Site Where Hitler Died

Adolf Hitler married Eva Braun in Berlin on April 29th, 1945.

Leading up to this, Hitler’s was starting to become unsuccessful in his plans. On April 28^th, Hitler was informed that Himmler, head of the SS, has been in touch with the Allies regarding surrender.
 
On the night of April 29^th, Hitler received information that Berlin would not receive any more troops and that the Russians were taking over. Hitler had already concluded suicide was his only option, but this helped confirm what was happening.
 

The same night, Hitler also received information that Mussolini had been caught in Italy and shot, as well as his mistress hung upside down in Milan. Hitler was determined to avoid humiliation and planned to have his and his wife’s body burned.
 

Hitler succeeded in his suicide plan—both Hitler and Braun were killed. Hitler and Braun’s bodies were found and set on fire, just as they wanted. They had succeeded in killing themselves with cyanide capsules in Hitler’s bunker in Berlin.
 

Hitler’s death site is considered obliteration because there is no obvious evidence that the location was the site of his death. In fact, the location of Hitler’s death has completely changed from what it once was. There is now a parking lot there in front of residential apartments. The only remembrance on the location is an information panel with a diagram of the past bunker units and information of its construction.

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References

Eva Braun with Adolf Hitler [Photograph]. (2012). Retrieved from The Jerusalem Post website: http://www.jpost.com/Arts-and-Culture/Entertainment/How-did-Hitler-really-die

History Learning Site. (n.d.). The death of Adolf Hitler. In World War Two: World War Two and Eastern Europe. Retrieved from http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/death_of_adolf_hitler1.htm

Lonely Planet. (2013). Hitler’s bunker. In Sights. Retrieved from http://www.lonelyplanet.com/germany/berlin/sights/historic-site/hitlers-bunker

 

Auschwitz II: Birkenau

Auschwitz concentration camp complex was the largest or its kind used by the Nazis. There were 3 main Auschwitz camps: Auschwitz I: Oswiecim, Auschwitz II: Birkenau, and Auschwitz III: Monowitz. All 3 camps incarcerated prisoners and forced them into labor. The camps were located about 37 miles from Krakow. About 1.1 million Jews were sent to 1 of these 3 camps. 200,000 other non-Jewish people were also sent so Auschwitz including non-Jewish Poles, Roman and Sinti (Gypsies), Soviet prisoners of war, and others (Soviet civilians, Lithuanians, Czechs, French, Yugoslavs, Germans, Austrians, and Italians).

Auschwitz II began being built in October 1941 in the area of Brezinka. People were imprisoned in Auschwitz II from 1941 until the end of summer in 1944 from almost every country in Europe. This camp had the largest total prisoner population of all 3 Auschwitz camps and could hold about 150,000 people at any given time.

Birkenau Concentration Camp

Auschwitz II was patrolled by SS guards and SS dog handlers. It was divided into more than a dozen sections separated by electrified barbed-wire fences. The sections of the camp included sections for women, men, a family camp for Roma (Gypsies) deported from Germany, Austria, and the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia, and a family camp for Jewish families deported from the Theresienstadt ghetto.
 

Auschwitz II had facilities for killing massive amounts of people at a time. The SS tested gas chambers at Auschwitz I, but decided they weren’t up to par with what they wanted. Instead, Auschwitz II had 4 large crematorium buildings. In these buildings were a disrobing area, a large gas chamber, and crematorium ovens.
 

When people arrived to Auschwitz II, they were forced through a selections process. Those that were found unfit (the majority of people), were sent directly to the gas chambers, which looked like showers to trick the victims. The belongings of those killed, along with their hair, was sold and the money went to the Nazis.
 

On October. 7, 1944 hundreds of prisoners assigned to crematorium IV at Auschwitz II rebelled after learning they were about to be killed. They killed 3 guards and blew up the crematorium and gas chamber attached to it. The prisoners were able to get explosives though Jewish women who were in forced labor from a nearby armaments factory. The Germans killed almost every prisoner involved in the rebellion. The women that helped were publically hung in January 1945.

Crematorium IV

In January 1945, the SS began evacuating all 3 Auschwitz camps because Soviet forces were approaching. The SS forced about 60,000 prisoners to march west. Prisoners were forced to march to Gliwice (30 miles) or to Wodzislaw (35 miles). Prisoners were shot if they lagged behind. Many died from cold weather, starvation, and exposure. Once the prisoners arrived to 1 of the 2 camps, they were put on unheated freight trains and transported to concentration camps in Germany (Flossenburg, Sachsenhausen, Gross-Rosen, Buchenwald, Dachau) and Austria (Mauthausen). Many prisoners died because they were stuck on the trains for days without water, food, shelter, or blankets.


