| Führer und Reichskanzler (“Leader and Reichchancellor”) Adolf Hitler (April 20, 1889 – April 30, 1945) greets attendees at the Bückeberg Harvest Festival of the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP; “National Socialist German Workers Party”). From 1933 to 1937 the Nazi Party arranged an annual harvest festival at Bückeberg, close to the city of Hamelin. The festival was 1 of the symbolically most important celebrations in the 3rd Reich; at its height, more than 1,000,000 people are reported to have gathered there. A special arena, designed by Nazi Party Chief Architect Albert Speer’s (March 19, 1905 – September 1, 1981), was built to handle the large number of participants. Several aspects were taken into consideration when choosing the location for the festival. 1st of all, the site was to be in Lower Saxony, supposedly ‘essentially German soil’. 2nd, the festival grounds ought to be situated close to the river Weser, which was symbolically important by virtue of being ‘German from its spring to its estuary’. Furthermore, the site had to have good rail connections so as to allow nationwide transportation of large numbers of people. In addition, the Bückeberg area was celebrated as the homeland of Horst Wessel (October 9, 1907 – February 23, 1930), the Nazis’ most important “martyr” killed in street battles with Communists. The choice of site for the Harvest Festival was accordingly justified by a mixture of symbolical and practical reasons. In 1934, 3 labour camps were established that deployed 450 men to work on the site all year round. In 3 years of grueling toil, they leveled the mountain slope and installed water pipes, electric cables, and drainage. Extensive works were also undertaken to facilitate the arrival of trains, automobiles and pedestrians. Future plans included the construction of a new motorway. From 1933 to 1937 the Harvest Festival was celebrated in Bückeberg each year on the date of the Christian harvest festival, thus following on an existing popular holiday. The Harvest Festival was presented as a folk festival, an event organized by the Volksgemeinschaft (“People’s Community or Racial Community” depending on context). The plan was to attract not only peasants but urbanized townspeople – men, women and children alike, from all over the nation. The 1st festival was held in the evening with subsequent festivals starting around 1200 Hours. Hitler flew from Berlin to Hanover, continuing by car to Bückeberg via Hamelin. His journey in a convertible car marked the start of a triumphal procession. On arriving at the foot of the mountain slope at 1200 Hours, Hitler and his entourage entered the Führerweg (“Führer’s way”) a path way reserved for his entourage alone, and walked uphill to take their places among the ministers and diplomats who were already seated on the honorary upper tribune. The masses waiting greeted this Weg durchs Volk (“walk through the people”) with deafening cheers. In 1938, the festival was cancelled at very short notice because the trains designated to bring people to the festival were needed for another purpose: the transportation of troops to Czechoslovakia. Within a year, World War II had broken out. There were to be no more harvest festivals in Bückeberg. Although extensive remains of this arena have survived, local feeling has prevented them from receiving official recognition as a historical monument. Given the significance of the site to Nazi history and the large numbers of people who gathered in the area during the festivities, the historical importance of the grounds is not in doubt. However, it has not been declared a historic site and its preservation as a historic place has been a difficult problem for modern German authorities. This is partly due to fears that if the location is declared historical, it will become a pilgrimage site for neo-Nazis. Swastikas on trees surrounding the site have been purposely defaced. Another reason, frequently raised by local authorities, is the refusal of local people to be associated with a celebration closely tied to the Nazis. In 2008, graffiti appeared on the grounds stating “Kein Denkmal Den Tätern. Gedenkt Der Opfer!” (“No commemoration of the perpetrators. Commemorate the victims!”) | |
| Image Filename | wwii0508.jpg |
| Image Size | 3.35 MB |
| Image Dimensions | 5100 x 3563 |
| Photographer | Heinrich Hoffmann |
| Photographer Title | Heinrich Hoffmann Presse |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | October 1, 1934 |
| Location | |
| City | Hamelin |
| State or Province | Lower Saxony |
| Country | Germany |
| Archive | The Life of the Führer |
| Record Number | |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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