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5.4 The Zeppelin Grandstand - A Symbolic Place: A Subject for Discussion

The question still remains today: How do we deal with the Zeppelin Grandstand as arguably the most prominent site of Nazi propaganda? What do you think? Are the buildings on the former rally grounds appropriate as innocent backdrops for Instagram posts or provocative stagings in the internet?

This place, the rally grounds is important to us as a democratic society. It constantly presents us with a challenge. We have to take a stand because radical right-wing crimes and political movements since 1945 show that the story continues.

This place is also important for the survivors of Nazi crimes and their descendants. While appreciating efforts to redress the wrongs committed, they demand an increased engagement with history.

On visiting the Zeppelin Grandstand in 2012, Leon Weintraub, a survivor of the Holocaust, described his feelings: "As I stood up there, on this Zeppelin Grandstand, I was gripped by a feeling of unreality. But mixed with a little pride and satisfaction that I was standing where Hitler had stood and received the homage of his followers during the parades."