Days Nine and Ten: Nuremberg

In Nuremberg, the Nazis found the ideal setting in which to carry out their activities. Part was due to the weather, since there was less rain and more warmth for Hitler to hold his outdoor propaganda speeches. Our guide said it was all propaganda and lies to the Germans and the world. Rallies were held, the boycott of Jewish businesses began, and the infamous Nuremberg Trials took place after the war.

We went to the arena that Albert Speer (Hitler’s Architect) designed but never finished. Hitler wanted it to be like the Roman Colosseum, but twice as large. The guide is holding a picture of what it was supposed to be. The arena had a cover in case it rained, with a glass window on the ceiling. Hitler wanted to stand beneath it and let the sun's rays fall on him while he delivered his propaganda speeches. On the next page, you can see another outdoor arena that was built where Hitler gave speeches. On my next post will be the courtroom where the Nuremberg trials took place.

Day Ten

We entered the courtroom where the famous Nuremberg trials took place. After the War, the allies wanted to shoot the Nazi leaders but some, like Roosevelt, felt there should be a trial. About 22 Nazi leaders were tried, including Hitler’s number two man, Hermann Göring. Most all plead not guilty, stating they were following orders. For those who were found guilty of war crimes such as the extermination of the Jews and other innocent people, they were sentenced to death by hanging. Other soldiers were convicted of lesser crimes and sent to prison. The gym, where this took place, is no longer there; however, the prison is, which was not a part of the tour.

Here is a photo of where the trial took place. The guide said the judges sat on the right and were sitting on a higher platform, while the Nazi’s sat on the right. The courtroom is smaller today to accommodate the elevators for the tourists.

Many people were and still are baffled by the atrocious evil of the crimes. How could someone do this cruelty to another human being?  Benjamin Ferencz, the main prosecutor, graduate of Harvard and Jewish, was quoted in an interview much later. He said, “War turns an ordinary man into a killing machine.”

Have you seen the movie, Nuremberg 2025?  I highly recommend it.

Nuremberg after the war

Arthur Brunner (1919–1941) was a victim of the Nazi "Aktion T4" "euthanasia" program. Diagnosed with disabilities in childhood, he was institutionalized from age nine. He was transferred to the Ansbach psychiatric hospital and murdered in the Hartheim Castle gas chamber on February 26, 1941.

Arthur was one of the millions exterminated during the war. May we never forget the evil that was done in the concentration camps. Jesus tells us that He is greater than the one (Satan) who is in the world. He says not to fear about what is happening in our world today, for He has overcome it. I put my hope, trust, and faith in him.