Posts Tagged ‘Albert Speer’

Prora – abandoned former Nazi resort

Monday, June 10th, 2019

Prora is an abandoned former Nazi vacation resort of gigantic proportions. Located on the German island of Ruegen on the Baltic Sea, it was the brainchild of Adolf Hitler. The resort’s objective was to provide every German worker with an opportunity to spend a holiday at the beach. Construction started in 1936. But after three years, plans changed because the Nazis redirected their focus. Because World War II had started, all construction ceased. The seaside resort was never finished and remained untouched for decades.

Prora - an abandoned former Nazi vacation resort on the German island of Ruegen on the Baltic Sea. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Prora – an abandoned former Nazi vacation resort on the German island of Ruegen on the Baltic Sea. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia. www.walled-in-berlin.com

All about Prora

Clemens Klotz won the design competition that gave rise to Prora. Hitler’s chief architect Albert Speer administered the contest, and Nazi’s tourism operator, Kraft durch Freude – KdF (Strength Through Joy), planned the project. The group was well-qualified to run such a gigantic project because twenty-five million Germans had already participated in at least one of their trips.

The plan was for Prora to become a tourist destination for 20,000 working-class Germans, similar to the Butlins in Great Britain. Blueprints called for eight identical housing blocks with 10,000 rooms to stretch 2.75 miles along the shore of Ruegen. The project is so large that it still takes almost two hours to walk around the entire complex. Originally, its compact rooms measured 16 feet by 8 feet and accommodated two beds, a wardrobe and a sink. Communal toilets, showers and bathrooms were on each floor. All rooms overlooked the sea, with corridors and bathrooms on the land side.

Postwar uses of Prora

During Allied bombings during World War II, one of Prora’s housing blocks served as a temporary shelter for the people of Hamburg. In 1945, the Soviet Army took control of the region and established a military base at the unfinished resort. Two of the housing blocks were demolished in the late 1940s and rebuilt by the East German military in the 1950s. After the formation of the East German National People’s Army in 1956, the buildings housed several East German Army units. Following German reunification in 1990, the West German armed forces took over the building.

Prora Today

In 2004, following more than a decade of unsuccessful attempts to sell the site as a whole, the housing blocks were sold off individually. In 2011, the largest youth hostel in Germany opened its doors in one of the housing blocks. Five years later, the Prora Solitaire Hotel opened in another block. And the Berlin firm Metropole developed five-star vacation condominiums and spa in a third block. According to the developer, 95% of the flats are sold. Three more condo blocks are scheduled to follow. The Prora complex has a formal heritage listing as a particularly striking example of Third Reich architecture.

 

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic or current events, people, places or food.

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.

 

 

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Nuernberg War Crimes Trials – Synopsis

Monday, September 17th, 2018

The Nuernberg War Crimes trials, also spelled “Nuremberg” trials (Die Nuernberger Prozesse), were a series of 13 trials held in the city of Nuernberg, Germany, between 1945 and 1948. The most publicized of the proceedings was the trial of 24 major German war criminals between 20 November 1945 and 1 October 1946. Trials were held at the Palace of Justice in Nuernberg (Nuernberger Justizpalast).

The remaining 12 trials, involving 489 cases and 1,672 defendants, took place between 9 December 1946 and 28 October 1948. On trial were Nazi judges, racial cleansing and resettlement officials, industrialists, high-ranking military officials and Nazi physicians who had euthanized persons with mental or physical disabilities. A total of 1,416 of those tried were found guilty, sent to life in prison or were executed.

Nuernberg War Crimes Military Tribunal

The London Agreement of 8 August 1945 authorized creation of an International Military Tribunal with representatives from the United States, Great Britain and the Soviet Union. Later, the provisional government of France also signed the agreement, and 19 other nations accepted its provisions. The tribunal consisted of one member plus an alternate from each of the four signatory countries, prosecutors and defense attorneys. Sentences were imposed by the tribunal rather than a single judge and jury. The accused were tried on four counts: (1) crimes against peace, (2) crimes against humanity, (3) war crimes, and (4) conspiracy to commit the criminal acts listed in the first three counts.

