Our group’s final stop was Nuremberg, Germany. Honestly, I think we were all so exhausted at this point that we were more excited to return home than anything else. Still, we were out and about during our full day to trace the path from the massive Nazi rallying grounds to the courtrooms where the Nuremberg Trials were held. 

The rally grounds in particular were eerie, especially under the gray clouds and fallen snow. The center stadium was built in a Colisseum shape, where echoes traveled. Although it was silent save for our light footsteps, you only had to close your eyes to imagine the roar of tens of thousands of former Nazi faithful. Due to the biting cold, we didn’t spend too long there.

We lucked into entering the courthouse minutes before the only English tour of the day was due to start. While it was well furnished, the courthouse was pretty pedestrian. The trials held here were a crucial part of bringing this horrifying chapter of history to a close, and giving some closure to the victims. In the longer term, it was also a critical effort to have a testified and legal record of the war crimes and atrocities that were committed, so that any doubters in the future would be unable to refute to the world the truth of what happened. Our guide spoke to us about how the trials themselves were conducted, what high ranking Nazi officials were present, and who remained absent because they had either died beforehand like Hitler or escaped to say, South America. They were important as well in establishing a precedent as well for the United Nations’ standards for future criminal trials and war crimes standards. It was a heavy visit to end the trip, and one that we all appreciated the chance to have.

The remainder of our time was spent at the city’s Christmas Markets, which I’ve written about in another installment. In general, we were glad we came to visit but once is definitely enough. Nuremberg was a key city in Germany’s infancy, going as far back as the renowned artistry of Albrecht Durer in the 1500s. Along with Munich and other Bavarian cities it was also a bedrock of support for Hitler during his rise to power. It’s easy to get there by train from Berlin and Munich, and is definitely worth a stop for history buffs. Even for the average tourist though, I think a visit would be a very valuable experience.