The Thingsätte

The Thingsätte is a German National Socialist amphitheater located in Heidelberg, German Reich, which was used for rallies, speeches and National Socialist ceremonies. Joseph Goebbels most famous 1935 speech took place here as well.

The location of the Thingsätte was also very culturally and historically significant, as it sat on top of “The Holy Mountain”, adjacent to Heidelberg’s ruined castle, and the historic the Necker river.

Construction of the amphitheater began in 1934 ordered by Adolf Hitler himself. He designated Hermann Alker as the main architect of the project. Construction was finally completed the following year, with the opening ceremony held on June 22, 1935 at the summer solstice; where Joseph Goebbels himself spoke at the opening.

Hitler did not merely want to conquer Europe. He wanted to completely redesign German cultural life. And a new Nazi architecture was one of the ways he meant to do it.

Such places, and the rallies, torchlight processions, flag displays, choirs, and other nationalistic entertainment that took place there, had a specific purpose. A local newspaper described it well: “The Thing as a place of worship for the National Socialist faith.”

Today it still stands the testament of time, slowly being reclaimed by nature, and still is a popular tourist attraction in Heidelberg, Germany

Some interesting writings left by Wehrmacht soldiers in the towns of Monchengladbach and Rheydt, Germany, later discovered and photographed by the allied forces in March 1945.

Sgt. Frank Sossi, a company clerk in the 111th Infantry Regiment, 1st Army (independent unit with no assigned parent division), described the scene when his unit moved through the towns about a week later, saying, "Unless my eyes deceived me, the so-called 'super-race' must have established a new national emblem, for all the homes along the route were fluttering snow-white flags in the wind."