In 1936, the fourth Winter Olympic Games were held February 6-16 in the neighboring villages of Garmisch and Partenkirchen in Germany's Bavarian Alps. These Olympics were the last in which the summer and winter games were both held in the same country. Star attractions included a pair of Norwegians named Ivar Ballangrud, who won three individual gold medals and narrowly missed a fourth in men’s speed skating; and Sonja Henie, who won her third straight gold medal in women’s figure skating. Also on the ice was a historic upset in men’s hockey as Great Britain broke Team Canada’s 20-game Olympic unbeaten streak to win gold. In figure skating pairs, it was Ernst Baier and Maxi Herber from host Germany won the gold medal, while Hungarians László Szollás and Emília Rotter, both Jewish, showed tremendous courage in repeating as bronze medalists, this time on the Nazi regime’s home turf. Presented here is the Hungarian pair’s massive 1936 Winter Olympics 3rd place winner’s bronze medal as well as their official Bronze Medal Diploma from the event.
The 1936 Winter Games boasted the largest and heaviest medals ever awarded to Olympic podium winners: 100 millimeters in diameter, around five millimeters thick, and nearly one third of a kilogram! The beautifully designed medal has a raised depiction of a Roman Goddess on a chariot pulled by three horses on the top, with four elements representing the Winter Games below: a bobsled, a ski, a hockey stick and a single skate. Across the bottom, in reverse semi-circular fashion, reads the host cities: “Garmisch – Partenkirchen.” The reverse side includes five raised Olympic rings positioned in the center, with the following German words in raised lettering wrapped around the circumference reading “IV OLYMPISCHE WINTERSPIELE 1936” (IV Winter Olympic Games 1936). This gargantuan medal, made of pure bronze and weighing 330 grams, has been very well-preserved through its 85+ years of existence. The obverse has a few scratches and the reverse has some spot toning.
The included diploma has a large image of a 1936 Winter Olympics winner’s medal at the top, followed by the title of these IV Winter Games, the surnames of both Hungarian figure skaters, their country of origin (“UNGARN”) and award received (“BRONZENE PLAKETTE”) all in German. The IOC and 1936 Winter Olympics Organizing Committee presidents have each hand-signed the bottom. The large, thick poster-like sheet measures approximately 14” by 19.5” and comes unframed with some corner wear and light toning around the white border. There are no tears at all and just a few creases on the upper right border. A truly wonderful pairing of Olympic awards that rarely stay together in their hobby circulation, honoring two amazing figure skaters who won back-to-back bronze medals at the 1932 Lake Placid and 1936 Garmisch-Partenkirchen Winter Games. The accomplished pair won the World Figure Skating Championship four times in five years from 1931-35, and were the 1932 World silver medalists. Both was inducted into the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame in 1995.