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Hello, again, Blogonauts!
Germany, from perspectives both long and short, is a paradox. Admittedly this may describe all cultures, but the contradictions before my eyes now belong to Germany.
Over the last couple of days, multiple sources have dangled before me the notion that Nürnberg is the "most German" of all the cities in the country. I found that statement almost verbatim in guidebooks, on museum displays, and on podcasts describing the city.
Now, if some heartland haven were to claim it was the "most American city," it would (a) rack up a heaping pile of well-deserved snark and ridicule, and (b) be forced to define what the hell they meant by lifting themselves above all others.
And so it is here. What is to be most German?
After World War I, Germany, and indeed many Germans, were swimming in a deep and overwhelming identity crisis. To be German could mean something humiliating, i.e., vanquished losers. But the Nazi party offered another, more proud and glorious German identity, one that rooted itself centuries ago, in the days of the Holy Roman Empire...or as it was known in Nazi-speak, the First Reich.
Wa-a-a-y back, as the 9th century began, Charlemagne formed what became known as the Holy Roman Empire by uniting much of northern Europe into a more cooperative confederation of fiefdoms, city-states, duchies, and bishoprics. Thus he brought relative peace to the region. (In reality, the competition and disputes continued, and even national borders squirmed like a frightened earthworm. But emphasizing that would ruin a good foundation story, so we'll move on.)
Over time, that imperial power was distributed among various German municipalities. (The Holy Roman Empire never really had a permanent capital city. Instead, the imperial court moved from city to city, which seemed to keep everyone convinced that their needs mattered to the Emperor almost as much as their tax payments.)
Even so, at least until the Reformation, Nürnberg had a claim for primacy above all the rest because here was where the Emperor convened his council. I'm summarizing to make a point, but essentially the Pope may have placed the crown on the Emperor's head, but his power was first voiced in Nürnberg.
Fast-forward now to the 20th century. Nazism was at first most at home in Bavaria and Franconia, where Nürnberg sits. And with its Imperial Castle, the city had a centuries-long reputation as a unifying power hub. Adolf Hitler could (and did) use the the city's reputation as the "most German" of all cities to add legitimacy to his party rallies and his most hard-line (and anti-Jewish) legislative session. And here he set out to build what he anticipated would be the greatest architectural symbols of Germany's power, all while preparing to rule a huge chunk of the world.
So, you may ask, why am I waxing so long and ineloquently about all this?
Just this, Blogonauts: Just like the Kaiserburg, the skeletal remains of that Nazi architectural extravaganza are still standing!
Yes, the grandstand and podium from which Hitler addressed several hundred thousand Nazi loyalists is a prominently decaying hunk of concrete. (CLICK ON THE PHOTOS TAB ABOVE to see the album containing the pictures I took concerning this topic.)
The Zeppelin Field, where most of those attending stood in rank and file, still holds onto some of the detritus from that sickening time (...along with a sizeable football stadium and a disused carpark).
The "Nuremberg Rallies" (for photos, look up that term on Wikipedia) helped to "cement" (pun intended) Hitler's reputation for leadership among the nations of the world. A film documenting the rallies, "Triumph of the Will," won the top prize in both Venice and Paris festivals. And the crowds converged here primarily because Nürnberg is the "most German" city of them all.
Here is also where, during a special session of Germany's legislature (the Reichstag), jews were reclassified as second-class citizens and forbidden to marry those who were considered ethnic Germans.
Before going to see the grandstand and Zeppelin Field, I toured the nearby Documentation Center. Its exhibits strive to explain how a third-rate Austrian painter came to bring a country and much of the world so close to ruin. By tracing a combination of social events and effective scapegoating, they hope to provide clues how to prevent anything similar from happening again.
I have to admit, however, that keeping these crumbling monuments to megalomania around made me queasy. I later found in a collection of old postcards one that showed Nürnberg's Hauptmarkt, but labeled the square, "Adolf Hitler Platz." I couldn't bring myself to spend €3 to buy it.
Today, however, Nürnberg sees itself differently. Outside the Germanisches Nationalmuseum stand an arch and a row of columns touting each tenet contained in the United Nations declaration of human rights.
Is that the new German identity? I would hope it to be true. Hate and arrogance had their opportunity, and massively failed. Vigilance and compassion need to take their place in order to help redefine what it means to be "the most German."
- comments
Henry I guess that explains why the post-WWII trials were held there.
Larry True. Here's part of the Wikipedia article on the Nuremberg trials: Nuremberg was considered the ceremonial birthplace of the Nazi Party. It had hosted the Party's annual propaganda rallies and the Reichstag session that passed the Nuremberg Laws. Thus it was considered a fitting place to mark the Party's symbolic demise.
Anna Yikes! The new identity growing from roots of the old? I agree about vigilance and compassion