Most of it was bombed out after WWI, they have rebuilt the city center to it's original state. a la Disney? Well why not? Trying to outrun their history? The city that bred the nazi movement......
Our tour guide today is from Scotland??? The Scottish accent is disconcerting for a tour in Germany. Nuremberg is most known today for the unfortunate part it played during WWII when it was chosen by the Nazis for their conventions and for the Nuremberg trials held there after the war was over. So let's start with a former Nuremberg resident-Hitler, born in Austria in 1889, parents died when he was 18-quit school and homeless. Left Austria to come to Germany and signed up for German army in WWI-lost the war. The Versailles Treaty said Germany had to disarm, pay back reparations....democracy started. Hitler took some courses on public speaking and joined the Nationalist Socialist Party and became quite the good speaker. There was high unemployment, high inflation, army not under government, 28 political parties- no political or financial stability-a prime place for Hitler to thrive. Wall Street asks for the money they loaned Germany to be paid back, leaving a very unhappy situation in Germany. Hitler used this to his advantage. He told them he had the answer to the question. "The problem is the Jews- I will give you employment and get our land back". Hitler had an uncanny ability to tap into the fears, frustrations and ambitions of all sorts of Germans and had a masterly understanding of how to exploit them. Apart from the excluded Jews and other "undesirables", he promised something for everyone. Yahoo. No more communism. Bullies loved putting on the ol SS uniform and pushing people around. The perfect storm....
The shame of the Versailles treaty was a big part of this response- Hitler
became chancellor of Germany. The industries voted for it. As mentioned, Nuremberg was the headquarters of the Military District and an important site for the production of airplane, submarine, and tank engines.
Hitler received 43% of vote and got rid of the other parties. Germany became a 1 party police state, gestapo formed ss- and the place for the 1st concentration camp Dachau/1933. They burned the books, Jews were discriminated against, and the mentally ill were sterilized. Pres Hindenburg dies and Hitler takes over as Pres AND Chancellor and acts as a dictator. I didn't realize 15 million Germans fled their country during this time frame. This monster made himself chief of this and that. And how did that swine die? In April of 1945 he married Ava Braun and the next day he committed suicide a la cyanide and shooting himself in the temple.
Nothing like a double suicide to tidy up things....
DOUMENTATIONSZENTRUM
Since 2001, the Documentation Centre Nazi Party Rally Grounds has existed in the unfinished Congress Hall- originally planned of house 50,000 people.
We visit the grounds first...the gigantic remains of the former Nazi Party Rally Grounds are a testimony to the megalomania of the National Socialist regime aka Heil Hitler.
The Congress Hall, with its modern addition, resembling a stake made from glass and steel, makes a clear contemporary architectural statement. Brilliantly designed and executed-oops bad choice of word- built.
A terrific museum so cleverly using the Hall. A real experience of what it might have been like....good to see lots of American college students here on tour.
The permanent exhibition "Fascination and Terror" provides info about the causes, contexts and consequences of the National Socialist reign of terror. No English on the walls but the audio is easy enough. Actually only one book in the bookstore is offered in English....all other books are in German. Hmmmmmm.
We visit the grounds first...the gigantic remains of the former Nazi Party Rally Grounds are a testimony to the megalomania of the National Socialist regime aka Heil Hitler.
The Congress Hall, with its modern addition, resembling a stake made from glass and steel, makes a clear contemporary architectural statement. Brilliantly designed and executed-oops bad choice of word- built.A terrific museum so cleverly using the Hall. A real experience of what it might have been like....good to see lots of American college students here on tour.
The permanent exhibition "Fascination and Terror" provides info about the causes, contexts and consequences of the National Socialist reign of terror. No English on the walls but the audio is easy enough. Actually only one book in the bookstore is offered in English....all other books are in German. Hmmmmmm.
Bubba's Take on the museum:
"Not as condemning as I think it should be".
The Tauck Guide said "you can't let one person here for 15 years hijack the reputation of a city that has been here for 950 years." Hearing that remark Boca fainted...oy.
INTERNATIONAL MILITARY TRIBUNAL
We also visited the courts-it was a holiday and courts were closed so only able to view the buildings. At then end of the War the Allies took the major Nazi criminals to trial. first time an international court...role model for The Hague today. The Nuremberg Trials were in 1945-46 and for the first time in history, representatives of a state had to answer for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Courtroom was chosen as the jail was here. results- 24 death penalties, life sentences, acquittals. Some committed suicide before death penalty. Then Cold War began and allies not speaking to each other. German courts continued with the trials and sentencing.But what about the thousands of higher ups involved? What about the hundreds of thousands/millions who claim no knowledge of what was going on? Perhaps a Yom Kippur- a day of atonement, to right the wrong-is in order. How fitting would that be? How does the average German citizen "right the wrong?" Surely many of their fathers, grandfathers, uncles, brothers, neighbors, etc were involved on some level? How will future generations "own" these atrocities? Bubs says it's no different than what Stalin did or what the Japanese did to the Chinese....I am glad to have had the opportunity to experience this property, grounds and museum....it's a step in the right direction Germany..fyi it is illegal in Germany, Czech Republic and Austria to say or salute the Heil Hitler. At one time all German public employees were required to use the salute and also while singing the national anthem.
