What happened to the German House?
A place to celebrate: Fabian Hambüchen (2nd from left) celebrated his gold medal in Rio 2016 in the Deutsches Haus
Source: pa / Robert Schles / Robert Schlesinger
The German House was an integral part of the Olympic Games for 30 years. In Tokyo, the German athletes have to do without the special meeting point. Instead, fans should celebrate the medal winners digitally.
Dthe worst moment, Claudia Wagner admits, was the last video call with colleagues in Japan. “It really got me there. I was incredibly sad because I knew that I had to let go, ”says the managing director of Deutsche Sport Marketing.
Wagner has been responsible for the German House for nine years. The home away from home, as she calls it. The place where countless German Olympic athletes have celebrated medals and mourned failures since 1988. When the Tokyo Games officially open on Friday, none of this will happen.
“It’s incredibly disappointing for our team,” Wagner said in an interview with WELT, audibly bent. Three years of intensive planning lie behind the organizer. It was necessary to coordinate your team of architects, technicians and stand builders, to negotiate contracts on site; even the federal police were involved because they were supposed to ensure the safety of visitors to the Japanese capital.
The German House was actually supposed to be built in the “Aqua City” shopping center in the middle of Tokyo
Quelle: pa / MATSUO.K / AFLO / Kenjiro Matsuo
“There were a lot of cogs that worked together,” emphasizes Wagner. The “Aqua City Odaiba” shopping center was chosen as the location, with the best view of the striking Rainbow Bridge. Then came Corona.
German house in Tokyo unthinkable
There was no alternative to the decision to do without a German house in Tokyo, said Wagner. The first impressions in the City of Games support this thesis. There are hours between landing by plane and leaving the airport. QR codes are scanned, forms are eyed, tests are carried out. Afterwards, great importance is attached to separating the Olympic participants and the population as much as possible. A German house in Corona times, unthinkable.
For the athletes on site, the meeting point of the German sports family is breaking away. For example, Wagner fondly remembers the Winter Games three years ago. On average, around 500 visitors were present at the same time in the German House in Pyeongchang.
On the last evening even ski star Lindsey Vonn came to the party and gave the DJ her mobile phone and music requests. “What remains in the heart in games like this is missing,” says Wagner, for which it would have been the fifth game. This time she stays in Germany and takes care of a digital substitute for the traditional institution. Among other things, there will be exclusive photos and an innovative interaction idea that will enable fans to send messages to the German team directly to the Olympic Village.
Claudia Wagner has been responsible for the German House since 2012
Source: Deutsche Sport Marketing / MARTIN STEFFEN
In front of the competition venues in Tokyo, the words: United by emotions are emblazoned everywhere. In the case of the German House, the motto of the games fits very well. Wagner remembered a handwritten letter of all the plans: it was written by the Japanese landlord with whom they had agreed on a location. After the translation she was able to read how much understanding and friendship can develop between two countries. “You take these things with you into the future.”
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