One of our first trips with Harmony's family was to Nuremburg, the city made famous by the war crimes tribunals that were held for Nazi leaders after World War II. Our first stop was to the Nazi Documentation Center at the old Nazi Congress Hall. The Congress Hall was never completed, but was designed to hold 50,000 spectators for Nazi meetings. The Documentation Center was a museum that showed the rise of the Nazi Party in Germany and in Nuremburg in particular, and the consequences of Nazi rule. It was very well done and its presence within the walls of the Nazi Congress Hall added chilling authenticity.
(L) Jack standing on a platform with a view of the center of the Congress Hall (R) Lucas listening to the audio guide inside the Nazi Documentation Center
(L) What it would have looked like if it had been completed (R) Another view of the center from the Documentation Center platform
After visiting the Documentation Center, we drove to the nearby Zeppelin Field, which is where the Nazis held massive rallies. The field pales in comparison to what it once was.
(L) Zeppelin Field during a Nazi rally (R) Zeppelin field in 2011- notice the swastika and columns are gone.
(Below) After defeating the Nazis, American troops blew up the swastika that was on top of the Zeppelin Field grandstand.
After visiting the old Nazi sites, we went to Nuremburg's old town where we saw a couple of old cathedrals and climbed up a hill to a castle.
(Above) Inside the church you see in the background, there was this photograph of the Nuremburg main square during Nazi times.
(Above) Nuremburg Castle
(L) The castle's outer walls (R) A view of the city from the castle
(Above) Nuremburg's two large cathedrals
2 comments:
Great post, Aaron. I love the way you included old photos and the comparable ones we took.
I agree with your lovely wife! The old photos give great perspective. Well done, Aaron!
The video showing the exploding swastika was awesome and the explosion of swastikas around the town square in the '30s was crazy.
It kind of reminded me of the time that my mom came home from work to find our driveway covered in chalked-on swastikas. My mom was totally freaked out and she shrieked to my dad, "Who would draw SWASTIKAS all over our driveway?!" My six-year-old sister finally piped up and said, "I did, Mom. I just thought they looked cool. I'm sorry."
You better pray that Jack and/or Lucas never does that to your driveway someday. :)
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