Nuremberg - World War 2 Military History Tour

If you guys know me at all you can tell by the title that this is not a tour that I picked out. Justin was dead set on taking this tour since he had first heard about it and it didn't help that the gentleman in the USO office told him he would LOVE it. As luck would have it, I actually learned a lot on the tour and really did enjoy myself.

Nuremberg is most famous for its trial of the major Nazi leaders for "war crimes" post world war two but the city actually played a much larger role in the rise and fall of the third reich. The city was home to all of the major Nazi party rallies as well as major speeches given by Hitler during the early 1900s. These huge parties provided major propaganda for the Nazi party and enabled them to spread their ideals. Our first stop was the Nazi Rally Party grounds, we climbed up the steps and stood in the exact spot where Hitler delivered his speeches. About 90% of the city was bombed and destroyed by British and American troops at the end of WW2 so not much was left. The Germans wanted to destroy what few reminders of the Nazi reign remained but under tons of international pressure they deemed the grounds a memorial.

The platform from which Hitler gave his speeches

On the rally grounds lies the Documentation museum in a building known as Congress Hall. The museum is all in german but they do provide headsets for other languages. As you walk through the museum it is designed in such a way as to explain the rise and fall of not only Hitler but the entire third reich. From the development of the Nazi party and Hitlers rise to power, opening of concentration camps and eventual destruction and bombing of Germany. The black and white photos from the time period provide the viewer with the somber reality of life in the area during the early 1900s. It was a chilling experience knowing that the halls we were walking through were used by the Nazi leaders.

Each card in the train tracks represented 100 people killed during the holocaust

Photo of the Nazi Rallies that took place in Nuremberg 

After the museum Justin and I walked around the grounds. We even found the inner courtyard of the Congress hall which Hitler designed to look like the colosseum is Rome. Most of the grounds have been turned into a park complete with a walk/jog path and large lake in the middle. Afterwards we piled onto the bus and headed into the middle of town.

In the very center of town lies a large cathedral, multiple museums and a large fountain known as the Der Schoene Brunne. Directly across from the fountain is St. Sebaldus church. Absolutely stunning church, the paintings and carvings were exquisite. From the church we walked just a block over to the St. Lorenz church. This church has been basically gutted and turned into a memorial. For a small donation we got a brochure and were able to take all of the pictures we wanted. Every time we visit the churches and cathedrals I am just floored. The architecture and attention to detail the artists put into the churches is something that can not be replicated.

St. Sebaldus Church 

Inside of the St. Lorenz church/memorial

Justin and I ducked into an Italian restaurant for some wine and pizza before boarding the bus for a quick trip over to the Palace of Justice and courtroom for the trials. The courtroom is still in use today but the second and third floor of the building have been converted into a museum for the trials. It explained the prosecution, defendants and 21 accused Nazi leaders. They were tried by russian, british, french and american judges. Almost all of them were found guilty for war crimes and sentences ranged from death by hanging to long term prison sentences. After the quick tour we were able to see the actual courtroom used in the trials. Since it is still in use today, it is only open on Saturdays for a certain amount of time, we were fortunate to make it on time. Our tour guide for the entire trip was an older German woman who on the way back told us stories of growing up during the war.

The courtroom

The Courtroom during the trial and how it looks today

Three and a half hours later we were back in Kaiserslautern. On the short drive back to Baumholder Justin and I got to talking about WW2 and our time in Germany. All of our tours and exploration so far have been focused on the ancient Roman influence or the destruction that occurred during the 30 years war. It is near impossible to find anyone willing to talk about recent German history. We were told that it is such an embarrassment to the Germans that it is rarely talked about or even taught in schools.

We were both really glad to have participated in the tour and we learned so much about the war that we would have never known otherwise. I highly recommend a trip to this city if you ever get the chance!