Nuernberg War Crimes Trials 1945 to 1948. Photo courtesy of en.wikipedia.org. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Nuernberg War Crimes Trials 1945 to 1948. Photo courtesy of en.wikipedia.org. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Sentencing of Major War Criminals

Twenty-four former Nazi leaders were charged with perpetration of war crimes, and various groups were charged with being criminal in character. The International Military Tribunal found all but three of the 24 defendants guilty. Twelve were sentenced to death (Martin Bormann, Hans Frank, Wilhelm Frick, Hermann Goering, Alfred Jodl, Ernst Kaltenbrunner, Wilhelm Keitel, Joachim von Ribbentrop, Alfred Rosenberg, Fritz Sauckel, Arthur Seyss-Inquart, Julius Streicher). Of those 12, Hermann Goering, Hitler’s designated successor and head of the “Luftwaffe,” had committed suicide the night before his execution, and Martin Borman was sentenced in absentia. Bormann is thought to have been killed while trying to flee Berlin. The remaining 10 war criminals were executed by hanging on 16 October 1946.

Three others were sentenced to life in prison (Walther Funk, Rudolf Hess, Erich Raeder), four were given prison sentences ranging from 10 to 20 years (Karl Doenitz, Baron Konstantin von Neurath, Baldur von Schirach, Albert Speer http://www.walled-in-berlin.com/j-elke-ertle/speer-hitlers-chief-architect-principled-or-pragmatic/) and five were acquitted or declared unfit for trial (Hans Fritzsche, Franz von Papen, Hjalmar Schlacht, Gustav Krupp von Bohlen, Robert Ley).

Subsequent Nuernberg War Crimes Trials

The 12 additional trials which followed differed from the first trial in that they were conducted before a U.S. Military Tribunal rather than an International Tribunal. The reason for the change was that growing differences among the four Allied powers had made other joint trials impossible. These subsequent Nuernberg Proceedings were also held at the Palace of Justice in Nuernberg.

 

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic and current events, people, places and food.

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.

 

 

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Speer – Hitler’s Chief Architect- Principled or Pragmatic?

Monday, September 10th, 2018

In 1905, Albert Speer was born to wealthy parents in Mannheim, Germany. His father was an architect, and Speer continued in the family tradition. In December 1930, he attended a Nazi rally and heard Adolf Hitler speak. Soon thereafter, he heard Joseph Goebbels speak. Both times, the young Speer was impressed by what he had heard and seen and joined the Nazi Party the following year.

Albert Speer – Hitler’s Chief Architect

From the beginning, Albert Speer showed considerable talent as an architect and quickly rose to prominence in the Nazi Party. One of his early tasks of notoriety was to redecorate Joseph Goebbels’ home. Afterwards, Goebbels, the newly minted Propaganda Minister, asked Speer to remodel his new headquarters. The favorable outcome of these tasks brought Speer to the attention of Adolph Hitler who considered himself rather talented in architecture as well and saw in Speer a kindred spirit. In particular, Hitler was impressed by the young architect’s use of immense Nazi flags on buildings. In 1933, Hitler commissioned Speer to design the Nuremberg parade ground, in which the latter used 130 high-powered searchlights to create the celebrated “cathedral of light” effect (Lichtdom). The following year, Speer became Hitler’s Chief Architect. His projects included the revamping of the Berlin Stadium for the 1936 Olympics, the design for Germania, a total redevelopment of central Berlin) in 1937, and the construction of the new Chancellery in Berlin in 1939.

Albert Speer (1905-1981) Adolf Hitler's Chief architect. Photo courtesy of Spartacus Educational. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Albert Speer (1905-1981) Adolf Hitler’s Chief architect. Photo courtesy of Spartacus Educational. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Albert Speer – Minister of Armament and War Production

In February 1942, the Minister of Armaments, Fritz Todt, was killed in an airplane crash. On the same day, Hitler appointed Speer as Todt’s successor. In this new position, it was Speer’s job to keep the Nazi war machine going. He did so largely by using slave labor, which prolonged the war, even after he himself had concluded that it was a lost cause.

Albert Speer and the Nero Decree

As the war in Europe came to an end, on Speer’s 40thbirthday, Hitler ordered the Nero Decree, the destruction of everything that might have been of value to the enemy. Speer persuaded Hitler to give him full authority to carry out the order, but intentionally failed to follow through. This decision helped Hitler’s Chief Architect to avoid the death penalty during the Nuernberg War Crimes Trials.