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On January 27, 1945 the Soviet Army entered the 3 Auschwitz concentration camps and liberated 7,000 prisoners (many who were already dying and sick).
 

1.3 million people were sent to Auschwitz camps between 1940 and 1945. 1.1 of these 1.3 million were murdered.

The entrance of Birkenau today

References

 

Auschwitz Birkenau Nazi Concentration/Death Camp:1[Photograph]. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.krakow3d.com/auschwitz-birkenau.html

 

Birkenau Entrance Today [Photograph]. (2013). Retrieved from Jewish Virtual Library website: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/autoc.html

 

Crematorium IV [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from Jewish Virtual Library website: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/auconstruct.html

 

Jewish Virtual Library. (2013). Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. In The library. Retrieved from  http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/auschbirk.html

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. (2012, May 11). Auschwitz. In Holocaust encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005189

Gellert Hill

                                                          View from Gellert Hill

The Gellert Hill offers one of the best views of Budapest, overlooking the Danube River. The hill was named after St. Gellert who came to Hungary as a missionary bishop around 1000 A.D. His goal was to convert Hungarians to Christianity. Many Hungarians did not like this idea. There are thoughts that some Hungarians who were not happy with St. Gellert’s mission rolled him down the hill in a barrel.

Gellert Monument

 

The Citadel sits on top of the Gellert Hill. It was built by the Austrian Habsburgs between 1850 and 1854 to help them control the city after the suppression of the Hungarian War of Independence. The Habsburgs were trying to show their power and control. They could view both the cities of Buda and Pest from the hill. When the Habsburgs left Budapest in 1867 because of the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, the ownership of the Citadel shifted to the city. They tore down part of the walls as a symbol of victory over the Austrians. The Citadel was used in WWII by the German SS regiment when they help the city at bay.

The Citadel

 

Today, the Gellert Hill in itself is a popular tourist place because of the beautiful panorama view it offers of Budapest. The Citadel is now used as a tourist hotel. Guests can look out at the beautiful city and the Danube Rover. The Cave Church and the Gellert Monument are both important attractions on the hill, also. Part of the drinking water supply of Budapest is stored in an inner reservoir within the hill. On August 20^th, fireworks are launched from the hill for the national holiday.

Cave Church

Gellert Hill

 

References

A View on Cities. (n.d.). Gellert Hill. In Budapest attractions. Retrieved from http://www.aviewoncities.com/budapest/gellerthill.htm

Budapest Tourist Guide. (n.d.). Gellert Hill-One of the best panoramic views of Budapest. In Things to see & do: Budapest sightseeing. Retrieved from http://www.budapest-tourist-guide.com/budapest-gellert-hill.html

Cave Church [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from A View on Cities website: http://www.aviewoncities.com/budapest/gellerthill.htm

Gellert Hill [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from A View on Cities website: http://www.aviewoncities.com/budapest/gellerthill.htm

Gellert Monument [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from A View on Cities website: http://www.aviewoncities.com/budapest/gellerthill.htm

Panoramic View [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from Budapest Tourist Guide website: http://www.budapest-tourist-guide.com/budapest-gellert-hill.html

The Citadel [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from A View on Cities website: http://www.aviewoncities.com/budapest/gellerthill.htm

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Schonbrunn Castle

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At the end of the 17^th century, Emperor Leopold I commissioned the Baroque architect, Bernhard Fischer  von Erlach to build a palace—the Schonbrunn Palace. Emperor Leopold I passed away in 1705 before the palace was completely finished. In the mid-18^th century, Maria Theresia commissioned court architect Nicolaus Pacassi with the completion of the palace. The reign of the Habsburg Monarchy ended in 1918 and the palace became state owned.

When the palace was used as a residency, about 1,000 people lived in the 1,441 rooms and halls. 40 of the rooms are now open to visitors. The interior is Rococo style. Some of the beautiful rooms of the palace include: Millionenzimmer, the Chinese Cabinet, the Blue Chinese Room, the Vieux-Lacque Room, Spiegelsaal, the Rosa Room, and the Walnut Room.
 

The Schonbrunn Palace is about 4 miles away from the center of Vienna and can be reached underground. The whole area, including the park it sits on, occupies 435 acres.
 

The main gateway of the palace has 2 obelisks which lead to the large courtyard. The courtyard has 2 large fountains, including one depicting the Danube, Inn, and Ems River. The other fountain represents Transsylvania, Galicia, and Lodomeria. Also included in this area is a large garden and the Schonbrunn Court Theatre, which was built in 1767 in Rococo style.  
 

