Resources
Cultural Views of the Olympics “citius, altius, fortius, pulchrius, humanius.” Norbert Müller, Manfred Messing, and Klaus Schormann (eds.), Kassel: Agon Sportverlag, 2016, 236 pages, in English.
Excerpt: Coubertin valued “beauty [as] the involvement of the arts and the mind in the [Olympic] Games […] to be realized through participation in the Games” as an essential element of modern Olympism. Since 1988, editors of the “Olympic Studies” (Olympische Studien) have published 15 volumes of this series, eight including articles by several authors addressing the topic of Cultural Olympiads. Thus, the idea arose to summarize previously published material in an anthology [of 22 articles], also including translations from thematically relevant German research papers and documents into English.
Additional References
1. L’Idée Olympique (The Olympic Idea). Liselott Diem (ed.) with Carl Diem Institute. Lausanne: 1966, 147 pages, in French (also published in English, Spanish, Russian and Chinese).
Overview: 25 Speeches and essays of Pierre de Coubertin.
2. Pierre de Coubertin, Textes Choisis (Pierre de Coubertin, Selected Writings). Lausanne: 1986, 2,262 pages, in 3 volumes. Norbert Müller (publishing coordinator and research director), Volume I: Revelation by Prof. Georges Rioux (666 pages). Volume II: Olympism by Prof. Norbert Müller (760 pages). Volume III: Sports practice by Profs. Norbert Müller and Otto Schantz (836 pages).
Overview: This 3-Volume edition contains 412 articles in Coubertin’s mother tongue, French. It was the special wish of IOC President J.A. Samaranch, after his election, that the relevance of Olympism in de Coubertin’s writings be identified. In 1986 a symposium at the University of Lausanne was held with the title “The Relevance of PdC for the Olympic Movement.”
3. Pierre de Coubertin Olympism, 1863-1937, Selected Writings. Lausanne: IOC, 2000. 862 pages, 180 photos, in English.
Overview: Compilation of the most important documents and speeches by Pierre de Coubertin on Olympism and the Olympic Games. Includes a bibliography of Coubertin’s writings. This edition contains 49 texts on “Revelation” and 148 texts on “Olympic Dimensions” taken from the French Version published in 1986 (see #2 above).
4. Pierre de Coubertin, 1863-1937, Selección de textos. Lausanne: CIPC 2011, 871 pages, in Spanish. Editing by Norbert Müller and Daniel Poyán Díaz. Translators: José Antonio Millán Alba and Daniel Poyán Rubow. Preface by IOC President Jacques Rogge.
5. Pierre de Coubertin, 1863-1937, Seleção de textos. Porto Alegre: CIPC/ EDIPUCRS, 2015, 890 pages. Portuguese translation by Luiz Carlos Bombassaro from the Spanish version (see #4 above). Also distributed as a DVD for Brazilian University in advance of the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games.
6. Pierre de Coubertin, (1863-1937, Oevres Complètes (Complete Works). Edited by Profs. Norbert Müller and Otto Schantz. Lausanne: CIPC, 2013, in English and French.
Overview: Published on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Pierre de Coubertin’s birth. This DVD contains the first editon of the complete works of Pierre de Coubertin (1863-1937), the founder of the modern Olympic Games. The collection of these works is the result of 30 years of research by Prof. Norbert Muller (University of Mainz) and Prof. Otto Schantz (University of Koblenz). The entirety of Pierre de Coubertin’s works that are presented on this DVD amounts to about 16,000 printed pages. The content is divided into four sections: 34 books, 57 brochures, pamplets and reprints, 46 leaflets and posters, and 1,224 articles from periodicals and books. The present edition of the complete works of Pierre de Coubertin is a precious and indispensable source not only for philosophers, educators and historians, but also for sport administrators, journalists and for all those who are interested in the Olympic Movement.
7. Pierre de Coubertin, Textes Choisis (Pierre de Coubertin, Selected Writings). Translation into Arabic commissioned by the Qatar Museum. 3 volumes, 2,500 pages.
Overview: For the first time, all 3 volumes of Pierre de Coubertin’s works have been translated into Arabic as a special gift of the Qatar Museum to the IOC on the occasion of the inauguration of the Qatar Olympic and Sport Museum in Doha. Foreword by IOC President Bach. Included are an additional 400 photographs and works from the early period of the Olympic Movement, 1889-1937.
8. Pierre de Coubertin, Volume 3, Selected Writings. Warsaw: Polish Olympic Committee, 850 pages, in Polish.
Overview: On the occasion of the centennial of the Polish Olympic Committee, Volume 3 of Pierre de Coubertin’s works were edited and translated by Prof. Halina Zdbarska. The project was interrupted when Prof. Zdbarska passed away in February 1999, and will be completed by 2021.