Hitler’s Chief Architect – Principled or Pragmatic?

Albert Speer is often described as intelligent, gifted, ambitious, apolitical and arrogant, and some believe that he was sincerely sorry for the torture he had helped inflict upon mankind. Others believe Hitler’s Chief Architect was a pragmatist who admitted to the war crimes tribunal that his actions had been wrong only to save himself from being executed.

 

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing  events that engulfed the city during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and John F. Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my own, equally insurmountable, parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. unity, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic and current events, people, places and food.

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.

 

 

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Nero Decree – Hitler orders Germany’s destruction

Monday, September 3rd, 2018

The Nero Decree wasn’t an order issued by Roman Emperor Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus 2,000 years ago, it was issued by Adolf Hitler in 1945, days before Germany surrendered. When it became apparent to Hitler that the Third Reich was crumbling, he commanded complete destruction of Germany’s infrastructure. The official order was titled “Demolitions on Reich Territory” (Befehl betreffend Zerstoerungsmassnahmen im Reichsgebiet), but it became known as the Nero Decree, named after the Roman emperor who is believed to have deliberately instigated the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD.

 

On 19 March 1945, Adolf Hitler issued the Nero Decree. www.walled-in-berlin.com

On 19 March 1945, Adolf Hitler issued the Nero Decree. www.walled-in-berlin.com

What was the intent of Hitler’s Nero Decree?

Hitler issued the Nero Decree on 19 March 1945. Had it been executed, the decree would have resulted in the mass de­struc­tion of all mili­tary, com­mu­ni­ca­tion, in­dus­trial and supply installations that had not already been de­stroyed by the Allies, and in the annihilation of anything else that might have been of value to the enemy. Factories, crops, foodstuffs, power plants, railroad lines, bridges, wells and dams were all to be blown up or otherwise permanently disabled. The approaching enemy was to find nothing but “scorched earth.”

When Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin successfully used a “scorched earth” policy to halt the German Army’s advance on Moscow in 1941, Hitler made a mental note of its usefulness and decided to emulate this method of defense in 1945.

Why did Hitler resort to the Nero Decree?

By the beginning of 1945, Hitler’s empire had shrunk considerably. Most of his conquered territories had been liberated or recaptured, the Battle of the Bulge (mid-Decem­ber 1944 to mid-Janu­ary 1945) had failed, and Allied armies were advancing relentlessly. The German situation was becoming desperate. As the Soviet Army approached Berlin from the east and Amer­i­can units neared the Elbe River from the west, Adolf Hitler resorted to the Nero Decree. He had decided that if he would go down, the entire country might as well go with him. According to Speer’s memoirs, Inside the Third Reich, Hitler said, “If the war is lost, the people will be lost also. It is not necessary to worry about what the German people will need for elemental survival. On the contrary, it is best for us to destroy even these things.”

https://www.deseretnews.com/article/865650213/this-week-in-history-hitler-orders-the-destruction-of-germany.html

Albert Speer deliberately disobeyed the order

The responsibility for carrying the Nero Decree fell on Albert Speer, who had been Hitler’s chief architect (http://www.walled-in-berlin.com/j-elke-ertle/albert-speer-designed-for-ruin-value) and became Minister of Armaments and War Production. By the time Hitler issued the Nero Decree, Speer realized that the war was lost. He decided to deliberately evade the order to save civilian lives. Initially, he did not let on to his planned disobedience. Instead, he requested to be given exclusive power to implement the plan. Once authorized, he quietly used his influence to convince senior generals and Nazi party leaders to ignore the order. Hitler remained unaware of Speer’s undercover work until the very end of the war. By then, Hitler planned his suicide and no longer cared. On 30 April 1945, Hitler committed suicide in his bunker in Berlin. Speer was arrested on 23 May 1945, and eventually tried and con­victed by the Inter­national Mili­tary Tribunal in Nuernberg http://www.walled-in-berlin.com/j-elke-ertle/nuernberg-war-crimes-trials-synopsis for his role in the Nazi war crimes, chiefly for his use of of slave labor and plundering occupied countries. Albert Speer received a 20-year prison sentence.

