NUREMBERG REVISITED, 1998



Whenever possible, Roberts Armory records the history of WWII for the benefit of the thousands of visitors to the website. A recent trip to Nuremberg, Germany, has resulted in several comparison photographs of the city, then (WWII) and now. Nuremberg was the home of several emperors from 1050-1400. Nuremberg was an industrial center and was the site of the first steam powered railway in 1835. In 1933, Adolph Hitler adopted Nuremberg as the center of Nationalist Socialist Party Activities. Most of the historical part of the city was destroyed as a result of allied bombing during WWII. people.



Despite my wife's many trips to visit relatives in Nuremberg, I have always found some excuse to take a pass on anticipated jet lag, boring waits in custom lines and other less exciting aspects of overseas travel. Reality hit this year, while looking out of a side window of our Lufthansa Fokker turboprop on a final approach into Nuremberg. Reenactors tend to be dreamers and this one is no exception having visualized Adolf Galland in his Messerschmitt BF109 accompanying us slightly above our starboard wing tip over the German countryside.

Nuremberg is located in the southeast corner of Germany near the Czech boarder. Nuremberg was the home of several emperors from 1050-1400. An industrial center, Nuremberg was the site of the first steam powered railway in 1835. In 1933 Adolf Hitler adopted Nuremberg as the center of the National Socialist Party Activities. Most of the historical part of the city was destroyed by allied bombers during World War II. The present population is about a half million people.

Having relatives at a foreign country destination facilitates the learning of the local culture, the habits and opinions of the people native to that country. Preparation for the trip involved obtaining WWII photos of the town so comparisons could be made, then and now. It was not surprising to find a lack of monuments to WWII since the Germans were not the victors.

Shown below and to the left is a view of the Zeppelin grandstand at Soldiers' field in 1939, the site of many National Socialist Party rallies. Shown below and to the right Soldiers’ field in 1998, now a racetrack. Most WWII historians have seen the film footage of the large swastika sculpture exploding after the defeat of German forces. The columns around the structure were removed after the war.



Zeppelin Grandstand, site of Nazi party rallies, 1939, and in 1998, now a race track



Shown below is a monument to the war in front of Soldiers’ Field, the location of many of the large National Socialist rallies before the war. The monument contained many broken parts of guns and munitions symbolizing the abandonment of war as a means of settling national conflicts.

Monument at Soldiers' Field



The photos below are a view of the city looking south in 1945 after bombing by British bombers and approximately the same angle in 1998. The church at the right and the tower in the upper middle of the photo were used as reference points.


Nuremberg looking south, 1945 / Nuremberg looking south, 1998

Talking with relatives revealed that many Germans that were alive during the war understood the reasoning of the Allies bombing military targets but resented the bombing of civilian targets. The younger generations have little knowledge of WWII since many of their elders would not discuss details of their experiences during the war. My sister-in-law's father-in-law was a German officer during WWII, surviving the defeat at Stalingrad and the Battle of the Bulge. He was surprised to learn of reenactors in the US portraying German soldiers since the exploits of the Wehrmacht were usually not discussed openly in Germany. While browsing through a German bookstore, I spied one of the few adventure books about World War II. On the front outer jacket there was an artist's rendition of a B17 Flying Fortress riddled with bullet holes having been attacked by a Messerschmitt 262 jet fighter. A little bias in the rendition I'm sure.
A side trip was made to the German Technical Museum in Munich, a fabulous museum with many exhibits including a German submarine, many WWII vintage aircraft and automobiles. The photo below is a view of the ME262 and Komet ME163 fighter aircraft. There were virtually no WWII German armored vehicles on display, the only disappointing aspect of the museum exhibits.

ME262 and ME163



Memories of the trip are many, but a few thoughts stand out. The younger Germans we met have little knowledge or interest in the history of the Wehrmacht in WWII. Most likely as a result of the defeat, older Germans are not transferring the war experiences to the younger generations. Unlike efforts in the US to keep the memory alive by documenting the experiences of WWII veterans, little is being done in Germany, the likely consequence of which is a loss of historical perspective as the generation passes on.


Historical section of Nuremberg shortly after the January 2, 1945 air raid by British bombers and in 1998


Looking north from the center of Nuremberg toward the imperial fortress, 1945 and in 1998



St. Lorenz Church, center of town, looking east on Karolinenstrasse, 1945, and in 1998


Imperial fortress, August 1942, and in 1998



Typical row of homes in suburban Nuremberg. Notice the center building with different architectural design on the top floor. The top apartment was repaired after being destroyed during bombing in WWII.





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