Showcasing the Third Reich. The Nuremberg Rallies.pdf

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I
NTRODUCTION
Every September between 1933 and 1938 the area around Dutzendteich
Lakes, two miles south east of Nuremberg’s old town, was the centre of
attention in Nazi Germany. Tens of thousands of Party members descended
on the city to attend the Party rally and participate in the range of
meetings, parades and march pasts held across the city and the Rally
Grounds. Over the years thousands of labourers worked on a range of
projects, both improving existing structures and building new ones, until
the Rally Grounds covered 11km
2
. Thousands of others worked on the
railways and the roads that brought the visitors to the Dutzendteich area or
on the accommodation, the hotels and campsites.
The Nazis used the rallies to get their messages across to their
supporters face-to-face in an age before television and the internet. They
also used their meetings and parades to strengthen the sense of unity
across the Party and across the Reich. They were a defining point in the
Nazi calendar, one which the visitors went away from invigorated and
ready to face new challenges set by their leaders.
How the rallies expanded from a single day event into a week-long
extravaganza and how the grounds expanded from a couple of existing
arenas into Albert Speer’s vision for a huge range of structures is
described in this book. Biographies of the architects are also included. The
different organisations which took part and their leaders are discussed as
well as the full programme of parades, march pasts and meetings.
It is hoped that the reader will gain an insight into the men who brought
the rallies to Nuremberg and their motives. The Nuremberg Laws, the
Nazis way of dividing society into Aryans and non-Aryans, are part of the
story and can be considered as an early step on the road to the Holocaust.
Finally, what can still be seen today in Nuremberg is described and a tour
around the Rally Grounds and the city centre is suggested.
C
ONTENTS
Title
Introduction
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
The Rise of the Nazis and their Rallies
Developing the Layout of the Rally Grounds
The Original Structures
The New Structures
Architects, Designers and Planners
The Infrastructure
The Participants
The Rally Programme
Presenting the Rallies to the People
Politicians and Police Chiefs
Anti-Semitism at Nuremberg
Nuremberg Today
Copyright
1
T
HE
R
ISE OF THE
N
AZIS AND THEIR
R
ALLIES
What follows is a brief description of the rise of the Nazis between the
first rally in 1923 and the final, cancelled rally in 1939. It outlines each
rally, illustrating how it developed from a simple day-long fund raising
event into a week-long programme of activities.
THE FIRST PARTY CONGRESS (MUNICH, 27 JANUARY 1923)
20,000 supporters attended the first Party Rally in Munich on 27 January
1923. The SA’s first four standards were consecrated during an ad-hoc
ceremony; such ceremonies became an important part of future rallies.
The Rally was a financial success and the NSDAP leaders decided to hold
a second convention in the autumn.
THE GERMAN DAY RALLY (NUREMBERG, 1–2 SEPTEMBER 1923)
A two-day event was held in Nuremberg to make it easier for northern
members to attend and it was called German Day to increase the appeal to
the public. The rally focused on remembering two German military
triumphs; the Battle of Sedan in 1870 against the French during the
Franco-Prussian War and the Battle of Tannenberg against the Russians in
1914 during the First World War.
The SA demonstrated their discipline and comradeship, aiming to
attract new members from other right-wing groups, and the highlight was
a parade past Hitler, Erich Ludendorff and Julius Streicher in the
Hauptmarkt. Eight weeks later, the three tried to seize power in Munich
but the uprising failed and Hitler was jailed for five years in April 1924.
Alfred Rosenberg stood in as leader of the NSDAP but he was neither a
leader nor an administrator and the Party soon broke up. The National
Socialist Freedom Party was formed in April 1924 and a month later

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