David Whitley follows in Adolf Hitler’s footsteps, as he traces the dark history of Nazi Germany around Munich.
Where Hitler met Eva Braun
Imagine being sat in the dentist’s chair, mouth wide open, and the man with the drill starts to make chit-chat about his clinic.
“This used to be the Nazi party headquarters you know… could you just open a little wider? That’s it.
“Come to think of it, this was where Hitler met Eva Braun.”
It’d be a little disconcerting, wouldn’t it? But in the rather non-descript surgery at 50 Schellingstrasse, Munich, that could easily be the scenario if the dentist wasn’t judiciously circumspect about such matters.
The surgery was formerly the studio of Hitler’s personal photographer, Hans Hoffman, and in the early days of the cash-strapped party, it was where they had their meetings. Braun was Hoffman’s assistant, and she caught Hitler’s eye whilst climbing up a ladder.
Third Reich walking tour
Little details like this make the Third Reich walking tour of Munich so gruesomely fascinating. Going round Hitler’s old hang-outs seems like a spectacularly tasteless way to spend an afternoon, but it’s a fascinating insight into how he came to power.
Munich has a dark history, and is still struggling to come to terms with it. This was where Hitler first came to power, and was the bedrock of the Nazi movement. It’s a hard thing to deal with, and although the city is open about its past, it doesn’t necessarily feel at ease with it.
The monument to the victims of the Nazi regime in Maximiliansplatz is an almost embarrassed effort – there are no benches around the eternal flame for people to sit and contemplate on, while heavy traffic whips around the site on a constant basis.
History of the Nazi party
It was in 1919 – 90 years ago – that the German Workers’ Party was formed in the city. A year later, the name was changed to the National Socialist German Worker’s Party (Nazi for short). It wasn’t founded by Hitler, but he soon became the leader on the back of his oratorical skills.
Perhaps without realising it, any visitors to Munich will have drunk litre after litre of beer at the scene of Hitler’s first major political speech. The Hofbrauhaus is an enormous beer hall that’s an essential stop on the city’s tourist trail.
Most go in for oompah bands, pork-and-dumpling feasts and a skinful of beer on the ground floor, but the festival hall on the second floor is where Hitler first won over the rowdy mob.
It’s much the same today as it was then – the intricately painted walls and ceilings remain, although the standing room-only bearpit has been replaced with long tables designed for folk band-accompanied buffets.
Burgerbraukeller
It was from another beer hall that Hitler made his unsuccessful first attempt to grab power. He hijacked a meeting at the Burgerbraukeller at which three local big cheeses were due to speak, and then led a march towards the military barracks.
The Burgerbraukeller is no longer standing (the Hilton Hotel is now on the site), and this is one of the reasons that the tour is such a worthwhile investment. Most buildings and monuments with Nazi links were pulled down after the war as it was feared they could become shrines and fascist focal points.
Munich tour guide
Our guide, Eric, has lived in Munich for 30 years, however, and he has devoured reams of literature on the subject. His commentary is detailed, and he knows the places to point out. These range from buildings that Hitler painted in his previous career as a very pedestrian artist and cafés that he used to frequent.
Eric also explains the all-important context, from the depressed economic climate due to the Treaty of Versailles to the near state of civil war that existed in the Bavarian capital at the time.
The march, which became known as the Beer Hall Putsch, failed dismally – as Eric explains at the spot where it was halted. It could have been the end of Hitler – the chap next to him was shot dead instantly, and his body guard took eleven bullets as he covered his leader.
Beer Hall Putsch
When Hitler did come to power (legitimately – he was elected), the Feldherrnhalle where the marchers were stopped became a monument to the 16 Nazis that died in the Putsch. The building still stands, but the portico protects thin air – the eagle statues, wreaths and flames are long gone.
Laws ensured that locals were forced to do the Nazi salute every time they passed the Feldherrnhalle, so many took the short cut (officially Visgardigasse, unofficially Druckebergergassl or ‘dodger’s alley’) around the back. This side lane is one of the few places in the city that is commemorated – there is a trail of bronze cobblestones that mark the route of passive resistance.
Konigsplatz
The tour continues up to Konigsplatz, which is surrounded by pompous buildings housing museums. It was used by the Nazis as a parade ground and book-burning venue. Although many of the Nazi-built buildings have been pulled down, it still has that ugly air about it, and the pompous architecture doesn’t help.
The former Nazi headquarters (the one built when they had power and money rather than the one they used as poverty-stricken idealists) still stands. This enormous building was where Hitler was allowed by Britain and France to get away with annexing the Sudetenland in 1938 on the promise that he wouldn’t invade anywhere else in Europe.
The brutally ugly HQ now belongs to the university, and the building houses its academy of music and theatre. In a defiant twist, it is currently hosting a season of performances of works by musicians that were persecuted during the Nazi era.
Using Hitler’s remaining buildings for the opposite of what he would have wanted is something of a recurrent theme. The Haus der Kunst was built to house German art that was to Hitler’s tastes – it now concentrates on modern art by living artists from around the world. Quite pleasingly, the Fuhrer would have absolutely loathed it…
Tour bookings
The two-and-a-half hour Third Reich walking tour with Munich Walk Tours can be booked through Isango.
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