On Wednesday we spent the day in Nuremberg, where the theme of the day focused on the questions that were asked after the war. First, how do we bring these war criminals to justice? Then, how do we start to move forward in a society tainted by this recent history?
We started by visiting the Nuremberg Trial Memorial, where 21 of the highest ranking Nazis were tried from 1945-46 with follow-up trials through 1949. The significance of holding these trials in Nuremberg, other than the logistical reason of the courthouse having an attached prison where those on trial could be held, was that Nuremberg was considered the most German city to the Nazis. Holding these trials in Nuremberg would be the antithesis to how the Nazis envisioned this city operating. Following the trials, the courthouse was repurposed to be a working courthouse in the 1960’s, and then in 2019 was converted to a memorial.
This theme of reconciling what to do with the many buildings that still stand from the Nazi regime was front-and-center when we visited the Nazi Party Rally Grounds in the afternoon. It is here that our guide emphasized the concept of “de-methodization” or intentionally opposing the intended use of the buildings that still stand either by destroying them/their symbolization or by repurposing them.
For example, Great Avenue, which was originally used as marching grounds for the Nazis, was first converted into an airplane landing strip and then into a public parking lot, in direct opposition to its intended use by having the general population parking on their significant grounds. Additionally, the Congress Grounds where Nazis were meant to gather was converted into a mail order warehouse. It was originally contemplated that this building be converted into a mall or a sports arena, but many were weary of converting such a horrific place into an entertainment center.
After ending the sessions of the day, many thoughts still linger. While there is understandable discomfort with the idea of repurposing Nazi buildings, destroying their existence or evidence is difficult to reconcile as well. I’m encouraged to continue to ponder this concept of “de-mothodization” and how it applies to harsh history on both large (global) and small scales (personal).