Architectural Echoes

Those who wield power do not only govern the mindsets of their audience through speeches, actions or even acts of war. Sometimes, power manifests itself in much subtler and more creative ways. Architecture has always been a substantial tool in sculpting collective memory by providing not only a physical space, but also covertly presenting certain ideas, ideals and ideologies. The monumental grandeur of the Nazi Party Rally Grounds in Nuremberg, which were designed to perpetuate the ideological dominance of the Third Reich, is one of the most important reminders of exactly that power. This paper does not only touch on the architecture of the space itself, but also on the ways the Nazi Party Rally Grounds are used nowadays and the controversy surrounding that topic. One of the core elements of this paper is the interview with historian Dr. Alexander Schmidt, who works at the Nazi Party Rally Grounds. He offers detailed insights and assessments regarding different topics surrounding his current place of work. As a transatlantic component and comparison to the approach to monuments today, the Robert E. Lee Monument in Washington DC will be introduced. Furthermore, one of the biggest building projects planned by the National Socialists that never was realized, Germania, will be discussed.

Dr. Alexander Schmidt is a historian who is currently working at the Documentation Center on the Nazi Party Rally Grounds and has been doing so since 2007. Furthermore, he is the spokesman for the Northeast Bavarian regional group of „Gegen Vergessen - Für Demokratie“ (translated: „Against forgetting - for democracy“).