 

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic and current events, people, places and food.

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.

 

 

 

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Soviet War Memorial in Treptow Park

Monday, June 26th, 2017

 

The Soviet War Memorial (Ehrenmal) in Treptow Park is one of three Soviet war memorials erected in Berlin following World War II. They honor the roughly 80,000 soldiers of the Red Army who fell in the Battle of Berlin, http://www.walled-in-berlin.com/j-elke-ertle/the-battle-of-berlin-ended-wwii/ the final major offensive in the European theatre and one of the largest battles of World War II.

In the last days of the war, between 6 April and 2 May 1945, the Red Army battled bitterly the remnants of the German Army, the old men of the Volkssturm (National Militia) and the Hitler Youth. During that battle, more than 70,000 people were killed. The dead included more than 22,000 Soviet soldiers, 20,000 German soldiers and 30,000 civilians. To commemorate their victory, the Soviets built three lavish war monuments in Berlin: One is located in the park of Berlin-Treptow, the other two are located in Berlin-Pankow and in Berlin-Tiergarten. All three serve not only as war memorials but also as war cemeteries.

The Soviet War Memorial in Treptow Park was built between 1946 and 1949 on the site of a previous sports field. Some 5,000 soldiers of the Red Army found a final resting place in this enormous park.

 

Soviet War Memorial in Treptow Park, Berlin. Photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2017. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Soviet War Memorial in Treptow Park, Berlin. Photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2017. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Experiencing the Soviet War Memorial in Treptow Park

After entering the War Memorial through a stone arch, the first monument the visitor comes upon is the statue of Mother Russia, a woman weeping for the loss of her sons. From there, a wide tree-lined path leads to two giant Soviet flags made of red granite. The granite and stones came from Hitler’s demolished New Reich Chancellery, designed by Albert Speer, http://www.walled-in-berlin.com/j-elke-ertle/albert-speer-designed-for-ruin-value/ and http://www.walled-in-berlin.com/j-elke-ertle/germania-hitlers-utopian-quest/. The New Reich Chancellery was badly damaged during the Battle of Berlin and completely dismantled by the Soviet occupation forces after World War II had ended. Statues of kneeling soldiers flank the granite flags.

 

Mother Russia statue, Soviet War Memorial in Treptow Park, Berlin. Photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2017. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Mother Russia statue, Soviet War Memorial in Treptow Park, Berlin. Photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2017. www.walled-in-berlin.com

 

Sixteen stone sarcophagi line the sides of the paths of the Soviet War Memorial. The paths lead to a giant statue in the center of a grassy rotunda. Each sarcophagus represents one of the Soviet Republics in existence at that time. The sarcophagi are decorated with military reliefs and engraved with some of Stalin’s quotes. The imposing statue in the center of the rotunda depicts a Soviet soldier holding a German child in his arm while crushing a swastika at his feet with a sword. According to Marshal Vasily Chuikov, Army Commander during the Battle of Stalingrad, the 40-foot statue commemorates the selfless act of Sergeant of Guards Nikolai Masalov.

Statue of Soviet soldier holding a German child in his arm while crushing a swastika at his feet with a sword. Photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2017. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Statue of Soviet soldier holding a German child in his arm while crushing a swastika at his feet with a sword. Soviet War Memorial in Treptow Park, Berlin. Photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2017. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Masalov is said to have risked his life under heavy German fire to save a three-year-old German girl whose mother was killed. Although many Berliners voice doubt regarding the truthfulness of the story, it is nice to think that some people preserve their humanity, even when at war. What is definitely true is that Svetlana Kotikova served as the model for the German child. She was the daughter of Alexander Kotikov, the commander of Berlin’s Soviet sector who served in Berlin from 1946 on. During the Berlin Airlift http://www.walled-in-berlin.com/j-elke-ertle/berlin-airlift-unprecedented-feat/, Kotikov represented the Soviets on the Allied Kommandatura. Commandant Frank L. Howley represented the United States. When Howley asked to be excused shortly before midnight on 16 June 1948 because he had a heavy scheduled the following day and left his Deputy in charge, Kotikov stomped out of the meeting and refused to participate in future meetings. The quadripartite governance of Berlin, in effect, came to an end because of his actions. http://www.walled-in-berlin.com/j-elke-ertle/allied-kommandatura-governs-berlin/

