Berlin wall

The history of the Berlin wall is fascinating. The wall itself … not so much. It’s just a concrete/wire mesh fence really. Not much to see.

What has surprised me the most about the Berlin wall, is how many people I know who don’t know anything about it. They know that it existed, but not why or how it came to be. If you are in that camp, then I recommend doing some reading up on the subject. I’m not going to attempt to explain it here myself, as there are others who are far more knowledgeable about such things than I and can explain it much better.

Berlin wall line

Berlin wall

Nazi party rally grounds

I visited the Nazi party rally grounds (Reichsparteitagsgelände) in Nürnberg (Nuremberg). This area is where the German Nazi party held their huge party rallies between 1933 and 1938. ~150,000 people could assemble to celebrate the German Nazi party, alongside Adolf Hitler and other prominent national socialists.

After World War 2, the huge swastikas and eagles were blown off of the top of the main section via explosives. The blast marks are still present.

Unfortunately, years of decay resulted in a lot of the front facade being removed due to it being considered too hazardous, but the primary section in the middle is still present. It sure is creepy standing up there and looking out at what would have been a sea of fans adoring their Führer.

Scroll to the bottom to see some photos of what the area looked like during the 1930’s.

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Nazi Congress hall

I visited the Nazi Congress Hall (Kongresshalle) in Nürnberg (Nuremberg) in Germany. The building was intended as a congress center for promoting the German Nazi party. It is a huge facility and is modeled on the Rome Colosseum, but on a much larger scale. It was meant to have a self-supporting roof, and would have provided seating for up to 50,000 people. Following World War 2, construction of the building was abandoned and it has been left by the city of Nürnburg as a reminder of the dangers of national socialism.

Standing inside the Colosseum area is a creepy feeling. Had history taken a different path, this building may have been one of the most prominent political buildings in the world. As it stands today, it is a rather pathetic reminder of a sad piece of history.

Nürnberg wall

I stayed in a nice little hostel in Nürnberg (Nuremburg) called the “Five Reasons”. It was cheap and very nice. It is situated right beside the Nürnberg city wall, a relic going back to the 12th and 16th centuries. About 4 km of the original 5 km wall is still standing. The moat surrounding the wall was never filled with water and is now a nice walking path.

Five Reasons hostel in Nürnberg

Nürnberg city wall

Nürnberg city wall

Nürnberg city wall

Nürnberg city wall

Nürnberg city wall

Nürnberg city wall

Nürnberg city wall

Führer bunker

Deep beneath this rather boring looking car park is the location where Adolf Hitler married his wife, then promptly blew his brains out with a pistol on the 30th April 1945. He was then dragged up to ground level, doused with fuel and set on fire inside an impact hole from Soviet artillery shelling. I farted a little, then moved on.
Fuhrer bunker

Fuhrer bunker