Nurenberg and The War Crimes Trials

Visited Nuremberg on Saturday. It turned out to be a wonderful visit mainly because it supplied much information about WWII. I have always wondered how the German people could have gone down the Hitler road, and a visit to the Documentation Center supplied many answers to this question. This museum is a place of learning as many Germans go there. Just as important, German soldiers go there to learn their history. It surprised me that the whole episode is laid out clearly in this museum: the politics, the brain washing techniques, the concentration camps, the loses at the end of the war. Importantly, they do go into the failings of the Weimar Republic, as contributing to the rise of Hitler and the Nazi party.

This Documentation Center is built in the amphitheater that Albert Speer designed to help spread the propaganda of the Nazi party. It was huge and designed based on architecture of the Roman Coliseum. Built to sit 50,000 people; it had no electricity. It was to have a glass ceiling to let light in over the podium from which Hitler was to speak.(All the focus was to be on him.) It was never finished because of the War. Near by, in the Zepplin Field Hitler held many of his massive rallies. All of this architecture was designed to make the individual feel insignificant, and to gain strength from the massive crowds. It was essentially and "architecture of intimidation." Intimidation of the individual, forcing him to become part of a massive movement.

Hitler was presenting himself as the savior of Germany. It was an incredible propaganda machine that he wanted to present through the architecture and history of Nurenberg-- his favorite city. On January 1-2, 1945, 90% of the old walled city was destroyed by RAF incendiary bombing.

Hitler was a reaction to the Weimar Republic. He gave the people hope to grow out of their economic depression (there was 30% unemployment then), and to become a great nation again.

Very near this proposed amphitheater was the was a massive parade ground. In some movies, the  massive swastika on the  roof of this field was destroyed by the allies at the termination of the War. Another significant place in Nurenberg is the court house. This is the place where the war crime trials were held at the end of WWII.

Apparently, it was the opinion of the U.S. legal team, that these trials should establish principles for the future of international was crimes. Our tour leader told us that the Russians wanted to hang all of the 31 defendants, but the U.S. felt that that would undercut the credibility of the proceedings. In the end, three of the defendants were let go, and many were hanged or received life in prison. Goebbles, a prominent Nazi leader, committed suicide just prior to his hanging. No one knows how he got the cyanide, and it may or may not be a coincidence, but the guard of his prison cell ended up with his watch! It was humbling to stand in the very court room where this famous trial was held, and it appears that the U.S. team's ideas prevailed and have been perpetuated in such trials held at The Hague.

The rest of the day, we walked around the city. It's special. Beautiful square, and

churches. Had a lunch in a local restaurant of bratwurst, sauerkraut, and beer (bad for the arteries, but tasty). We sat with a couple of German's and one of them suggested a desert shop that we must visit. That topped off  our lunch with a scrumptious desert.