“Listening, Critiques, and Inspiration” – the DOSB Invites the People of Hamburg to Engage in Dialog about the Olympics

• Dialog forum to discuss a prospective German Olympic bid
• Saturday, 21 October 2023, from 10:30 AM, in the Börsensaal of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce
• Open to all citizens at any time; no prior registration required.
• Guests include Katharina von Kodolitsch, President of the Hamburg Sports Association, Mareike Miller, Paralympics wheelchair basketball champion, and Boris Schmidt, Chairman of the Board of the Freiburger Kreis

Frankfurt, 16 October 2023 – Why should, or shouldn’t, the Olympic and Paralympic Games be hosted in Germany? The German Olympic Sports Federation (DOSB) aims to determine the conditions under which a German Olympic bid would be possible. The DOSB General Assembly passed a resolution to that effect at the end of last year. In July 2023, the DOSB launched the “YOUR IDEAS. YOUR GAMES.” dialog initiative.

The DOSB intends to engage in conversation with people all over the country. In addition to the continuous digital dialog and a series of nine expert talks, dialog forums are also part of the process. The one-day events are scheduled to take place in the five cities that have accepted the DOSB’s invitation to participate in the current process and would like to be involved in the discussions regarding a potential renewed German bid. In addition to Hamburg, those cities include Munich (05/11), Berlin (12/11), the City of Düsseldorf (14/11), representing the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, and Leipzig. The dialog forum that took place in the Saxon city kicked things off on 30 September.

New Conditions for Hamburg

The dialog forum gives Hamburg citizens a voice when it comes to the process – at an early stage. Torsten Burmester, Chairman of the Board, DOSB: “Engaging in dialog with the inhabitants of Hamburg will allow us to listen to the concerns, as well as ideas that people have about hosting the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Germany, and to take them into serious consideration at an early stage. We would like to show that the framework conditions for a prospective new bid have also changed for Hamburg and to highlight the added value that the Olympics can offer for Germany and, in turn, for Hamburg.”

The second of a total of five dialog forums is scheduled to take place on Saturday, 21 October 2023, from 10:30 AM to 05:00 PM, in the Börsensaal of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce. “We are looking forward to speaking with the people of Hamburg at the event. We intend to use the dialog as an opportunity to find out the conditions under which our city could be part of a prospective German bid for the Olympic and Paralympic Games,” says Katharina von Kodolitsch, President of the Hamburg Sports Association (HSB).

From 11:00 AM to 01:00 PM, the program will include information on the DOSB’s current processes, interviews, and a roundtable discussion. Katharina von Kodolitsch, Boris Schmidt, Chairman of the Board of the Freiburger Kreis and Chairman of the TSG Bergedorf von 1860 e.V. sports association, Ingrid Unkelbach, Head of the Hamburg/Schleswig-Holstein Olympic Training Center, and wheelchair basketball player Mareike Miller will then take to the stage for a discussion. The Paralympic Games have always been “the absolute pinnacle of all sporting events” for the gold and silver medal winner. “The opportunity to share these unique experiences with their fellow citizens back home – in a completely different way – would be incredibly rewarding for every athlete. I’m looking forward to talking about the details behind why and how we think we can pull it off,” says the BG Baskets Hamburg player.

From 01:00 PM to 05:00 PM, all interested citizens will then have the opportunity to gather information, exchange ideas, and participate in moderated discussion panels at various booths, where they will be able to voice their ideas, criticisms, and reservations. Areas of focus include: sports, the economy, society, sustainability, as well as the future and the past. Questions such as “How can an Olympic bid strengthen recreational sports?” and “What added value do the people of Hamburg expect from the Olympics?” will then be discussed.

Dialog Results to Form the Basis of a Bid

The results of the various dialog formats will be bundled in the Frankfurt Declaration and will serve as the societal guidelines for a prospective Olympic bid. The Frankfurt Declaration will be presented at the DOSB General Assembly on 2 December 2023.

Additional information can be found here.