Nuremberg's Nazi Past

The last city I am exploring in Germany is Nuremberg. Not only does it satisfy my historical interests, but it turns out it's quite lovely too. Nuremberg's Altstadt is almost completely surrounded by its historic city walls, largely completed by the 15th century (and fixed up after the bombing in WWII). It wasn't too busy nor too hot, and we stayed in a very convenient Airbnb in the Old Town. We had amazing sushi & Thai curry at Moon Restaurant after our two-train journey here from Salzburg and split our exploration into a day about Nazi history and a day about the Old Town & Castle.

Nuremberg Trials

The Nuremberg Trials in 1945–46 at the Palace of Justice, were groundbreaking in international criminal law, putting leading representatives of Nazi Germany on trial before an International Military Tribunal on four counts: Conspiracy, Crimes against Peace, War Crimes & Crimes against Humanity.

There were 24 Nazis indicted, although only 21 were physically present for the trial. Some of the most famous defendants included Hermann Göring (commander of the Luftwaffe and one of the most powerful figures in Nazi Germany) and Rudolf Hess, Hitler's former Deputy Führer.

Of the 22 defendants whose cases ultimately proceeded, three were acquitted, seven were given prison sentences, and 12 were sentenced to death (one in absentia). However, Göring committed suicide using a hidden cyanide capsule the night before his scheduled hanging.

We went into the actual Courtroom 600 where the trial took place. It has been modified since 1946 (after being modified prior to the trial to accommodate such a large-scale production and all the international press), but retains many similar qualities from back then, like the marble doorways. The trial was also extensively filmed, allowing footage to be shown around the world. 

We watched a media presentation about the courtroom and explored the museum using an audio guide. It's quite an info-heavy museum (fewer artifacts), but was very interesting. Note: bring your own headphones and download the museum app in advance to avoid the 2€ fee.

There were few artifacts in the museum, but one of them was a document carrier. The OSS (Office of Strategic Services) had the task of searching throughout Germany for documents and evidence, and huge amounts of material were brought to Nuremberg to be used during the trials. The museum displayed one of the containers used to transport these documents, along with some original documents from the trials. The real benches that the defendants sat on were also exhibited.

Nuremberg Rally Grounds

We visited the Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds (Dokumentationszentrum Reichsparteitagsgelände), a museum located in the unfinished Nazi Congress Hall. The Congress Hall was never completed, with construction largely stopping after the outbreak of the war. The city is currently transforming parts of it into a new arts and cultural centre, including a future venue for the Nuremberg State Theatre, while still acknowledging and confronting its dark historical past.

The Documentation Centre gave an overview of how the Nazis used Nuremberg as a way to display their strength, propaganda and supposed unity during their infamous rallies, with the massive annual rallies happening between 1933–1938. Around 15,000 people took part in the Nuremberg rally in 1927, while by the final rally in 1938, around one million people came to Nuremberg over the course of the event. The planned 1939 rally was abruptly cancelled because Germany invaded Poland and WWII began.

The exhibition explored things like the involvement of the Hitler Youth in the rallies, where they would hold athletic events and participate in massive displays and pageantry. There was an example of a Hitler Youth dagger with the inscription "Blood and Honour" etched upon its blade. There were also toy soldiers whose arms could be lifted up to give the Nazi salute.

It also showed a book containing the racist and antisemitic Nuremberg Laws, which stripped Jewish people of many of their rights. Among other things, they prohibited marriages and sexual relationships between Jews and people classified as being of "German or related blood".

The rallies were the biggest party, and later state, events of the year, carefully choreographed as massive propaganda spectacles. One of their most famous displays was the "Cathedral of Light," created by Albert Speer using more than 150 powerful searchlights pointed vertically into the night sky around Zeppelin Field. The beams created what appeared to be enormous glowing walls surrounding the crowds.

Speaking of Zeppelin Field, we went there after the Documentation Centre. Unfortunately, it was all closed off and undergoing major restoration work. The grandstand is expected to begin reopening to visitors in 2028, while the field itself is currently expected to reopen in 2031.

In the 1930s, Zeppelin Field was used as a massive parade and assembly ground during the rallies, with stone stands and a huge grandstand where Hitler would give speeches to the gathered masses. The interior field itself could accommodate up to 200,000 people. After the war, the site took on some very different uses. The U.S. Army used Zeppelin Field as a sports field and concert venue and later for major concerts, festivals and car races.

On this trip, I've borne witness to the rise of Nazism in Munich, the implementation of it at the Nuremberg Rally Grounds, Dachau and Obersalzburg/Eagle's Nest, and witnessed its judgement at the Nuremberg Trials. It's a heavy history, but an interesting one, and I hope this entry helped shed some more light on its story.