Schneemann is the official mascot of the 1976 Winter Olympics, which were held in Innsbruck, Austria in February 1976. It is also the first official Winter Olympic mascot.
Schneemann | |
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Mascot of the 1976 Winter Olympics (Innsbruck) | |
Creator | Walter Pötsch Bill Tobin |
Significance | A Tyrolean snowman |
The mascot is a Tyrolean snowman called Schneemann ([ˈʃneːˌman], "snowman" in German), created by Walter Pötsch, and represents the Games of Simplicity. The mascot wears a Tyrolean hat which is a typical hat worn in the region of Innsbruck.[1] The public's opinion of this was somewhat divided, but its financial success was indisputable.[2] Schneemann was also considered a lucky charm. At the 1964 Games in Innsbruck, the lack of snow remained ingrained in the memory, and the organisers feared a similar scenario for 1976. But the 1976 Winter Games had plenty of snow.[1]
There was also another mascot, Sonnenweiberl ("sun wife" in German).[3][4] Sonnenweiberl and Schneemann were married in a ceremony on February 22, 1976, on Innsbruck's Goldenes Dachl.[5]
References
edit- ^ a b "Olympic Winter Games Mascots from Innsbruck 1976 to Sochi 2014" (PDF). Olympic.org. p. 3. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 June 2014. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
- ^ "Final Report of the 1976 Winter Olympics" (PDF). Olympic.org. p. 188. Retrieved 20 May 2014.
- ^ "Innsbruck 1976 – Mascot Schneemandl". TheOlympicDesign. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
- ^ "Olympic Museum-Innsbruck 1976, Sonnenweiberl, the female counterpart of Schneemandl, the Games' mascot". Musée Olympique. 2024-04-16. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
- ^ "Olympische Jugend in Innsbruck" (PDF). Innsbruck Informiert. January 2012. p. 59. Retrieved 2024-08-20.
1975 kam an die Seite des Schneemandls das „Sonnenweiberl". Leider ist diese Figur etwas in Vergessenheit geraten, obwohl die beiden am 22. Februar 1976 offiziell im „Goldenen Dachl" in Innsbruck heirateten.