 Upkeep of Soviet War Memorial in Treptow Park

Initially, the Russian government paid for the upkeep of the Soviet War Memorial. But as part of the Two Plus Four Treaty of 1990 http://www.walled-in-berlin.com/j-elke-ertle/two-plus-four-treaty/ and the German-Russian agreement on the upkeep of war graves in 1992, Germany agreed to assume the responsibility for maintenance and repair for all war memorials and military graves in the country.

 

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic and current events, people, places and food.

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.

 

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Schwerbelastungskoerper for Germania

Monday, June 12th, 2017

 

The Schwerbelastungskoerper in Berlin (heavy load-bearing body) is a colossal concrete cylinder from the Nazi era. It is the only remaining tangible relic of Adolf Hitler’s vision of transforming Berlin into Germania, the capital of the world. http://www.walled-in-berlin.com/j-elke-ertle/germania-hitlers-utopian-quest/ Since 2002, Berlin’s borough of Tempelhof owns this one-of-a-kind concrete tube. Open to the public, the Schwerbelastungskoerper is located on General-Pape-Strasse, not far from Tempelhof airport.

Two enormous structures to anchor Hitler’s Germania

In the summer of 1936, Adolf Hitler, Chancellor of Germany from 1933 to 1945, handed Albert Speer, his chief architect, http://www.walled-in-berlin.com/j-elke-ertle/albert-speer-designed-for-ruin-value/ two postcard-sized sketches that were about 10 years old. The rough drafts outlined two monumental buildings that were to define Germania: the Great Arch and the Great Hall. The triumphal Great Arch was to honor the soldiers killed in World War I and to be three times as large as the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. The Great Hall, a gigantic domed assembly hall, was to be Berlin’s most impressive building. It was to be so large that it would eclipse every structure in Berlin.

Why the Schwerbelastungskoeper was built

In March 1928, Albert Speer created Project no. 15: Soils tests to determine whether Berlin’s sandy and swampy soil could support such large monuments. A test cube with 33-foot sides was to be constructed. In the end, it turned out to be a cylinder, close to 100 feet high with a 33-foot diameter underground and a 69-foot diameter above the surface. Between April and November 1941, almost 14,000 U.S. tons of concrete were poured at a cost of 400,000 Reichsmark.

 

Schwerbelastungskoerper in Berlin-Tempelhof, relic of the Nazi era. Photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2017. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Schwerbelastungskoerper in Berlin-Tempelhof, relic of the Nazi era. Photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2017. www.walled-in-berlin.com

But because of the start of World War II, the Schwerbelastungskoerper remained unfinished. When the heavy load bearing capacity of the soil underneath was finally measured in 1948, the colossus had sunk 19.4 cm (7 inches) in a period of two and a half years. The maximum acceptable settling without additional stabilization of the ground prior to construction was 2 cm. In other words, without additional work, the Great Arch and the Great Hall could not have been built.

The Schwerbelastungskoerper below ground. Photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2017. www.walled-in-berlin.com

The Schwerbelastungskoerper below ground. Photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2017. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Fate of the Schwerbelastungskoerper

After the Second World War, plans to blow up the Schwerbelastungskoerper were discarded because of the dangers explosives might have presented to nearby train tracks and apartment buildings. For a while, the German Society for Soil Mechanics used the cylinder to perform various tests on site. But after 1983 the structure was no longer needed and the Schwerbelastungskoerper was abandoned. For a number of years, the cylinder was neglected, and the area around it became overgrown. Now it is open to visitors. From an adjacent observation platform, the visitor can even overlook the area that Hitler once envisioned as the heart of Germania.

 

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic or current events, people, places or food.

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.

