MUNICH – “CAPITAL OF THE MOVEMENT”

Whether it was the founding of the German Workers' Party (DAP), the renaming of the party to the Nazi Party (NSDAP) at the Hofbräuhaus, or the failed coup attempt, which was subsequently glorified for propaganda purposes as the "March on the Feldherrnhalle," many important events on Adolf Hitler's path to power took place in Munich. And even after 1933, the city remained of central importance to the party. The buildings around Königsplatz, such as the former NSDAP party headquarters and the former "Führerbau," are testament to this. Unlike the so-called "Temples of Honor," where National Socialist hero worship was practiced, both buildings survived the destruction of the war or at the hands of the Allies and today serve as silent witnesses to the past, even if they are now used for much more gratifying purposes.

Of course, we will also address the various victim groups – the "Eternal Flame" at the "Square of the Victims of National Socialism" offers a good opportunity for this. And we will learn what happened on Kristallnacht in Munich. It is also important to me to give a voice to those who courageously stood up against the tyranny at that time, often risking their own lives in the process, such as the members of the "White Rose" resistance group or Georg Elser. He attempted to neutralize the dictator Hitler by planting a bomb in the Bürgerbräukeller.

Examining the original locations helps illuminate various aspects of the ideology of the time. At the "Haus der Kunst," which opened in 1937 as the "House of German Art," we not only examine the typical architecture of the period but also examine the extent to which art was used for propaganda purposes. And at the Feldherrnhalle on Odeonsplatz, we can vividly demonstrate how Munich was used as a stage for pseudo-religious party propaganda during Nazi rule. In doing so, we never lose sight of the question of how the rise of this terror regime was even possible, and together we uncover the various reasons for it.

Many stops on this tour demonstrate that our city has long struggled to come to terms with its past. However, since the opening of the new Nazi Documentation Center, which is also on our route, we too have found a place where we can explore the causes, manifestations, and consequences of the Nazi dictatorship right up to the present day.