Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The initial and most famous trial, conducted by international prosecutors, saw 24
people accused, of whom 19 were convicted and sentenced. Following trials also resulted
in the conviction, sentencing and execution of Nazi leaders and underlings until 1949.
Hermann Göring, the Reich's field marshall, cheated the hangman by taking a cyanide
capsule in his cell hours before his scheduled execution.
In addition to viewing the courtroom (if not in use), a new exhibition provides compre-
hensive background to the trials and their significance to the world today.
To get here, take the U1 towards Bärenschanze (get off at Sielstrasse). It's about 2km
from the centre of the Altstadt.
Reichsparteitagsgelände
(Luitpoldhain)
If you've ever wondered where the infamous black-and-white images of
ecstatic Nazi supporters hailing their Führer were filmed, it was here in Nuremberg. This
orchestrated propaganda began as early as 1927 but, after 1933, Hitler opted for a
purpose-built venue, the
Reichsparteitagsgelände
. Much of the outsize grounds were
destroyed during Allied bombing raids, but 4 sq km remain, enough to get a sense of the
megalomania behind it.
At the northwestern edge was the
Luitpoldarena
, designed for mass SS and SA parades.
The area is now a park. South of here, the half-built
Kongresshalle
(Congress Hall) was
meant to outdo Rome's Colosseum in both scale and style.
A visit to the
Dokumentationszentrum
( 231 7538; Bayernstrasse 110; adult/con-
cession €5/3; 9am-6pm Mon-Fri, 10am-6pm Sat & Sun)
in the north wing of the Kon-
gresshalle helps to put the grounds into some historical context. A stunning walkway of
glass cuts diagonally through the complex, ending with an interior view of the congress
hall. Inside, the
Fascination and Terror
exhibit examines the rise of the NSDAP, the
Hitler cult, the party rallies and the Nuremberg Trials.
East of the Kongresshalle, across the artificial Dutzendteich (Dozen Ponds), is the
Zep-
pelinfeld
, fronted by a 350m-long grandstand, the
Zeppelintribüne
, where most of the
big Nazi parades, rallies and events took place. It now hosts sporting events and rock con-
certs, though this rehabilitation has caused controversy.
The grounds are bisected by the 60m- wide
Grosse Strasse
(Great Road), which cul-
minates 2km to the south at the
Märzfeld
(March Field), which was planned as a military
exercise ground. The
Deutsches Stadion
, with a seating capacity of 400,000, was to have
stood west of the Grosse Strasse. Things never got beyond the first excavation when the
hole was filled with groundwater - today's Silbersee.
HISTORIC SITE
