May 16: Nuremberg and National Socialism, Part I

Former Congress Hall at the Rally Grounds

During our first full day in the city of Nuremberg, our group traveled to one of the most infamous areas of the German city, the large complex of the Nazi Rally Grounds.These rallies lasted for 5 years; beginning in 1933 this event lasted a total of 3 days, while by 1938 it had been extended to 5 days. We toured the many buildings with our tour guide Mathias, who was both personable and knowledgeable. He was able to explain the landmarks, events, and individuals involved in the rallies and their construction. We were told of the architect, Albert Speer, who constructed the many projects Hitler desired, and also the amount of money loaned from the German banks 
to aid the Nazi party's goal. 

Frauentor at one Entrance to the City Center

The rally grounds are still present in the city of Nuremberg, and there were specific reasons why it was chosen, rather than other obvious, choices such as the capital city of Berlin or Munich, Nazism's birthplace. Hitler looked to emulate the previously powerful and dominant leading countries and leaders of the past, and because of this he chose this city because he believed it would continue the traditions of the 'Holy Roman Empire' that had once dominated Central Europe. Nuremberg was to be the successor to the pageantry of the imperial diets that occurred during the Holy Roman Empire. Another, more obvious, reason was that this city was in the middle of the country so it was generally equidistant for anyone who wanted to walk or take a train to the event. Nuremberg was controlled by the Nazi Gauleiter Julius Streicher, and he had been holding more localized rallies in the city for several years. Finally, the beauty of the city was quite apparent to all and this also aided in his decision. 

The construction of these grounds from architect Speer required a large amount of money. The German banks "loaned out" 50 billion dollars by 1939; these loans could not be refused and were never paid back. The rally grounds covered a total of 11 sq kilometers, but only one building -- the Congress Hall -- was finished before the start of World War II. Also, unlike Nuremberg's old city that was nearly destroyed by the Allied air raids, few buildings of the party grounds were destroyed. All buildings on the party grounds had Roman and Greek influence in their construction. However, Hitler wanted them to be even larger than those of the great ancient leaders he respected. The building material granite was chosen because of its strength, while all other building materials were natural and they were chosen to show Germany's connection with nature. 

 

Inside the Congress Hall

WJU Students Listening Intently to our Excellent Guide, Mathias

The buildings and landmarks we toured were the Congress Hall, the Great Road, and the Zeppelin Stadium. The Congress Hall was divided into a northern and southern wing. The northern half now houses the public documentation center and the southern building is a symphonic concert hall. The Congress Hall is a round building that was designed to accommodate 50,000 people. Hitler's desire was for it to be a church-like building and he designed it just so. The sunlight was supposed to 'spread light in it' while an organ was playing. The building were designed so that the Fuehrer was worshiped and located at the center of every meeting. Many others asked Hitler's permission to use the building, because the meetings only occurred once a year, but he believed that this was a sacred site for party rallies only. This building was never completed; it currently stands at 39 meters, but plans showed it was supposed to reach 70 meters in height. Throughout the war one bomb hit the southern wall of the Congress Hall. Shortly after the war had ended, local authorities attempted to tear it down. However, the depth of the foundation and the realization of the need to take responsibility for the Third Reich did not allow for this to occur. To this day the building has many different uses. One such use is the storage the tents and chairs used for Nuremberg's world-famous Christmas market. 

On the Great Road

The second area that we were shown was the Great Road. This was the marching road for the Wehrmacht to enter the grounds during the rallies or staged propaganda events for the national socialist party and its members. This area held a great amount of importance in that it was the axis going through the whole area and it connected the spacious Nazi party grounds. The granite stones which the German army men marched on were different colors and this was done so the men were able to keep a straight line while walking, and the size of the stones were measured to allow for 2 military steps per stone. This again showed the order that Hitler required of his men and their actions. This area was never used, and today it is a parking lot. Once again Hitler connected his spot of the Great Road to connect with previously powerful areas. During the 1930s no matter where a person stood he or she could always see the Nuremberg castle, the powerful symbol of the past, connecting with what Hitler had hoped would be a powerful one in the present.
  

The Surviving Grandstand at the Zeppelin Field

The Zeppelin Stadium was made to fit 400,000 individuals to watch the multiple sports that were played. Although it was modeled after the Olympic Stadium, the Zeppelin  stood 100 meters in height and would have been much too big for normal sports. Hitler accounted for this and responded that he would create his own sports such as 'gas mask relays and hand grenade tosses.' These sports were all created to train the athletes for upcoming war. Our guide told us that Hitler believed that after Germany won the war, the Olympics would be held in Germany forever and played only on the March field. This was named after the month it was created and Mars the god of war. It was designed to be 6 soccer fields in length which would also allow for the Wehrmacht to practice military tactics on. The Zeppelin Grandstand was the only building that was finished before the Second World War. It was named after the Zeppelin that landed here; the Nazi Party kept the name because the zeppelin was considered a 'nice piece of German engineering.' The grandstand was modeled after the famous Pergamon Atar, now held in Berlin's Pergamon Museum. Although designed by Speer, the German labor service comprised of every young German boy ages 18-23 had to attend and help with such big construction works. In actuality, this group served as an introduction into military service for Germany's young men and after construction was completed, many then entered the Wehrmacht.   
 

WJU Students, Alumni, and Faculty at the Zeppelin Field Grandstand

After a quick look at the documentation center's exhibit on Nazism in Nuremberg, Mathias concluded our tour by explaining how the redesign of the documentation center attempted to disrupt the symmetry and monumentality of the structure created by Hitler and Speer. This was completed through the destruction of the original steps, sealing up of the main entrance, and creation of a new entrance and glass arrow shooting throughout the Northern Hall of the Documentation Building. By bisecting the Nazis' monumental and classically inspired design, the architect hoped to tangibly show the fracturing of the Nazi ideal. After concluding what was a simply outstanding tour of the rally grounds and the documentation center, the group rushed to the S-bahn for a trip to the other side of the city. Next stop: the Nuremberg Trials courtroom and memorial.