New! Discover the new exhibition "Paris 1924 – Paris 2024: the Olympic Games, mirror of societies"

By retracing a century of Olympiads, the exhibition’s journey questions the multiple societal issues of the world’s biggest sporting event. Since its re-creation in 1896, the Olympic Games have constantly reflected and accompanied the evolution of the modern world.

While the Olympic spirit carries a universal message of peace, the Games have sometimes given rise to exacerbated rivalries between nations and between athletes. While the Olympic Charter proclaims that every individual must have the opportunity to practice sport without discrimination of any kind, the history of the Olympic Games is marked by struggles against all forms of exclusion.

The exhibition gives a significant place to the instrumentalization of sport and the Olympic Games by totalitarian and authoritarian regimes. It explores the many facets of the Olympic Games, particularly those of 1936, 1968 and 1972, and highlights the individual destinies of famous or unknown athletes. It aims to show how the values of Olympism can contribute to a strong commitment in favor of tolerance and inclusion.

Based on written, audio and audiovisual archives, objects, literary excerpts and a wide range of iconography, the bilingual exhibition is accompanied by an itinerary and a booklet for family visits.