1956 Stockholm Equestrian Games Opening Ceremony

www.olympicceremony.org
1952 Helsinki         Melbourne 1956

The Equestrian Games of the XVI Olympiad

Stockholm, Sweden
1956

Opening Ceremony of the 1956 Equestrian Games in Stockholm

Olympic Ceremony Records
italics indicate records at the time

• First Games to Feature One Sport (Equestrian - due to animal quarantine in Australia, Summer Games host)
• First Opening Ceremony to Feature the Parade of Nations on Horseback
• First Athlete's Oath Taken on Horseback
• First Olympic Cauldron Lit on Horseback
• First Ceremony to Light Three Olympic Cauldrons at the Olympic Stadium
• First Official Dance Display at an Opening Ceremony (the mass play of the 1936 Olympics occurred immediately following the opening ceremony, however this was part of the official program, breaking IOC ceremonial protocol)

Olympic Torch Relay Records

italics indicate records at the time

• First Olympic Cauldron Lit on Horseback
• First Ceremony to Light Three Olympic Cauldrons at the Olympic Stadium

Opening Ceremony

Stockholms Olympiastadion (21,000)

June 10, 1956

Video

Opening Ceremony Highlights

Despite being one of the smallest opening ceremonies in terms of attendance (21,000), the Equestrian Games Ceremonies of 1956 were pivotal in the evolution of the modern Olympic Ceremony.  Stockholm was awarded host of the equestrian events in 1956 because Australia (host of the Summer Olympics) had an animal quarantine and the events involving horses could not be staged in Australia.  So, an entire Olympic Games was held in Stockholm, with its own medals, torch relay, and ceremonies for the equestrian events.  The Opening Ceremonies were important to the artistic evolution of the games because it staged the first mass artistic displays (Swedish folk dancing) since Berlin 1936.  Just as the Stockholm games of 1912, these were very grand and elaborate - something that the summer games were lacking since Hitler's egoistic explosion in 1936.  It was very unique in that the parade of nations was entirely on horseback and the cauldron was lit on horseback.  Most importantly, the Official Report above details in the Swedish portion that the cauldrons on the stadiums towers were indeed lit during the 1912 Olympics.  This would seem to certify that the first Olympic Flame occurred in 1912, not in 1928 as the International Olympic Committee determined.  You read it here first! Here is the order of ceremony:

• King and Queen of Sweden arrive with the Queen of England to the stadium in carriage procession
• Cheers for "God Save the King" chanted
• Choir and crowd sing King "Kungssången"
• Royal Bands, one band on horseback, perform marches
• The Olympic Flag arrives through the Marathon Gates of the stadium - carried by 6 riders on horseback
• Parade of Nations on horseback (several racehorses get very startled, an American is thrown off his horse, both were ok)
• King of Sweden declares the games open
• Fanfare "Kungarop" from Marcia Carolus Rex blasted from the stadium towers as was done in 1912, and Olympic Hymn by Spisak performed by the choir, 21 gun salute, and 1,000 pigeons released
• Olympic Flame enters the stadium and the first cauldron is lit on horseback by Hans Wikne (captain of the Swedish Cavalry) then Karin Lindberg (1952 Gold Medal winner in Gymnastics) and Henry Erikkson (1948 Gold Medal winner in the 1500 meter race) light the beacons at the top of the two stadium towers.
• Bells toll
• Prayer
• Beethoven's 9th Symphony, Fourth Mvt. performed by band and choir
• Fanfare
• Olympic Oath
• Swedish National Anthem sung
• 400 dancers perform Swedish folk dances, forming a giant human version of the Olympic rings

