Hitler's abandoned Olympic Village is a decaying concrete wasteland

The 1936 Berlin Olympics are shrouded in myth and tragedy.

Just as Adolf Hitler was rising to power, the International Olympic Committee granted the German capital the right to host in 1931. Banners bearing the swastika soon hung beside the iconic Olympic flag.

Today, the 1936 Olympic Village, located in Elstal, Wustermark, on the edge of Berlin, remains, but it is in ruins. Photographer Sylvain Margaine visited for his book, "Forbidden Places: Exploring our abandoned heritage," and website Forbidden-Places.net.

With permission, we've published a selection of his photos here.