The Gigantic Nazi Monument That Germany Refuses To Destroy

Remains.

Following the defeat of the Third Reich in 1945, Germany underwent many changes on their road to recovery. As the broken nation transitioned from fascism to democracy it outlawed any public presence or public display of Nazism within the country. However, there are still many monuments to the Third Reich that still stand and often are housed for very public gatherings.

Once upon a time, the Berlin Olympic Stadium (Olympiastadion) was to be the place where Hitler envisioned the physical dominance of the Aryan race. But now it serves as home to the Hertha Berliner Sport-Club Football team. Germany has made an effort to destroy traces of Nazi architecture as evidenced by shadows of Swastikas on city building, but why does this stadium remain?

“I believe if you were to destroy, remove the buildings, erase them one would deprive society of the option to encounter their own history. We have to understand the past, we also must criticize the past. We need to do better and not repeat it.”

– Jeorg Haspel (Berlin State Monuments Curator)

Aside from the Olympic stadium, there are many more monuments which still remain iconic to Nazism. The decision comes to leave them to stand in order to be reminded of the history the nation once had. What side of the issue are you on? Should the monuments be scrubbed from history or left to stay as they are?