Monday 13 February 2017

They remember the stadium shape but maybe not its dark past

Friday 10 February 2017, 1FC Nuremberg 1 Eintracht Braunchsweig 1 - Bundesliga 2, Frankenstadion



They are quick to tell you and with pride that their stadium is the only one octagon shaped in Germany, and they are right to be proud of their stadium and their club - Der 'Club', but Nuremberg of all places does struggle with its past - what the fans of Nuremberg are less quick to tell you is that their stadium was also the venue for the annual Hitler Youth rally.




The stadium was here before Hitler took power but it soon became part of the large Nazi parade grounds, every September, hundreds of thousands of Nazi supporters would arrive in this southern German city for a week of rallies and meetings.


Zeppelin Field pre-war

Hitler may be long gone but his memory and his crimes live on in Nuremberg, right next to the stadium is the Zeppelin Fields and across the lake is the Nazi congress hall.. The hall is now home of the German Documentation centre, a museum that tells in detail the rise of Hitler and the part Nuremberg played in the rise and fall of the Nazi Party.






Zeppelin Field as it looks today

I would recommend that you all visit the centre if you can and to spend as long as is needed to take in all that is being told.



 Reminder of the crimes of Nazi Germany 

Nazi Congress Hall


Back to the football, in the octagon shaped stadium, you may not find a full house but you will find a crowd that supports their club with passion. They managed a draw tonight against a team pushing for promotion and that seemed enough to send the home fans happy but I wonder if any of them think about what took place on the Zeppelin Field in the 30's as they make their way back to the 'S' bahn station?










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