Historocity

The city of Nurnberg (or Nuremberg) is a much more important city historically than I realised. There is one heck of an impressive castle there and I guess it had some significance in the middle ages time period, though I don’t know exactly what. There were quite a few huge cathedrals within blocks of each other, speaking to its importance. But that is not the history I explored (though I would like to go back and spend more time exploring the city and its history). When Adolph Hitler was in power, he picked five cities to be furhrerstadts, or Fuhrer cities. One was Berlin. Another was Nurnberg (I can’t remember the other five, though Munich may have been one). When I thought of Nazi Germany, I just assumed Berlin was the seat of power. I think now that Nurnberg was actually more important. From what I was able to gather, Nurnberg was quite supportive of Hitler and his movement in his early years. Once he was in power he held annual rallies there, so it must have been important to him.
In Nurnberg there is a museum called the War Documentation museum, or something like that. On Saturday afternoon at the high school retreat we had a few hours, so a group of us went to this museum. It was incredible. I was impressed with how honest everything was. Basically the museum traces the rise and fall of Hitler, from his first failed attempt at marching on the capital in an aborted coup to the end of the Nurnberg trials after WWII. I thought it was particularly interesting that the city in no way tries to defend itself. You never hear that Nurnberg was tricked by this master deceiver, that what happened isn’t as bad as it seemed, that that city of Nurnberg had nothing to do with it. Instead, it just lays out what happened and how it happened, and I think that does more to take away any guilt they may feel they have. The truth was Hitler was a brilliant strategist and propagandist, able to get people to follow him wherever he chose to lead.
I’m not going to go through the history of what happened, that is available in many places from people who know more than I do. I will say this, though - I would like to go back to that museum because it is not one that can be easily taken in in only one trip. Halfway through I could just feel my mind reeling at what I was seeing. I am really struggling to put this into words because I don’t know if there are proper words to describe it. As you go through the museum, listening to the different commentaries on the displays, looking at the photographs you are overwhelmed with the feeling of times. There was such a hopelessness in Germany back then and this evil little man came along and gave them something to hope for, but they were too worn down by events to realise that the hope he gave was completely based on hate.
I almost want to erase this post because there is almost no way I can properly describe it to you. Halfway through the museum I could feel my eyes become stuck wide open and my mind wanted to start vomiting and the information just kept coming. The scary thing is, the actual war itself isn’t even a major part of the museum. It is there, and it is mentioned, but it is not emphasised. And yet you are still left with a sense of horror at what happened.
As I mentioned earlier, Nurnberg was a very important place for Hitler. One of the things you learn as you go through is the plans that he had for the city. He wanted these huge buildings and fields and areas built, as testaments to power basically. Most of the plans were never completed, but a couple were at least started. The museum itself is housed in the unfinished remains of what I think was called the congress building or something like that. It is a huge horseshoe shaped edifice that was only half completed. I wish I could remember how high it was going to be, but it is very reminiscent of the Roman coliseum, and that is no accident. Behind it is the only thing that actually was finished - the parade ground (possibly called the Heliopolis Parade Grounds, or something like that). The other projects not completed were equally impressive and grandiose. Giant sculptures were commissioned (and some completed) that spoke to the power of the reich, and many of the structures were designed to have multiple giant banners waving in the wind, giving a sense of flying and the power of that.
Seriously, if you ever get a chance, come to Nurnberg and spend a good long afternoon walking around. I guess it is important to remember our past and learn from it.

CONTROVERSY ALERT: As I listened to the different presentations, I had an odd feeling come over me. I actually started to pity Hitler. Not because he lost the war, or for anything he did. But I couldn’t help but wonder what would lead a person to become so evil. There had to have been something in his life that was missing, and I can guess what that was. There can’t have been much, if any, love in his life. I’m not even talking God’s love, which would have saved the world so much heartache. But he must not have had any human love either. From a purely pragmatic point of view, if he had experienced love (I’m not talking romantic love) in his life, maybe he wouldn’t have felt the need to grasp for power quite so strenuously. I don’t know, maybe it was inevitable. But as I went through it made me think, are there people around me that I don’t show love to, people that may not become power hungry dictators but who will still spend their lives in hate and darkness? I don’t want that to be true of anyone. I guess that is just one more lesson that history can teach, if we are willing to listen.