 

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Germania – Hitler’s Utopian Quest

Monday, June 5th, 2017

 

In 1937, Nazi leader Adolf Hitler assigned his chief architect, Albert Speer, the task of developing a plan for transforming Berlin into the “capital of the world.” Hitler envisioned a metropolis with monumental architecture that would rival those ancient Egypt, Babylon, Rome and Athens. He named this utopian dream Germania. The plan was so impressive that even the New York Times described the project as “perhaps the most ambitious planning scheme of the modern era.” https://www.historytoday.com/roger-moorhouse/germania-hitlers-dream-capital

Speer’s model of the proposed Germania

Speer went to work and within a year presented Hitler with a model of his grand design. At the core of the model were two broad boulevards, which would run through the heart of Berlin: a north-south axis and an east-west axis. He called the three-mile long north-south boulevard Prachtstrasse (Street of Magnificence). In the north, the Prachtstrasse terminated in a Volkshalle (People’s Hall); its southern end terminated in a triumphal arch. In Speer’s design, the Volkshalle rose to a height in excess of 700 feet. Its dome was to be sixteen times larger than that of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. The Hall would accommodate 180,000 people.

 

Model of Hitler's proposed Germania. Photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2017. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Model of Hitler’s proposed Germania. Photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2017. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Speer’s triumphal arch was close to 400 feet high so that Paris’ Arc de Triomphe would easily fit inside its opening. Oodles of proposed new civic and commercial buildings along the north/south axis would link these two massive monuments. Roads, would to be realigned, Berlin’s parks would be revamped and two new rail stations would replace three existing timeworn termini. Speer proposed that entire suburbs would to be constructed to provide modern housing so that over 200,000 Berliners could move out of the slums and into the heart of the city. Furthermore, a plethora of new administrative buildings and commercial developments would be constructed. To see a model of Hitler’s utopian metropolis visit Mythos Germany in the Gesundbrunnen subway station. For hours and fees contact www.berliner-unterwelten.de.

Did Germania come to pass?

Albert Speer designed many grand structures in and outside of Berlin. In Berlin, he completed the Olympic Stadium in 1936, Hermann Goering’s Air Ministry (Reichsluftfahrtministerium), the largest office building in the world at the time with over 4 miles of corridors in 1936, the Prora and Hitler’s new Reich Chancellery in 1938. But only a tiny fraction of Hitler’s grandiose plans for Germania ever came to pass before the project came to a halt on account of World War II. Today, only Speer’s almost 14,000 U.S. ton Schwerbelastungskoerper (heavy load bearing body) near the Airport Tempelhof still stands.  It was built to determine whether Berlin’s sandy and swampy soil could support Germania’s large monuments.

 

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic or current events, people, places or food.

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.

 

 

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Albert Speer Designed for Ruin Value

Monday, May 29th, 2017

Albert Speer (1905-1981) was Adolf Hitler’s chief architect. Speer’s career skyrocketed after joining the Nazi Party in 1931. Blessed with strong architectural and organizational skills, he became a powerful man during the Nazi era, both in government and in politics. As part of Hitler’s inner circle, Albert Speer designed many well-known projects. Always on a grand scale, his projects included the Zeppelinfeld Stadium in Nuernberg, the Reich Chancellery, the Prora and above all, Germania, Hitler’s utopian notion of transforming Berlin into the capital of the world.

Albert Speer (1905-1981) Adolf Hitler's chief architect. Photo courtesy of Spartacus Educational. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Albert Speer (1905-1981) Adolf Hitler’s chief architect. Photo courtesy of Spartacus Educational. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Speer designed for “ruin value.” That meant that buildings had to be constructed in such a way that they would make aesthetically pleasing ruins. It would guarantee, his thinking was, that Nazi Germany ruins would remain symbols of greatness throughout history, akin to ancient Greek and Roman ruins.

Albert Speer’s Rise to Power

Albert Speer was a third generation architect from an upper-middle-class family. He met Hitler for the first time when the organizers of the 1933 Nuernberg Rally asked him to submit designs for the rally. Speer quickly became close to Hitler, which guaranteed him a steady stream of government commissions. Before long, he was the Party’s chief architect.

When Hitler asked Speer to build him a new Reich Chancellery in 1938, Speer’s design included a 480-foot Marble Gallery, almost twice as long as the Hall of Mirrors of Versailles. Damaged in the Battle of Berlin in 1945, the Reich Chancellery was eventually dismantled by the Soviets. They used the stone to build the Soviet War Memorial in Treptow Park. As Minister of Armaments, Albert Speer applied his organizational skills toward the end of the war to overcome serious war production losses due to Allied bombings. Under his direction, German war production continued to increase despite the bombings.

