German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier stated that hosting the 2036 Summer Olympics in the country is undesirable for historical reasons, according to Der Spiegel magazine.

According to the head of state, 2036 is problematic for the German bid, as it marks exactly one hundred years since the Olympic Games in Nazi Germany. Adolf Hitler's regime exploited the 1936 Olympics for propaganda purposes, making the centennial a politically sensitive date for modern German politicians. As an alternative, Steinmeier proposed considering the country's bid to host the Games in 2040 or 2044.

At the same time, the president generally supports the idea of returning the Olympic Games to Germany. Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, and the Rhine-Ruhr region have previously expressed interest in hosting them. The German Olympic Sports Confederation is expected to select a single national candidate by October of this year. The federal government, back in 2025, identified 2040 as the preferred option.

Besides 1936, Germany has hosted the Summer Olympics only once before—in Munich in 1972. Steinmeier attended the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Italy as part of the country's official delegation.