Judgement in Nürnberg

Before leaving, we watched the 1961 classic movie "Judgement at Nürnberg" with the children. (As well as being very educational, it's a great chance to see William Shatner in his 20's before Star Trek). In the movie, you see what looks to be an almost completely destroyed city. So today was our day to visit Nürnberg, to see how the city has recovered, and to see a highly regarded Nazi history museum.

As you approach the city center, you can see parts of city walls and towers just as they may have looked 500 years ago. But you also notice something else right away; Unlike Bruges, or Rothenburg, there are very few old buildings. Next to the aged stone city walls are building after building from the 1960's and 1970's. Some of original Nürnberg remains, and they have made the most of that heritage, but clearly this was a city destroyed and rebuilt.

We visited the city museum - located in one of the only large homes left unscathed in 1945 - and saw a very interesting history of the city. It started with a model of the city that was the size of a large room with each meticulously carved (in 1934) home about the size of your thumb. The museum included vintage photos from both just before, and just after the war. It is difficult to imagine the psychological effect of living in this city in 1945-1955 as losers of a war, perpetrators of a great atrocity, and among a seemingly insurmountable amount of rubble and poverty. I think the German people deserve some credit for coming out of that time as well as could be expected. The museum was also the history of the private home, itself, with some beautifully finished rooms.

Then we took a tram to the edge of town where the Nazi parade grounds were, where overbearingly pompous building plans were begun, and where they were left half-finished in defeat. One building has been turned into a Nazi Documentation Center where it tells the story of how Nazism began, so that we may understand it better, and never let it happen again. The museum was very educational, but it is composed almost entirely of photo storyboards with audio (and some visual) commentary. It is geared to a more mature level of understanding that left Shelby (11) a little confused and Joshua (7) thoroughly bored.

One good thing did come of it though; This conversation with Joshua:

"Why did the Nazi's bomb the city?"

"They didn't. The Americans did."

(concerned look...)

"Was that a good thing?"

...And then we tried as best we could to condense war history and military tactics to a 7-year-old in a way that he could grasp. It's not easy. This is a boy who won't kill a bug.

We returned to Rothenburg ravenous for pizza and pasta. After stuffing ourselves, we walked the city walls until almost sunset. It was a very pleasant way to end a very serious day...