capable of hosting major sporting events. This fact was impressively demonstrated at the 2023 Special Olympics World Games in Berlin – and will again be proven at the UEFA European Football Championship in 2024. Major sporting events are beneficial to our country: Sports inspire and strengthen cohesion within our society. That is precisely why the German government supports the development of a prospective German bid to host the Olympic and Paralympic Games. We appreciate the DOSB’s concept, which involves people at an early stage, and which emphasizes sustainability and human rights. To identify the best ideas, the DOSB is right to seek dialogue with the population now,” says State Secretary Juliane Seifert.

Invitation to Dialog

To facilitate such dialogue, the DOSB has created a variety of analogue and digital participation formats. These include 10 expert talks with specialists in the fields of sports, business, sustainability, society, as well as the past and the future. They will be broadcast via livestream from mid-August and will be available on demand thereafter. In addition, the DOSB will hold public dialogue forums in interested cities in the fall. Additionally to these events, the public will remain continuously involved via the initiative’s website and social media platforms. The results of the dialogue process will be presented at the DOSB General Assembly on 2 December 2023.

The decision whether the DOSB is to submit a bid for a future edition of the Olympic and Paralympic Games, is expected to be made next year. The editions of the Games that are being considered for the bidding process are the 2036 and 2040 Olympic and Paralympic Games, respectively, and the 2038 or 2042 Winter Games. It would mark Germany’s third time hosting the Games. The last time the Olympic Games were held in Germany was in Munich in 1972.