For almost anyone of a certain age, the town of Nuremburg conjures up World War II and its aftermath, when the decision to prosecute those responsible for the Holocaust (politicians, generals) were put on trial in the first international court that is established to sit in judgment of the atrocities committed by Germany. The idea that the atrocities--concentration camps--were so extreme that Germans should be held responsible is an American belief. Ultimately, the Americans and French presided over the trials.
This is the second time I've visited Nuremberg. The first time I saw the courtroom from the outside. The building remains impressive:
This time the courtroom is open and Dan, I and Theo can go inside. It is a small space considering what happened here--on the second floor up a long flight of stairs.
Black and white photos flank visitors who arrive. They are posted on the outside and starkly contrast what the courthouse looked like in the day and now today. The place stands as a living memorial to justice.
We learns things we didn't know. After the trials, for example, the Germany people themselves were blithely unaware of what had happened. A new Germany constitution, the Grundgesetz, was created in 1949 guaranteeing freedoms such as freedom of the press, speech and opinions in order to prevent the kind of censorship and restrictions that existed under the Nazis. Still it took years for the full story to come out and be accepted by the Germans.The Holocaust was not taught to students in schools. It wasn't until 1968 that students at the university demand more transparency, and the Holocaust becomes part of the curriculum.
We also learn that the local leaders--the Mayors of town, the lawyers, etc. are not prosecuted after the war. The thinking is to spare these people so that they can participate in the rebuilding of Germany. In reality many German cities were heavily bombed by the Allies. Today in Germany, you can often see an old part of town (which was not destroyed by bombs) and the newer more modern part of town which was rebuilt after the war.
You might be wondering about Theo. How is he handling all this history? All in all, he loves history and can often be found at home perched on our oversized lounge chair in the living room staring at the screen--at the birds, at the squirrels, at Ken Burns' documentaries.
Today he is remarkably well-behaved. Quiet and respectful. And for the hordes of people crowding into the courtroom to check it out and hear the presentation--Theo is seemingly unaware of them, and they are unaware of him. Everyone is transported back in time--to that most horrific of times. Everyone wants to hear the story and look around. Everyone is mesmerized. Even Theo, the gangster cat. And for once no snacks are involved in the making of this blog.
