Overview
- The Deutscher Olympischer Sportbund will hold an extraordinary members’ assembly in Baden‑Baden on 26 September where Bundespräsident Frank‑Walter Steinmeier will publicly announce whether Berlin, Munich or KölnRheinRuhr is nominated to pursue a bid.
- The DOSB’s Evaluierungskommission has promised an “ausführliche Stellungnahme” after its final meeting to explain its ratings and respond to criticism that the selection process lacked transparency; any recommendation from the commission is advisory and not binding on delegates.
- Local legitimacy differs between bidders: Munich won a citizens’ referendum with 66.4 percent support and KölnRheinRuhr recorded about 66 percent, while Berlin relies on a broad backer list—the Berliner Erklärung signed by 132 organizations—despite active opponents collecting signatures for a Volksbegehren.
- The DOSB uses an evaluation matrix that factors referendum outcomes, technical criteria and legacy plans when scoring candidates, and the shortlisted bids name possible target years as 2036, 2040 or 2044 if Germany is nominated.
- What to watch next: the Evaluierungskommission’s detailed statement and the DOSB vote on 26 September will shape which city takes the next formal steps and will influence local politics, public trust in the selection process and scrutiny of projected costs and urban impacts.