JUDGEMENT AT NUREMERG, REDEMPTION AT ROTHENBURG (XIV of ‘A Tale of 2 Continents’) By R.J.Fensterman
XIV
JUDGEMENT AT NUREMBERG, REDEMPTION AT ROTHENBURG
In a sense, Nuremberg had ‘three strikes’ against it when World War II ended. First, it was the site for Richard Wagner’s famous opera Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg; Wagner was Hitler’s favorite composer, and the opera (both the libretto and music written by Wagner) would become a patriotic, symbolic and nationalistic epic for Germany soon after its first performance in 1868.
When the Third Reich was initially proclaimed in March of 1933, the opera was performed as part of the celebration, with Hitler in attendance. Music from it was often used in Nazi propaganda, including many films and rallies.
Second, there was the Franken-Nuremberg Stadium; from 1927 to 1939, the Nazi Party held its annual mega-rally there. Thousands cheered the spectacular Nazi pageants inside, and some of Hitler’s most histrionic speeches were delivered there.
Third, in 1935, a council met in Nuremberg, and announced the first of a series of Racial Laws, declaring non-Aryans (specifically, Jews) were not German ‘citizens’, but rather were ‘subjects’ of Germany; they were also forbidden to marry Aryans, nor could they employ Aryan women intheir households. Later laws would deprive the Jews of even their humanity, and would cost millions of their lives in horrific concentration camps.
In many ways, Nuremberg was a more well-known symbol of Nazism than Berlin, the German Capital. During World War II the city was systemically bombed by the Allies from 1943-1945, destroying almost all the medieval center and killing several thousand residents. Finally, after the German surrender in May of ’45, the Allies would hold their famous War Crimes Trial at the Nuremberg’s Palace of Justice (still intact, despite all the bombing). 200 German officials there were accused of “crimes against humanity”; the most notorious were Herman Goering, Martin Bormann, Rudolf Hess, Albert Speer, Baldur von Sirach, and Joachin von Ribbentrop. Several were executed, and the rest given long prison terms. Nuremberg was an apt location for the justice and retribution needed for closure of the War.
It turned out to be a long walk to the city center. On the way, we were regaled with the Chinese girl’s story about her ordeal when she broke her arm while visiting mainland China. Her descriptions of the confusion and mismanagement she experienced solidified my long-held opinion that China should not be on our ‘bucket list’. By the time we reached the center of the city, the sun was almost gone. Here, in the fading light, is a picturesque Medieval villa, no doubt the one-time home of a resident of old Nuremberg; the city was the birthplace of many great people, among them artist Albrecht Dürer and composer Johann Pacelbel…
And here is the epic-proportioned 13th Century Cathedral of St Lawrence…
And here is the center of old town, the Hauptmarkt Platz in the twilight of a Spring evening…
We were surprised at how beautiful the old town remained. It was rebuilt after the war (with the aid of America’s Marshall Plan) to restore some of the classic medieval ambience that it once had. There were some modern buildings interspersed among the reconstructed Gothic ones. Nearby is the famous Frauenkirche, the Church of Our Lady, built by Holy Roman Emperor Charles IV in 1361 for imperial ceremonies…
Not far from the central market area is the Imperial Castle, lit-up spectacularly at night…
It was quite dark by now, and it was close to 10 PM. We headed back, hoping we could re-trace our way to the Hotel Woehrdersee. We caught sight of the Pegnitz canal, flowing under the ancient Hospice of the Holy Spirit…
The we caught sight of the Hauptbahnhof, the brightly-lit and quite busy main railroad station. Then we knew we were on the right street to bring us back to our hotel…
***
The next day, after a sound sleep, we were on our way early, continuing up the Romantic Road in our tour bus. Our destination was Rothenburg ob der Tauber; this best-preserved of all Medieval towns in all of Germany was founded in 1170 as a fortified imperial city. Its 13th Century walls are still intact. In a sense, Rothenburg is the Nuremberg of Wagner’s Mastersingers – that small comfortable 16th Century town, with its half-timber houses and its huge gothic churches and its dominating castle; a place where Hans Sachs, that romantic hero, would organize a singing contest to win the hand of the fair Eva. Here is the Germany we all want to see, rather than what is symbolized in the mid-20th Century Nuremberg…
As you can see, the old city gate does not allow any over-sized vehicles, such as buses or trucks, into the town. And all of the narrow winding streets are one-way, So traffic is quite restricted within the walled city
Speaking of Nuremberg, and ‘ three strikes’ – when we arrived, we discovered that we were missing the Taiwanese couple. They were still in Nuremberg. Keeping the group intact was Caroline’s responsibility. In Rome, she had left a lady behind, between the Coliseum and the Palatine Hill. Several of the older couples had complained about her accelerated walking pace at the various sites and their fear of being left behind. Now she had ‘abandoned’ two people. Three mistakes. Gianni had to drive all the way back to Nuremberg to get them, and the owner, one of the mellowest people I’ve ever encountered, lit into Caroline in no uncertain terms.
Once this brouhaha settled down, we were free to explore the magnificent town of Rothenburg. There are over 11 thousand inhabitants, so it a rather large place. Here is the Market Square and the Town Hall, some of it dating back to 1270…
The main attraction on the tour was the famous St Jakob’s Church, a massive Gothic building completed in 1484, after 170 years of construction. It is now one of the largest Lutheran churches in Germany…
Like many other old churches in Germany, St Jakob’s was originally a Catholic Church; it was a pilgrimage stop for Catholics on their way to the burial site of St James (Jakob is German for James) in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. In 1525, the entire parish converted to Lutheranism, and has remained in that denomination. Inside, its style is a masterpiece of Renaissance architecture. This is the beautiful main altar…
In 2000, a fantastic new organ was installed in the choir loft of the church…
Leaving the church, we took to the streets. By now, it was after 10, and all the shops were finally opened. The pace here is much like the pace must’ve been back in the 17th Century.
Parked on the street in front of the well-known Kathe Wohlfahrt shop (purveyors of hand-crafted Christmas ornaments and decorations), was a 1930s German Touring Bus, a true classic of another era,,,
We had tickets to another interesting attraction in the town; this was Das Kriminalmuseum – a very unusual place: 4 floors of displays about Medieval laws, about crime and punishment in the Middle Ages, including implements of torture, such as the iron maiden, chastity belts, shackles, the rack, finger screws, cat-o’-nine-tails, etc. It is housed in the former seminary building of the Order of St John. Outside the entrance is a medieval dunking stool…
We almost got completely lost in the place, but finally found our way out. We joined the rest of the group, and we all walked back to that narrow city gate. Our modern tour bus was waiting outside; we loaded-up and headed north to have lunch in Heidelberg.
(Chapter XV will follow shortly…)
