Nuremburg captures many of the important themes of the Nazi era.
Nuremburg was the center for Nazi party rallies from 1933-38, where Adolf Hitler, the charismatic leader, gained the blind acceptance of the German people. To enhance Hitler’s power, Albert Speer designed cold, grey, stone stadiums, on a mammoth scale - unadorned except for a giant swastika. Roman columns and an immense parade ground completed the setting for the Fuehrer as he stood on a marble platform behind an iron rail and spoke for up to two hours to adoring crowds of up to 800,000 persons.
Justice, to the extent possible, was done in the post-war period. The Nuremburg Trials served not only as a tool of justice, but also as a way of recording the terrible events leading up to and during World War II. Trials provided the world with a clear picture of the recent totalitarian terror and aggression with its associated atrocities -- crimes against humanity, and especially the annihilation of European Jewry.
The Documentation Centers in Nuremburg focus on preserving the historic details of these times of unabated evil. The Germans specifically avoided the word museum, which is normally used to commemorate and honor the past.
On the periphery of the central town square which had been leveled by the Royal Air Force (RAF) bombing raids, a medieval church remains standing. At the base of its modern altar is a bright gold leaf ark with a symbol of the Torah scroll that would be held within. As a unifying symbol, this is intended to remind the viewer of the Jews and the Jewish roots of Christianity.
Our outspoken young guide, with a masters degree in history, was grateful to the Allies for defeating Germany and crushing the Nazis so he, unlike his grandparents, could now live in a free society. He asserted that while anti-Semitism is now illegal in Germany, the hatred still comes out in the form of anti-Zionism, i.e. anti-Israel rhetoric. However, it is not to be forgotten that since World War II, Germany has been one of the significant supporters of the state of Israel.
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