Nuremberg: Building The Führer Myth

Heinrich Hoffmann, Hitlers photographer, once said “Der Fotograf bildet ab, sonst nichts.” (The photographer depicts, nothing else.) This was his argument for turning a 10 year prison conviction to only 4 years.
Albert Speer, Hitlers architect and later Reich Minister for Armaments and Ammunition, was convicted to only 20 years of prison while other leading Nazis of his rank and with very similar collections of crimes against humanity were sentenced to death.
Leni Riefenstahl, Hitlers infamous director, wrote: „[…] wo liegt denn meine Schuld? Sagen Sie mir doch das. Ich habe keine Atombomben geworfen, ich habe niemanden verleugnet. Wo liegt denn meine Schuld? (Where is my fault? Tell me that. I didn’t throw any atom bombs, I didn’t deny anyone. Where is my fault?

Together with Göbbels as Reich Minister of Propaganda and many others creatives, they created the myth around Hitler and the Nazis. Their grandeur and elevation. They depicted the führer as a Messias and the SS as saviors from evil. But their professions deal with visual aspects and they have been and still are underestimated in their effects.
Is design able to create a monster? As you can see in this very distinct examples, it sure is.

The Kongresshalle

A never finished building to host more than 50.000 people. With a planned height of 70 meters and a diameter of 170 meters the biggest still existing of the Nazi buildings.

The Zeppelintribüne

from where the Reichsparteitag happened and Hitler held his infamous speeches.

panorama Kampenwand

Trip to the Bavarian Alps: Kampenwand

Today we had to meet our nemesis: A short stretch of about 15m with only a rope above the abyss. Just a hint: swearing helps a lot.

And after the descent, as it was Sunday, there was even some Blasmusik (a bavarian band playing traditional music on brass instruments).

DSC_0308IMG_5146DSC_0225DSC_0220DSC_0274DSC_0217DSC_0171DSC_0268DSC_0313DSC_0293

 

The Kampenwand

FullSizeRender[2]DSC_0298IMG_5153FullSizeRender[1]FullSizeRenderIMG_5235DSC_0252DSC_0234DSC_0236DSC_0245DSC_0199DSC_0316

 

IMG_5232

Wallberg Tegernsee

Trip To The Bavarian Alps: Wallberg am Tegernsee

In a kind of kamikaze action we drove 650 km on friday night from Berlin to Rottach-Egern south of Munich to take part in a vertigo class. I highly recommend the useful lessons from our trainer Heike, who was a Höhenängstler (someone who has Vertigo) herself once, which makes her very credible.

Vertigo is not gone after two days but at least I know what is happening inside of me and what I do right or wrong in the moment of truth. The rest is training she says. And in fact: My confidence concerning the abyss has already increased slightly.

All the stress is forgotten when I’m standing on the top of a mountain and see the snow covered mountain tops of the near Austrian alps.

 

DSC_0018DSC_0113DSC_0037DSC_0020DSC_0033DSC_0065DSC_0072DSC_0075DSC_0080DSC_0095DSC_0098DSC_0100DSC_0103DSC_0109DSC_0125DSC_0131DSC_0134

 

Tegernsee:

DSC_0161DSC_0158