Olympic stadium, Berlin

Berlin had won the right to stage the 1936 Olympic Games before the Nazis came to power. Once installed as German Chancellor, Hitler was soon persuaded of the propaganda value they offered. Plans for the sporting facilities to stage the Games were made more ambitious and the centrepiece was the Olympic Stadium where the Nazis’ hopes that the games would demonstrate Aryan superiority were somewhat confounded by the achievements of the black American sprinter and long jumper, Jesse Owens, who won four gold medals.

The Olympic stadium survived the destruction of much of Berlin, but was considered for demolition and replacement by a new stadium in the run-up to the 2006 World Cup. After much debate, a €242m (£187m) refurbishment was undertaken and today the stadium is regarded as one of the best in the world.