Olympic Games and Philosophy

Olympic Memorabilia
ΠΑΡΙΣΙ 1924, ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΚΟΙ ΑΓΩΝΕΣ,  Διεθνής Ολυμπιακή Επιτροπή, CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 GR
Thessaloniki Olympic Museum

The Olympic Games have grown exponentially over their 120-year history and incorporate more sports. From the 9 sports included in the first contemporary Olympic Games in Athens in 1896, the program now includes 33. We see a similar growth in the number of communication tools required for their organization and the number of souvenirs created to commemorate them. Collectors all over the world passionately buy and sell Olympic memorabilia.

This thematic exhibition presents a variety of memorabilia, including medals, mascots, souvenirs, torches and the official Olympic posters of many Games. The branded material that was developed for each of the Games reflects the style of each period, the character of the host city as well as the socioeconomic conditions in which the Games took place.

However, as different as these conditions were, from 1896 to today, the Olympic philosophy remains unaltered and promotes the principles of tolerance, peace, ethical competition and noble rivalry in order to create a peaceful society with less violence and competitiveness.

Discover the  items of this thematic exhibition