The park behind the palace building is called the Schlosspark. In the park, there are flowerbeds, statues, and the large Neptune Fountain, which is the park’s most monumental fountain. Formal gardens in the park are arranged in a star shape around 2 fountains and are called the Najadenbrunnen.
 

The Schonbrunn Hill holds the Gloriette arcade structure. There are some forest-like areas around the Gloriette. Other attractions of the park include: the Palmenhaus (holds exotic plants in different climate zones), Tiergarten (zoo), mock Roman Ruins, a Botanic Garden, a Japanese Garden, and Taubenhaus.  

Gloriette

Schonbrunn

Schonbrunn Park

Courtyard

 

References

A View on Cities. (n.d.). Schonbrunn Palace. In Vienna attractions. Retrieved from http://www.aviewoncities.com/vienna/schonbrunn.htm

Courtyard [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from A View on Cities website: http://www.aviewoncities.com/vienna/schonbrunn.htm

Gloriette [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from A View on Cities website: http://www.aviewoncities.com/vienna/schonbrunn.htm

Schonbrunn [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from A View on Cities website: http://www.aviewoncities.com/vienna/schonbrunn.htm

Schonbrunn Park [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from A View on Cities website: http://www.aviewoncities.com/vienna/schonbrunn.htm

Wachau Valley Vineyards

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For many, many years, wine grapes have been prosperous in Austria. Austria is known for producing some of the best wine in the WORLD. Austria currently has about 51,000 hectares of vineyards, mostly in the eastern part of the state.

The Wachau Valley, which is located about 50 miles southwest of Vienna, is a narrow valley that runs along the Danube River in between the towns of Krems and Melk. The Wachau Valley was designated as the World Heritage Site because it its breathtaking scenery and its history.

The Wachau Valley is known for its wines. The wines are all produced and processed locally and hand-picked from small farms. The wines fall into one of three categories: Steinfeder (light and racy), Federspiel (elegant with body), or Smaragd (ripe and powerful). 85% of the wines are white wines. The vineyards rely on cellar-door sales.

Something fun along the Wachau Valley is the opportunity for tourists to take a guided bike tour. Tourists get the chance to test out wines in the vineyards and eat a delicious lunch. For the Central European Travel Seminar this summer, we are taking a tour of the Wachau through Vienna Explorer. Throughout the day, we will ride bike with a tour guide leading the way. We will be stopping at local wineries to sample delicious wine, chocolate, apricot jams, and liqeurs. During the tour, there is free time in which people have the opportunity to explore the town of Durstein where Richard Lionheart was once held as prisoner. If tourists would rather swim in the Danube River and play beach volleyball, they are free to partake in that as well. Towards the end of the tour, the tour guide will leads us to a delicious lunch at a tavern that serves local Austrian dishes. 

References

A bike ride along the Danube from Durnstein to Weissenkirchen in Austria’s Wachau Valley known for its wines [Photograph]. (2010). Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/17/travel/17journeys.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&

Albanese, L.L. (2010, October 13). Austrian vineyards are all in the family. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/17/travel/17journeys.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Grape grazing Wachau-Winery bike tour [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from the Vienna Explorer website: http://www.viennaexplorer.com/tours/grape-grazing-tour/

Vienna Explorer. (2013). Grape grazing Wachau-Winery bike tour. In Group tours. Retrieved from http://www.viennaexplorer.com/tours/grape-grazing-tour/

Wine and Leisure. (n.d.). Austria. Land of sounds and music, mountains, streams...and wine! In Wine regions. Retrieved from http://www.wineandleisure.com/austria/wachau.html

Jewish Quarter

The Jewish Quarter in Prague (also known as Josefov), is located between the Old Town Square and the Vltava River. The Jewish Quarter gained the name of the Prague Jewish Ghetto after a while.

 

Since the 13^th century, the Jewish people in Prague were forced to leave their homes and assimilate into the quarters that were blocked off from the rest of the city. As the centuries went on, more and more people were forced to cram into this area. This created a very crowded area for people to live in.

The lasted redevelopment of the Jewish Quarters occurred between 1893 and 1913. There were updates to the area, but many buildings stayed in-tact as a testimony to the history of Prague Jews. There buildings are the best preserved complex of Jewish historical monuments in Europe.

There are currently 6 synagogues in the Jewish Quarter area, including the Old-New Synagogue and the Spanish Synagogue. The Jewish Town Hall and the Old Jewish Cemetery also remain.