Albert Speer during the Nuernberg Trials

Following World War II, Albert Speer was tried at Nuernberg and sentenced to 20 years in prison for his war crimes and crimes against humanity. He served the full sentence, most of it in the Spandau Prison in former West Berlin. He was released in 1966. During his testimony, Speer accepted responsibility for the Nazi regime’s actions. However, he claimed to have been unaware of Nazi extermination activities. That assertion was proven to be false. He did, however, deliberately disobey Hitler’s orders when the dictator issued the Nero Decree in March of 1945. The Nero Decree demanded the destruction of infrastructure within Germany and all occupied territories to prevent their use by Allied forces.

What remained of Albert Speer’s “grand” designs

Little remains of Albert Speer’s designs, short of plans and photographs. In Berlin, only the Schwerbelastungskoerper (heavy load bearing body), not far from Tempelhof airport, still stands and is open to the public. The concrete cylinder was built in 1941/1942 to determine the feasibility of constructing giant buildings on Berlin’s sandy soil – envisioned for Germania – without additional stabilization. In Nuernberg, the partially demolished tribune of the Zeppelinfeld Stadium survived.

 

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic or current events, people, places or food.

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal

 

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Siegessaeule – Berlin’s heftiest Lady

Monday, May 22nd, 2017

 

The Siegessaeule (victory column) is a prominent monument in Berlin, Germany. Including the sculpture on top, it measures 220 feet. A 285-step spiral staircase inside the column takes visitors to a viewing platform with spectacular views of the Reichstag http://www.walled-in-berlin.com/j-elke-ertle/the-reichstag-prominent-berlin-landmark/, the Brandenburg Gate http://www.walled-in-berlin.com/j-elke-ertle/berlins-brandenburg-gate/, the Berlin Television Tower http://www.walled-in-berlin.com/j-elke-ertle/berlin-television-tower/ and the Soviet War Memorial. In 2008, then US presidential candidate Barack Obama spoke in front of the monument. http://www.walled-in-berlin.com/j-elke-ertle/president-barack-obama-to-visit-berlin/

History of the Siegessaeule

The Siegessaeule was designed by Johann Heinrich Strack and constructed to commemorate the Prussian victory over the Danes. But by the time the column was inaugurated in 1873, Prussia had also won the so-called liberation wars with Austria and France. Therefore, the original plans for the column were revised, and the monument was elongated and crowned with a 25-foot statue of Victoria, the Goddess of Victory.

The Siegessaeule sits on a four-sided base of polished red granite, which is decorated with glass mosaics and large bronze panels depicting the Prussian victories over Denmark, Austria and France of the late 1900s. In 1945, the French removed those reliefs and took them to Paris in an effort to erase those memories. But in 1987, on the occasion of Berlin’s 750th anniversary, France returned the panels to be reinstalled. A circular portico tops the base of the monument and supports four (originally three) fluted columns.

 

Berlin's Siegessaeule, photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2017. www.walled-in-berlin.com

Berlin’s Siegessaeule, photo © J. Elke Ertle, 2017. www.walled-in-berlin.com

The Siegessaeule once stood in the Koenigsplatz (now Platz der Republik) in front of the Reichstag. In 1939, the Nazi government removed the monument to its current location in the Tiergarten, a large public park. Since each of the three columns already represented previous victories, Hitler had a fourth column added, anticipating his own impending victory. The relocation was part of a plan by Hitler’s architect, Albert Speer, to transform Berlin into Germania, Hitler’s vision of a Berlin that is the capital of the world. http://www.walled-in-berlin.com/j-elke-ertle/germania-hitlers-utopian-quest/ Speer’s plan was never realized, of course, but because of its relocation the Siegessaeule survived World War II with very little damage. http://www.walled-in-berlin.com/j-elke-ertle/albert-speer-designed-for-ruin-value/

The statue of Victoria at the top of the monument was designed by Friedrich Drake and weighs 38 tons. Berliners affectionately call her Goldelse (Golden Lizzy) or the “heftiest lady in Berlin.” Five major roads cut through the Tiergarten and intersect at an immense roundabout that is known as Grosser Stern (Great Star). The Siegessaeule stands in the middle of this roundabout and is accessible to pedestrians through four tunnels.

