Recognising a darkness in Germany history

Our first encounter with the Nazi history of this beautiful country was in Frankfurt. A marker set into the cobblestones marked the site of a 1933 Nazi book burning. 


It was mostly ignored by the selfie-snapping crowd, and some people walked right over it. But after we spent some time photographing it we drew a small crowd.

We travelled on to Nürnberg (aka Nuremberg) where the remnants of this time were more visible and acknowledged. 

The Memorium Nürnberger Prozesse, the site of the famous war crimes trials, we explored how war crimes and crimes against humanity were defined, how evidence was gathered, the defendants and their legal arguments, and the outcome of the first trials. Sitting on a bench in courtroom 600, looking at the defendants bemd where Rudolf Hess and Herman Göring sat during the trial was the closest I had ever been to pure evil.


The next day took us even closer when we visited the Dokumentationszentrum and Nazi rally grounds. The museum is closed for renovations, and a temporary exhibit explains how the massive complex was developed, creating purpose-built infrastructure for  8-day rallies filled with pomp and pageantry to create a sense of awe and zeal for the nationalist movement. Massive spotlights, torches, banners and flags set the scene for Hitler's speeches.

We then walked around a lake, enjoying the songs of frogs and birds, with intermittent views of the grand road built for parades, and eventually came to the spot where Adolf Hitler stood to preach his vision for Germany to the crowds. It has an eeriness to it - partially decayed, with nature reclaiming the site. 


It had been left to deteriorate - there were concerns that it may become a rallying point for the right-wing. But signage indicates that a decision has been made to develop educational elements so that the world can learn from the history of this place.

We have travelled on to Coburg, and last night found a small brass plaque in the pavement listing the names and fates of a handful of Jewish residents who were deported to the camps.

We expect to see similar reminders through our travels. And I will be paying my respects to those killed at Auschwitz.


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