The Jewish Museum is located in the Jewish Quarter area in Prague. Visitors are able to buy 1 ticket and see all of the buildings except the Old-New Synagogue. This is because it is the oldest synagogue still standing that is in fairly good condition in Central Europe. It was built in the 13^th century and all the furnishings inside are original. The Old-New Synagogue also serves as the main house of prayer of Prague’s Jewish Community.

 

View Larger Map References

Jewish Quarter [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from Prague Experience website: http://www.pragueexperience.com/pop_up_information/xlarge.asp?PlaceID=597&ImageFolder=xlarge

Obrakez 4 ze 7 [Photograph]. (2009). Retrieved from Prague Minos Guide website: http://www.digital-guide.cz/en/realie/quarters-of-prague/jewish-town-josefov/

Prague Experience. (n.d.). Jewish quarter (Jesofov). In Prague sightseeing: Prague attractions. Retrieved from http://www.pragueexperience.com/places.asp?PlaceID=597

Bruhl's Terrace

Bruhl's Terrace is located in Dresden, Germany and is one of the most popular places in the city. There is beautiful architecture as well as wonderful views overlooking the Elbe River.

The terrace was originally built to be part of ramparts to protect the city. Sometime between 1739 and 1748, Count Henrich von Bruhl transformed the ramparts into a terraced garden for hill palace, “Balcony of Europe.” In 1814, the terrace was opened to the public. There are beautiful buildings and other forms of architecture among the terrace. These include: Standehaus, Secundogenitur, Royal Art Academy, Semper Memorial, and Albertinum.

The Standehaus was once a parliament state building and replaced the original Bruhl Palace.
The Secundogenitur is neo-Baroque style and replaced the original Bruhl Library.
The Royal Art Academy is neo-Renaissance style and has a dome that has a statue of Nike, the goddess of victory.  
The Semper Memorial honors the architect of the Semper Opera House.
The Albertinum has three different museums within it: the Gallery of 19th and 20th Century Painters, the Sculpture and Coin collections, and the Green Vault treasury.

There is also the Bruhl Garden. This is the location where Johann Friedrich Bottcher discovered European Porcelain, the “white gold,” in 1708.


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References

A View on Cities. (n.d.). Bruhl Terrace. In Dresden: Dresden Attractions. Retrieved from http://www.aviewoncities.com/dresden/bruhlterrace.htm

Bruhl Terrace [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from A View on Cities website: http://www.aviewoncities.com/dresden/bruhlterrace.htm

Kristallnacht

Kristallnacht literally means “night of crystal” and it is commonly referred to as the “night of broken glass.” Kristallnacht was the violent anti-Jewish pogrom (organized massacre of a particular ethnical group) that took place on November 9-10^th, 1938 throughout Germany, Austria, and Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia.

It is thought that the violence erupted because of a situation between Ernst vom Rath and Hershel Grynszpan. Grynszpan (17 year old boy) shot Rath after learning that his parents were among the Jewish Polish citizens that were expelled from the Reich. Joseph Goebbels, a chief investigator of the pogrom, said a statement in which people interpreted as starting the violent pogrom.

The pogrom was viciously violent. Many buildings that were tied to Jewish people were destroyed, including hundreds of synagogues and thousands of Jewish owned businesses. Police officers were also given permission to arrest as many Jewish people as they could hold in jail. Jewish people were also publically humiliated and 91 Jewish people died within those 2 days. There were also a large number of rapes and suicides in the aftermath of the violence.

Many of the Jewish people that were arrested during these 2 days were transferred to local prisons and concentration camps. Here, more and more Jewish people died. Many Jewish people were allowed to be released, as long as they agreed to start emigrating out of Germany. This was the German government’s way of starting the emigration of the Jewish people out of Germany.

After the 2 days were over, the German government stated it was the Jews’ own fault. Many Jewish businesses went to Aryan ownership. From this point on, the German government continued to rid Jews from the public life—Jewish people could not have drivers licenses, could not go to theatres, cinemas, or concert halls.

“Thus, Kristallnacht figures as an essential turning point in Nazi Germany's persecution of Jews, which culminated in the attempt to annihilate the European Jews.”

References

Germans pass broken window of Jewish-owned shop [Photograph]. (2013). Retrieved from the Jewish Virtual Library website: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/kristallnacht.html

The Destruction of Synagogues on Kristallnacht [Map]. (2013). Retrieved from the Jewish Virtual Library website: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/destruct.html

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. (2012). Kristallnacht: A nationwide pogrom, November 9-10, 1938. In Holocaust encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005201

View Krems, Melk, and the Vienna Explorer in a larger map City Temple was the only Synagogue left standing after the Kristallnacht.

