DeepSummary
The episode begins with Josh and Charles discussing the POW Olympics organized by Polish military officers held captive by the Nazis in 1944 at the Waldenburg camp in western Poland. The Nazis allowed the POWs to hold the Olympics as a propaganda move, claiming they treated the prisoners well and followed the Geneva Convention to influence post-war treatment.
The POWs organized events like soccer, handball, basketball, track and field, as well as cultural competitions like sculpture, painting, and chess. Certain events like archery, fencing, and boxing were prohibited by the Nazis for security reasons. The episode also mentions other POW Olympics, including a secret one held in 1940 in Germany and one organized by Chinese captors in North Korea in 1952 during the Korean War.
An interesting fact mentioned is that from 1912 to 1952, the Olympics awarded medals for original works in the fine arts like sculpture and painting, allowing art competitions alongside athletic events like the long jump.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Prisoners of war held in Nazi camps during World War II organized their own Olympic games, most famously in 1944 at Waldenburg in Poland.
- The Nazis allowed and even facilitated these POW Olympics as a propaganda effort to portray themselves as following the Geneva Convention.
- Events at the POW Olympics included sports like soccer, handball, and track and field, as well as cultural competitions like art and chess.
- From 1912 to 1952, the official Olympic Games awarded medals for art competitions alongside athletic events.
- The POW Olympics served as an inspiring example of the resilience of the human spirit even in the darkest of circumstances.
- In addition to Waldenburg, other notable POW Olympics were held secretly in Germany in 1940 and openly by Chinese captors in North Korea in 1952.
- Certain events like archery, fencing, and boxing were prohibited at the POW camps due to security concerns from the Nazi captors.
- The stories of the POW Olympics have become symbolic tales representing temporary peace and humanity amidst the horrors of war.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “It was so, yeah, they are probably the most famous. Longwasser and Waldenberg are about the most famous of all the POW games.“ by Charles
- “From 1912 to 1952, the Olympics awarded 151 medals to original works in the fine arts. Like, you. You could go see a sculpture exhibit and a long jump competition in the same place.“ by Charles
- “Like the purest form of Olympic competition.“ by Charles
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Episode Information
Stuff You Should Know
iHeartPodcasts
7/3/24
While it sounds like something out of a movie, some POWs in WWII really held an Olympics. And it happened more than once.
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