Politics have permeated the history of sports, often interrupting the “games.” Sometimes sporting events—particularly the Olympic Games—have provided a stage for political conflict, as when Hitler’s Nazi regime hosted the Olympics in Berlin in 1936, and when the Middle East crisis became a reality to world audiences during the 1972 games in Munich. Powerful images documenting moments of crisis often introduce mass audiences to unfolding political conflicts for the first time. From Leni Riefenstahl’s propaganda images of 1936 to Jim McKay’s announcement from Munich that Palestinian terrorists had kidnapped and killed eleven Israeli athletes, the works in this exhibition highlight such key moments.

1936
American athlete Jessie Owens takes four gold medals at the Games of the XI Olympiad, held in Berlin.
1966
England defeats West Germany’s soccer team 4-2 in the FIFA World Cup final in front of 98,000 fans at Wembley Stadium. And 400 million fans watch on television.
1980
“Miracle on Ice”: Team USA defeats the Soviet hockey team 4-3, going on to win the gold medal at the XIII Olympic Winter Games.
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