- Berlin and Hamburg together?
Berlin's Interior and Sports Senator Iris Spranger (SPD) is aiming for a collaboration with Hamburg in the event of a potential German Olympic bid. She sees a "charming" aspect of a national bid as a "sports tandem with the Hanseatic city of Hamburg, but also with other cities: This would be a remarkable sign of unity 50 years after reunification if the Games were held in the two largest cities in the west, Hamburg, and in the east, Berlin," she told the German Press Agency. According to dpa information, talks with the Hanseatic city have already taken place. For Spranger, cooperation with the Hanseatic city would present an emotional and diverse image of Germany to the world: "That would be something: the Hamburg mix of big city, coolness with maritime flair and Berlin, the international metropolis, the sports metropolis and the greenest metropolis in Germany."
The 62-year-old sees the foundations laid in the capital for hosting international major events. The European Football Championship showed that Berlin can handle international major events. "The sports metropolis of Berlin has the necessary infrastructure, logistical know-how, experience, and competencies to organize global sporting events to the highest standard. The Special Olympics World Games 2023 were also a great and internationally recognized success for Berlin," said Spranger.
The federal government has officially cleared the way for a German Olympic bid. Federal Interior Minister Nancy Faeser (SPD) signed the basic agreement with the German Olympic Sports Confederation (DOSB) and the federal states and cities interested in a bid at the beginning of August at the Summer Games in Paris.
Previously, the federal cabinet had given the green light for support for a renewed German Olympic attempt. In this process, the federal government clearly prefers a bid for the Summer Games in 2040.
The European Union has expressed its interest in supporting a potential German Olympic bid, acknowledging the capabilities of both Berlin and Hamburg to host such an event effectively. The German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser, in her role as the federal government's representative, emphasized the need for international collaboration, stating, "We look forward to the possible involvement of the European Union in our Olympic bid."
