Hitler Anchluss Speech Balcony in Linz
Nazi Era Rise to Power Anniversaries Austria and Berlin
March 12, 2013 marked the 75th Anniversary of Adolf Hitler’s annexation of Austria, the Austrian Anschluss. The Nazi leader’s troops marched across the border and Hitler stood on balcony in the main square of the city of Linz to cheering crowds. You can still find the balcony in Linz, directly across from the water fountain on Marktplatz. He would later make speeches in Vienna and other cities as he mounted a rigged election to solidify his takeover, winning by 99%, though such patinas of a plebiscite seemed unnecessary in his following conquests. This is one of the first of any number of assorted sorted events which happened 75 years ago, leading up to World War II, which will tick by over the next few years. It is hard to call these anniversaries, a celebration, though tourism bureaus in the countries affected will do their best to turn them into marketable tourism opportunities. The Austria National Library presents a new exhibit retracing the fateful days of March 1938 through photographs and testimonies in a new exhibit entitled “Night over Austria”.
Berlin Nazi Resistance Memorial
Indeed, the war years – World War I one-hundred year old events are soon to follow – have held a fascination and reason to travel, and for things of interest to see and do in Europe, regardless of date, but somehow the weight of dates lends an importance. Berlin has instigated an entire marketing campaign around the National Socialist rise to power with the rather PC theme called “Diversity Destroyed”, most prominently marked by the Reichstag fire on February 27, 1933, followed by Hitler’s appointment as Reich Chancellor three days later. The city is presenting a range of special events and exhibitions.
The history of this period is on view at the Germany Historical Museum in Berlin. Not a lot of the Nazi era is actually left in Berlin however, though several museums are now dedicated to the subject, the Topography of Terror Museum on the site of the former security headquarters will offer a special “Way of the Dictator” exhibit, the Nazi Resistance Memorial where the plotters of the Valkyrie assassination attempt were executed, and the Holocaust Memorial. The Communications Museum offers a view of how the Nazi era record keeping was so efficiant. An open air exhibit of large format photographs and biographies on temporary pillars will move around the city commemorating the lives of over 200 people, artists, politicians and others who stamped their mark on the diverse society of early Nineteen-Thirties Berlin. Berlin’s Deutsches Technikmuseum, the technical museum will offer a series of special exhibits from 1933 to 1945. The dates of dark birthdays will spread beyond over the next several years, then will come dates with fours and fives which will lend themselves to more celebratory thoughts.
Travelmode 