Zeppelinfeld, Nürnberg

Designed by Hitler’s favorite architect Albert Speer, Zeppelin Field is the grand field where the Nazi Party rallies were held in the years before World War II began. The very large field (about the size of 12 football fields) and its adjacent seats could hold more than 200,000 people. During the annual party rallies, different groups would be brought into the field for ceremonies over the course of the week.

There is a large grandstand on one side of the field which still stands today, although in not great shape although you can still walk on it. This is the grandstand where Adolph Hitler and the party leaders would review the troops and give speeches.

Along the sides of Zeppelin Field, visitors today can still see the remains of the stands with seats with concrete block buildings placed at intervals which provided the toilets for so many people.
Albert Speer was looking for extra special effects during these party rallies and it is from Zeppelin Field that his famous “Cathedral of Light” occurred where 150 floodlights beamed light straight up into the sky, creating a high wall (or cathedral) of light going up into the heavens (see photo above taken from one of the displays).

Speer designed the grandstand after the famous Pergamon Altar which is now located in Berlin on Museum Island. The grandstand had a massive swastika on the top of it which was famously blown up by the Allies after World War II (you can find a video on YouTube showing this).

Today, Zeppelin Field is sadly in a state of decline; however, signage in the area explains how much money it would take to bring it back to its former glory, money that no one is ready to spend to remember a dark time in Nürnberg’s history.

We have been to Zeppelin Field twice. The first time was a beautiful day and we were out for a morning walk more for exercise than anything else (Zeppelin Field was near our hotel). The grandstand was full of people stretching for runs, doing other exercises, or preparing for some sort of car rally. Unfortunately I didn’t bring my camera that time. On our second visit it was quite different as the area was very icy. It was rather treacherous to climb the steps to the top of the grandstand, but I will do just about anything to get the photo I want; it took me a while to get there being very cautious, but I was able to get photos from the grandstand (going back down the steps was actually more difficult).

Note: It is against the law to make any gestures from the grandstand area, especially from the lectern area; police take any gestures, even in fun, seriously. Just don’t do it.

Zeppelin Field is open 24 hours a day as it is an open field with no gates. There is no admission, except perhaps when there is a special event going on (there are occasional concerts in this location).

The Zeppelintribuene is one of a few structures finished on the nazi party rally grounds (Reichsparteitagsgelände). Its only purpose was to be a stage for Adolf Hitler and other nazi politics during the conventions of the NSDAP (nazi party). It only served this purpose beween 1933 and 1938, from 1939 these events were cancelled due to the war started by nazi Germany. It was designed for an audience of up to 320 000 spectators with 70 000 on the tribunes and 250 000 stanmding on the Zeppelinfeld. The huge swastikas were destroyed after WWII, including the spectacular blow-up of the one on top of the tribune. In the decades after WWII, the structure fell into deterioration and the row of columns on top of it was removed in 1967. Today, preservation works for it are only limited. You can visit the Zeppelintribüne and stand on the same place where once the nazi fat cats talked to the masses. However, this is done on your own risk and not recommended when slippery! The Zeppelintribüne serves from time to time as a stage for car races. The space directly in front and behind of it is a popular place for rollerskating and skateboarding kids, while a small football stadium was built on the place for the former nazi audience.

For me this is the most famous of all the relics remaining in Nuremberg. Designed by the Nazi architect Albert Speer, and largely dismantled due to safety reasons, it still remains a potent symbol of the Nazi history of Nuremberg. The terraces are still there, as is the platform from which Hitler made his wild speeches, accompanied by much stiff armed gesticulation, to the massed ranks of Nazi supporters.

pictured is where adolf hitler made his speeches at the nuremberg party rallies.
to see before and after pictures of this site visit www.thirdreichruins.com