Photos

Gold Medal from the 1956 Equestrian Games in Stockholm

Olympic Torch from the 1956 Equestrian Games in Stockholm 

Official Poster of the 1956 Equestrian Games in Stockholm

The 1956 Olympic Cauldron at the Equestrian Games of Stockholm 

Swedish Folk Dancing at the 1956 Equestrian Games in Stockholm

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1912 Stockholm Summer Olympic Opening Ceremony

www.olympicceremony.org
London 1908 - 1916 Berlin

The Games of the V Olympiad

Stockholm, Sweden
1912

1912 Opening Ceremony in Stockholm

Olympic Ceremony Records
italics indicate records at the time

• First to Award Medals in Artistic Events (Architecture, Literature, Music, Painting, Sculpture)
• First Official Olympic Poster
• First Olympics Competed by Teams from All 6 Inhabited Continents
• First Use of a Christian Hymn (Our God, He is a Castle Strong to the hymn tune EIN FESTE BURG)
• First Christian Prayer Read
• First Mass Demonstration Performed at an Opening Ceremony (mass Gymnastics display)
• First Dancing Display in the Opening Ceremony
• First Mass Artistic Demonstration Performed at an Olympic Games (The Great Choral Festival)
• THE FIRST OLYMPIC FLAME - The two towers of the stadium were fit with oil-burning beacons used previous to the 1912 games and later during the 1956 Equestrian Games.  This was the first Olympic Flame in history as the extended official report (not included) details the specifics of the beacons, that they would burn during the "greatest festivals" held at the stadium, the IOC President first mentions the "Olympic Flame" in his speech at the Closing Ceremony, and the 1956 Equestrian Games Official Report confirms that these were indeed lit during the 1912 Olympics - according to the International Olympic Committee, the first Olympic Flame was lit in 1928 in Amsterdam, and the first Olympic Torch Relay was in 1936 in Berlin.
• Most Nations Participating (28) - previous Paris 1900 (24)
• Most Athletes Participating (2,406) - previous London 1908 (2,008)

Opening Ceremony

Stockholm Olympic Stadium (33,000)
July 6, 1912
(at the time of its posting, tomorrow marks the 100th anniversary of these Olympic Games)

Video

Official Report
(many photos of the Opening Ceremony including every nation entering the stadium - click the black arrow in the upper right corner for larger pictures - the entire score reduction of the Olympic Games Triumphal March is included!)

Opening Ceremony Highlights

In 1912, the Stockholm games certainly held the greatest Opening Ceremony yet.  The official report states that "every last inch" of the stadium was filled with spectators, but it obviously wasn't, given the many photos of the event.  This small stadium held one of the smallest Opening Ceremony crowds, but certainly the grandest ceremony.  Here is the brief chronology of events:

• Royal procession by automobile (still rare at this time) to the Olympic Stadium
• Parade of Nations
• Hymn performed unaccompanied by everyone in the stadium Our God, He is a Castle Strong (to the hymn tune EIN FESTE BURG)
• Prayers in Swedish and English performed
• Speech by the Crown Prince introducing the King Gustav V of Sweden who declares the games open
• Fanfare performed from the tops of the stadium's two towers from trumpeters dressed in medieval attire - as in 1908, three cheers were given to the King of Sweden
• Swedish Choral Association performs the National Anthem of Sweden
• Athletes paraded away to "The Olympic Games Triumphal March" by H. Alexandersson (the entire reduced score can be seen in the official report above)
• Gymnastics demonstration performed by the Swedish national team
• Dancing demonstration performed by the Russian national team
• 12 bands performed in an evening concert

Several mass artistic displays were performed as well including the following (more information and pictures can be found in the official report above)

• 1,200 Boy Scouts displayed mass gymnastics, 400 person contest of Tug of War (the most popular official Olympic sport at this time), Scout Band performance, mass display of First-Aid techniques, and mass display of camping skills in the Olympic Stadium
• The Great Choral Festival was held as part of the 1912 Olympics - a temporary stadium seating 8,000 was erected for only this event!  The greatest event of the festival was held at the Olympic Stadium - 27,000 attended; the concert had over 6,000 singers entering in a large parade. Large platforms were brought in by horse, and the concert was the most exciting cultural event of the games showcasing patriotic songs.  The King and Queen attended, and the concert drew many encores.

Photos

Gold Medal at the 1912 Olympics

First Official Olympic Poster

Finland marching in the Parade of Nations in the 1912 Opening Ceremony

OLYMPIC CEREMONY DATABASE

SUMMER

1896 1900 1904 Intercalated 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952
1956 Equestrian 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016

WINTER

1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 20141980 1984 1988 1992 1994 1998 2002 2006
2010 2014 2018