 

The "Goldelse" on top of the Siegessaeule. Photo © J. Elke Ertle. www.walled-in-berlin.com

The “Goldelse” on top of the Siegessaeule. Photo © J. Elke Ertle. www.walled-in-berlin.com

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic and current events, people, places and food.

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.

 

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Jesse Owens and the big “snub”

Thursday, October 16th, 2014

Jesse Owens was an American track and field athlete and winner of four gold medals at the 1936 Summer Olympics in Berlin, Germany. He was the most successful athlete at the Olympic games and won the 100 meters, 200 meters, long jump and the 4×100 meter relay. Most of my life, I heard it said that Hitler refused to shake Owens’ hand. He snubbed Owens because he was Black. I recently learned that this is only a partial truth.

Did Hitler snub Jesse Owens?

I am not trying to minimize Hitler’s arrogance and mistaken belief in Aryan superiority. According to his chief architect Albert Speer, it is true that Hitler “was highly annoyed by the series of triumphs of the colored American runner, Jesse Owens. People whose ancestors came from the jungle were primitive, Hitler said with a shrug; their physiques were stronger than those of civilized whites and hence should be excluded from future games.” In other words, it is true that Hitler viewed Jesse Owens as racially inferior and, therefore, might very well have snubbed him, but reality apparently played out differently.

Jesse Owens and the 1936 Olympics

Jesse Owens was a true celebrity in Berlin, and the German public received him warmly. On the first day of the Olympics, Hitler shook hands with the German gold medal winners. Cornelius Johnson, another Black American athlete, won the first gold medal for the United States. Hitler left the stadium just before Johnson was to receive the award.There are several speculations relative to the reasons behind Hitler’s departure. In any case, Olympic committee officials prevailed upon Hitler to shake hands with all or none of the winners, and Hitler decided to skip all medal presentations from that day forward. Therefore, technically Hitler shunned Cornelius Johnson rather than Jesse Owens.

Jesse Owens and discrimination in the U.S.

Born in 1913, Jesse Owens was nine years old when his family moved from Alabama to Ohio. His given name was James Cleveland Owens, and he was called “J.C.” But because of his southern accent, J.C.’s new teacher in Ohio thought he had said his name was “Jesse.” And the name Jesse stuck for the rest of his life. Due to racial discrimination, Owens was forced to live off-campus with the other Black American athletes (he attended Ohio State University), eat in “black-only” restaurants, and stay in “black-only” hotels while traveling in the U.S. Following Jesse’s marvelous Olympic triumphs, President Franklin D. Roosevelt did not invite him to the White House. The Black athlete even had the ride the freight elevator at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York to attend his own reception. According to Jeremy Schaap, author of “Triumph: the Untold Story of Jesse Owens and Hitler’s Olympics” Owens later said, “Hitler didn’t snub me, it was FDR who snubbed me. The president didn’t even send me a telegram.”

Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany (Bundesarchiv)

Jesse Owens at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany (Bundesarchiv)

Jesse Owens – finally honored

Neither President Franklin D. Roosevelt nor his successor, Harry S. Truman bestowed honors upon Jesse Owens. In 1955, President Dwight D. Eisenhower named him “Ambassador of Sports.” In 1984, the street leading to the Olympic Stadium in Berlin was renamed in his honor, and in 1990 and 1998, two U.S. postage stamps were issued to honor him.

 

For a sneak peek at the first 20+ pages of my memoir, Walled-In: A West Berlin Girl’s Journey to Freedom, click “Download a free excerpt” on my home page and feel free to follow my blog about anything German: historic or current events, people, places or food.

Walled-In is my story of growing up in Berlin during the Cold War. Juxtaposing the events that engulfed Berlin during the Berlin Blockade, the Berlin Airlift, the Berlin Wall and Kennedy’s Berlin visit with the struggle against my equally insurmountable parental walls, Walled-In is about freedom vs. conformity, conflict vs. harmony, domination vs. submission, loyalty vs. betrayal.

 

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