So now you know about Munich's beer culture and everything there is to know about beer. But how about the city's rich history? How about its role during the Nazi period? Bavaria, the state in which Munich lies, was and still is a very conservative place. Certainly compared to Berlin, Munich is a very wealthy city. It may have something to do with the state owned biergartens and the amount of people who enjoy the tasty beverages! But, before then, Munich played the role as the birthplace of the Nazi movement
This was Hitler's apartment suite. Inititally it was the suite located on the second floor, but as his Chancellorship evolved, he needed more security. All other suites were then for used for the SS and other Nazi personnel.
See the green. That's a computer shop. But, before it became the shop, it was the original bierhalle where Hitler spoke some of his very early speeches in the early 1920s. Initially, he went to one of the ADP (Workers' Party) functions to spy and listen into their delegations, so that he could report back to another party that he had previously belonged to. However, when he listened to the speeches and people talking, he liked what he had heard, and soon enough he was at the podium giving his own speeches. He soon became very prominent because of his "great" oracle abilities. The ADP eventually turned into the NSADP (National Socialist Workers' Party or Nazi Party), and Hitler would soon attempt a coup d'etat in the city of Munich and overthrow the government. He was arrested and sentenced to 5 years in prison, but only served 9 months because the judge was fond of Hitler and his politics. Already we can see how Hitler's popularity was beginning to win people over and that he was already starting to corrupt the certain systems, like the judiciary system.
Just around the corner from Hitler's bierhalle location (Not his beer hall because it is well known that Hitler didn't drink or smoke!) was where the Oktoberfest museum is located as per the previous blog entry! Its the white building.
See the wall and the statue? Like we saw in Warsaw, there is evidence of gun shot holes in the walls. These are left for people to remember the war's destruction and not to repeat the past.
This was the first Nazi Party headquarter's after they rose to prominence. Eventually they would have other buildings set up all over the city and the rest of Germany. See the next photo for an interesting fact!
In the building you see in the above image, are these doorways and above the doorways on the ceiling are these tiled designs. They resemble the Nazi swastika. The swastika is banned everywhere in Germany, but these were left in the old Nazi party headquarters so that people can remember the past. They are also left there because they are sort of an abstract swastika and not necessarily the one that we most associate with the Nazi period. Very interesting.
Munch was significantly bombed in the war. This is because it played a huge role in the formation of the Nazi party and this was well known to the allies. For this fact, the allies wanted to ensure that they bombed the city as best they could. Many building stood tall, but had no roofs. This building had a big portion of its side blown off. When the allies rebuilt the building, the purposely rebuilt it with a different stone so that people could remember the war.
Preparations are on the way in Munich for Oktoberfest. Sounds like a gong show. The biggest tent, if you could call it that, can hold 13,000 people. But it's really packed.
If you have a working knowledge of Nazi history, most likely you have heard of the White Rose Party (Weisse Rose). The White Rose movement opposed Hitler and Nazi rule and WW2. The White Rose movement is probably the most famous of the civilian resistance movements that developed within Nazi Germany but some of its members paid a terrible price for their stand against the system. It was made up of students who attended Munich University. Its most famous members were brother and sister Hans and Sophie Scholl. The Members of the White Rose movement clandestinely distributed anti-Nazi and anti-war leaflets and it was while they were in the process of doing this that they were caught. The small party produced anti-war leaflets (see the photo of the sort of leaflets put into the cement) that were also deemed to be anti-Nazi. If they were captured they would have been charged with treason with the inevitable consequences. That is why the group had to be kept very small. Everyone knew each other and each was convinced of the loyalty of everyone in the group. It was while leaflets were being distributed at Munich University (see photo) that the Gestapo arrested Hans and Sophie Scholl. They were seen throwing the leaflets around the university’s atrium by a caretaker and he contacted the Gestapo. Both Hans and Sophie admitted their full responsibility in an attempt to end any form of interrogation that might result in them revealing other members of the movement. They, plus one more person, were found guilty and sentenced to death by beheading. The executions took place the same day! You think the verdict was already fixed? Of course it was!
This was an area where Hitler gave some early speeches. He was also seen in a photograph watching some others speak before he rose to prominence. Just around the left hand corner was a Nazi plaque that commemorated some aspect of the Nazis. When people during the Nazi reign walked passed this plaque they were obligated to do the Hitler salute. Members of the secret police the SS, or Gestapo I cannot remember, stood there 24/7 to make sure people did this. If not people were subsequently arrested and put into jail or a concentration camp. However, as shown in the next and final picture, there was a way around this.
Just ahead of the "plaque" was a small alley way. Some people, who chose not to do the salute, would go down this pathway. Of course, the gold stones in this photo were not always there. They were later installed as a way to commemorate those who avoided the Nazi plaque.
That is it for Munich. I have one post left about Berlin, and then you should have a full history lesson!
Es war ein Vergnügen!
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