Overview
- President Frank-Walter Steinmeier’s office confirmed he views 2036 as historically problematic and would welcome a German bid for 2040 or 2044.
- Berlin’s interior administration estimates up to €1 million to withdraw its bid and a mid–single-digit billion euro public cost to stage the Games, a calculation NOlympia denounces as a political smokescreen.
- The DOSB plans to choose a single national candidate in September 2026 from Berlin, Hamburg, Munich and the Rhein-Ruhr region.
- Hamburg’s campaign secured formal backing from northern state leaders and the IHK Nord chambers, with city voters set to decide on May 31 whether to keep pursuing the bid.
- Former chancellor Gerhard Schröder publicly urged going for 2036 in an open letter, contradicting Steinmeier’s stance as the national debate broadens.