| SS troops during roll call at the 7th Nuremberg conference of the Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei or NSDAP (“National Socialist German Workers’ Party”) Congress, “Rally Of Freedom” (September 10-16, 1935) on Day 6: The Day Of The Schutzstaffel (SS) and the Sturm Abteilung (SA) Parade of the SS and the SA on Luitpold Arena Units were allocated times for ablutions and feeding to prevent extensive queuing at the facilities on Langwasser Camp and the 1st bugle calls started around 0200 Hours; they continued for several hours until everyone was roused. After washing, men queued for breakfast at the Bavarian Relief Train by the entrance to the camp (it was situated outside the Mars Field Station in 1938). It was a huge facility, 1 to rival any mobile military kitchen, and the cooking teams prepared tens of thousands of meals every day. After breakfast, units formed up in their staging area ready to march to the event; the parades through the old town centre involved the longest march. The nature of the rallies was that different units had to be in different arenas at different times; it meant that thousands of men were marching to and from the tent city all day long. Over 150,000 SS and SA men assembled in Luitpold Arena along with detachments of the National Socialist Motor Corps (NSKK) and the National Socialist Flying Corps (NSFK). Everyone had to be in their place ready for an 0800 Hours start. They paraded on the huge grassed area, leaving a wide gap in the centre, so that the Nazi leaders could look across to the Hall of Honor. The grass strip was covered in granite slabs in time for the 1934 rally. Standard bearers then took their places either side of the monument and at the given signal a hush fell over the crowd while Hitler marched across the centre of the arena with the head of the SA to the Hall of Honor. While Stabschef SA Ernst Röhm (November 28, 1887 – July 1, 1934) played a key role in the ceremony until 1933, he was murdered following his arrest on the Night of the Long Knives on June 30, 1934. Beginning in September 1934, Stabschef SA (“Chief of Staff SA”) Viktor Lutze (December 28, 1890 – May 2, 1943) was joined by Reichsführer-SS Heinrich Himmler (October 7, 1900 – 23 May 23, 1945). The arena remained silent while the 3 men paused before a huge wreath and then saluted the war dead and the Nazi martyrs. The leaders then retraced their steps across the arena followed by SS-Standartenführer Jakob Grimminger (April 25, 1892 – January 28, 1969) carrying the Blood Flag (Blutfahne), the tattered Swastika flag carried by the 5th SA Sturm during the November 9, 1923, Munich Putsch. Legend has it that the flag was torn and spattered with blood during the uprising. It was then either hidden by the flag bearer, Heinrich Trambauer (August 21, 1899 – October 16, 1942), or confiscated by the police. Either way, it ended up in the hands of Karl Eggers and was then kept at the Brown House (Braunes Haus), the Nazi Party headquarters in Munich (if indeed what was at the rally was the original Munich flag at all). As the 3 leaders mounted the stand, Grimminger took his place behind, ready for the dedication of unit flags. SS units then filled the centre of the Luitpold Arena. As solemn music played, Hitler passed along the line of standards clutching the Blood Flag in 1 hand, while seizing each new flag in turn, a quasi-religious ceremony. The units then left the arena and marched to their staging area in the St Lorenz district, ready for the city centre march past. March Past through Adolf Hitler Platz Nuremberg’s castle sits on top a hill, looking down on the city. At the foot of the hill is Hauptmarkt, where the Church of Our Lady (Frauenkirche) stands over the large square used as a focal point during the early rallies. Stands were erected around the edge of the square for the crowds while Hitler stood in a car surrounded by his closest followers, including Rudolf Hess (April 26, 1894 – August 17, 1987), Hermann Goering (January 12, 1893 – October 15, 1946) and Victor Lutze. Jakob Grimminger stood with the Blood Flag behind the car. The car stood next to 1 of Nuremberg’s landmarks, the Beautiful Fountain (Schöner Brunnen), a replica of a late 14th-century structure. The square was renamed Adolf-Hitler-Platz in 1933 and while the parade remained the same it took longer and longer each year. All morning SA and SS units gathered south of the River Pegnitz, waiting their turn to march past their Führer. The 1st ones set off at 11:30am and crossed the river via Fleisch Bridge, or Meat Bridge, a wide 16th-century structure. They entered the square with the cheers of the crowds ringing in their ears and then, with arms raised in the Nazi salute, it was eyes right as they marched past the Führer’s entourage. The march continued up the hill past Saint Sebaldus Church on the left and the Town Hall to the right and ended in front of the castle gates at the top of the hill. After all the build-up and excitement, the SS and SA troops faced a long march back to their campsite. | |
| Image Filename | wwii1796.jpg |
| Image Size | 838.57 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2307 x 2946 |
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| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | September 15, 1934 |
| Location | Luitpold Arena |
| City | Nuremberg |
| State or Province | Bavaria |
| Country | Germany |
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| 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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