Olympic Stadium and its Ties to the Nazis

The Olympic Stadium in Berlin was built for the 1936 Summer Olympic Games. Hitler used the stadium to promote the National Socialist Germany. During the games, any signs showing the oppression and discrimination of Jews were taken down to focus on the portrayal of the Third Reich. The Nazis used the Olympic Games to showcase the new Germany. The Nazis were trying to sugar-coat their party to gain respect from other countries. They even temporarily removed newspapers that were anti-Jewish. The Nazis symbolized the Nazi racial myth that the Aryan culture was superior throughout the games. Inside the stadium, there was special seating for Hitler and other top Nazis.

Non-Aryans including Jewish people and Gypsy athletes were not allowed to participate in the games, even those who were well-known, world class athletes. This caused a stir from many countries of the world. The United States and other countries, as well as individuals, tried to boycott the games. The Nazis decided to allow a part-Jewish athlete to participate in the games, but no other Jews from Germany were allowed. Jewish people from other countries did participate in the games. The boycott movement failed and the games went on.

The Nazis succeeded in camouflaging their hate. Very few reporters understood that Berlin was sugar0coating to hade the racist and violent oppressive regime. After the games were over, Hitler and the other Nazis went right back to oppressing the Jewish people.

The Olympic Stadium is now used for both sporting events and other cultural events, including concerts and festivals.


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References

Berlin.de. (n.d.). Berlin’s Olympic Stadium. In Politics and the constitution. Retrieved from http://www.berlin.de/berlin-im-ueberblick/politik/olympiastadion.en.html

Olympic Stadium [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved from Berlin.de website: http://www.berlin.de/berlin-im-ueberblick/politik/olympiastadion.en.html

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. (2012). Nazi Olympics, Berlin. In Holocaust encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005680

The Berlin Wall

After WWII ended in 1945, Germany was split into four allied occupational zones. The Soviet Union took over the eastern part of Germany and the United States, Great Britain, and France took over the western part. The eastern part of Germany was now controlled by the Communist Government of the German Democratic Republic.

In 1984, the Soviets tried to blockade the West Berlin to starve the Western Allies out of Berlin. The Western Allies did not retreat, though. Instead, they created the Berlin Aircraft in which delivered food, fuel, and other goods to Western Berlin until the Soviets called the blockade off in 1949. The next 9 years were fairly calm until the Soviets started making threats in which the Western Allies were not going to take. In the summer of 1961, thousands and thousands of refugees in East Germany fled and crossed to border into Western Berlin.

On August 13, 1961, the Soviets began to build the Berlin Wall to divide Berlin in half. The wall took only 2 weeks to build—made out of barbed wire and concrete block wall. The wall was eventually replaced by a sturdier wall of reinforced concrete with an enormous pipe that made climbing over it close to impossible. People from East and West Berlin were no longer allowed to cross the border.

The Berlin Wall was able to stop the flood of refugees from the East to the West, which was technically calmer than a war. On the eastern side of the wall, soft sand, floodlights, vicious dogs, machine guns, and patrolling soldiers with orders to shoot escapees on site were there waiting to attack people who were trying to escape the east. 171 people were killed trying to get through the other side of the wall. From 1961-1989, more than 5,000 East Germans were able to escape across the border.

On November 9, 1989, the Communist Part of East Berlin announced that people of the east were free to cross the border at midnight. There was a huge celebration that weekend with more than 2 million people from East Berlin visiting West Berlin. People started knocking down the wall with whatever they could get their hands on. East and West Germany was officially reunified on October 3, 1991—almost a year after the fall of the Berlin Wall.

Most of the Berlin Wall is now gone, but some parts still stand. The most famous part of the wall still stands along the East Side Gallery. There are other, smaller part of the wall that are still intact along other areas of Berlin. Much of the still standing parts of the wall have been painted.
 

View Larger Map         The East Side Gallery

 

References

A&E Television Networks: History. (n.d.). Berlin Wall. In History by topic: Places. Retrieved from http://www.history.com/topics

A View on Cities. (2013). Berlin Wall. In Berlin: Berlin attractions. Retrieved from http://www.aviewoncities.com/berlin/mauer.htm

Berlin Wall 1963 [Photograph]. (2002). Retrieved from Berlin Wall Online website: http://www.dailysoft.com/berlinwall/photographs/berlinwall-1963jo/berlinwall-1963-005.htm

General Berlin city map, 1961 [Map]. (n.d.). Retrieved from Berlin Wall Online website: http://www.dailysoft.com/berlinwall/maps/berlinwallmap_02.htm