Nuremburg - The Center Of The Nazi Party

Hitler would come out that door
and greet a throng of 400,000

There can never be another Hitler - we can't be fooled.

Master manipulator

On top of that wall was a giant Swastika
that was blown up after the war.
Dictators just love walls. 

I look like Joe Stalin
surveying the Nazi ruins. 

On Friday Lulu came home after teaching a 5 hour class at the university. She said matter of factly - that we are going to Nuremburg for the weekend. She knew that all my life I wanted to go there - but I was timidly making up excuses. Although my ancestors left Germany in the 1800s - I still bear some guilt of what the German Nazis did to the world. So many people were killed - so many lives ruined - so much destroyed in the name of that tyrant Hitler. Sometimes I think spending so much time studying this horror - somehow gives it credence that it does not deserve.

I quietly said - yes dear.

Saturday morning we awoke and had breakfast. We each packed little bag - threw them in the diesel  - and by 8 AM we were zooming the autobahn about 150 mile east to Nuremburg. We got there very quickly even though we were held up in traffic construction. Our GPS lead us right into the Novatel Hotel's underground parking. We had very nice room - with pool and parking - it was under 100 euros.

We caught a cab out to the Nazi Rally Park - about 2 miles southwest of town. The museum there is in the old Nazi Congress Hall. It was a giant building - bigger than the Rose Bowl  - that was designed to be used for rallies. The full roof was never completed. It was built in the 1930s before the war. It was full of old party photos and displays. It made you sick.

After that we walked the grounds - to the parade field and the Zeppelin Field - where Hitler led those massive propaganda displays in 1935 - 1936 - 1937 - 1938. The stands are in ruins now. Ironically - they use part of it for an auto race track now. It is call Nobisring - to not get it confused with Nuburging - the formula race track. This is the place where Hitler would stand in front of a marble wall - and wind up the crowd - and they would all yell "Heil Hitler." It is now 80 years later - and you can still hear it echo. I always wanted to see this - I have seen it hundreds of times in Lenni Reifenstahl's film - Triumph of the Will.

We walked the full length of the parade ground - a 1.5 mile long field that doubled as an air strip - made of black and white granite. The Nazis would muster there and march into Zeppelin Field - followed by Hitler's dramatic plane landing - then his open Mercedes to the rostrum.

We walked by the foundation of the Germanic Stadium which was designed to seat 400,000 - 4 times as large as Penn State's Beaver Stadium.

I was exhausted - we caught a cab back to the hotel. Half of the purpose of my visit was over.

Hitler would land on this solid granite runway.
80 years later in perfect shape.
They use it as a race track.

This live bat greeted us in the museum.
It reminded me of Hitler - he would not move.

Different minorities had to
wear these badges.
Jews wore the star.

This group be cheering - lock her up.

Hitler circled Nuremburg - then landed
right next to the throng.

This is in Congress Hall - without the roof.

We had lunch at the museum -
we were in Hell so we had a Hell Beer.
Hell Beer is light beer.

This building is still there - we were in it.
Congress Hall.

Congress Hall

Congress Hall

Hitler's podium - Zeppelin Field