Nuremberg Part 2

Nuremberg was one of our favorite cities, but it does have a dark past.   During the rise of Hitler's regime, he chose several cities as "staging grounds" for his rallies and planning sessions.   Nuremberg was one of those cities.   Large areas of the city had been used.   The picture on the right is part of one large staging area and the protrusion you can see below the black doorway is where he stood to give many of his fanatical speeches.   It was surrounded by large areas of bleachers for the higher level dignitaries to sit and huge open parade grounds for the masses to use.

The pictures at the right and below (taken out of the bus window with the raindrops falling) is of the building where the famous Nuremberg trials were held.   After the war, the US and its allies held the first ever individual trials of people committing crimes in the name of their country.  

Some of those people were sentenced to death.   But some of them received life sentences and the ominous red brick building at the right is where they served their sentences.   It struck us as so painful and depressing for the German people to think of what happened in their country.   We also learned that Nuremberg had a similar experience to Budapest where there was originally a very large Jewish population and now very few.   In fact we learned that in Nuremberg, the original population of Jews (can't remember exactly but thinking they said about 16,000) was "reduced" to 6.   Unbelievable and so sad.   Then we also learned of how the US and its allies nearly destroyed the city.   They are still recovering.    There is certainly nothing positive that comes out of war.  Everyone loses in the end.

Bob  and  Debbie