HESSEN

Frankfurter Römer (Rathaus) (4)
Location: Römerberg 21-27
Today: Still there
When Adolf Hitler visited Frankfurt am Main on March 31, 1938 he spoke at the Festhalle again, but he also visited the town hall, called the Römer.

All the pictures above show the Römerberg when Hitler visited itin 1938. The two pictures on top (centre and right) have Hitler on them, on the balcony of the Rathaus. The picture in the centre below shows Hitler leaving the Rathaus. All the pictures below are dated 31.03.1938, exept the two coloured ones in the centre.

The Kaisersaal

The Kaisersaal still looks the same

The Römer today

The Bürgersaal

Picture of Hitlers motorcade driving through Frankfurt (5)
Location: Braubachstrasse (near the Römer)
Today: Still there
The picture below shows Hitler in his car, driving through the Braubachstrasse in Frankfurt am Main.

I.G.-Farben-Haus (6)
Location: Grüneburgplatz 1
Today: The building that housed I.G.Farben was turned into the Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität, but it still looks the same as it did.
In 1931 the I.G. Farben-Haus was opened. It was one of the largest office buildings in the world. The company Degesch was responsable for the gass Zyklon B, that was used to kill jews in Auschwitz. Degesch was a daughter of the Degussa-concern and I.G. Farben. The remarkable building and especialy the dark roll the company played are reason enough to mention this on this website. We haven’t got any information about Hitler visiting the I.G. Farben-Haus.

The IG-Farben Haus

Reichsautobahn Frankfurt - Darmstadt (1)
Location: Exact locations unknown
Today: The Reichsautobahn is still there.
It is often said that the plans for the highways in Germany were Hitlers, while in fact a lot of plans were already made before he came to power. Adolf Hitler put a spade in the ground at the groundbreaking ceremony of the first section of the autobahn from Frankfurt am Main to Darmstadt on September 23, 1933 in Frankfurt.
On May 19, 1935 Hitler opened this new part of the highway in an open car.

Hitlers shoveling ceremony

Hitlers car driving on the Autobahn between
Frankfurt and Darmstadt at the opening of the highway

Frankfurter Festhalle (3)
Location: Ludwig-Erhard-Anlage 1
Today: Damaged during the war but restored afterwards.
On August 3, 1930, during a NSDAP-gathering, Hitler spoke to 17.000 people in the Frankfurter Festhalle. On October 4 of the same year Hitler also spoke at the Festhalle. The next time Hitler was in Frankfurt am Main was on March 6, 1932, for the election of the Reichstag in July of that year. The Festhalle was crowded with 35.000 people, but Hitler didn’t speak very long. Hermann Göring was the most important speaker for the evening. For the same elections of the Reichstag Hitler spoke in the Festhalle again on April 7, 1932 and three days before the election on July 28, 1932. For the elections in 1933 Hitler spoke at the Festhalle again on February 23, 1933. On October 29, 1933 Hitler spoke in Frankfurt too, but exactly where, I don’t know. On March 16, 1936 Hitler also spoke at the Festhalle. On March 31, 1938 Hitler spoke at the Festhalle again.

Left: The Festhalle in the 1920’s
Centre: After the bombing in 1942
Right: The Festhalle today

Inside the Festhalle

FRANKFURT AM MAIN

Plane and Sonderzug (7)

Location: The Flugplatz is on the Airportring, the railroad runs north of it.

Today: Still there

On June 17, 1940 Hitler flew to Frankfurt from Belgium to go to München. In Frankfurt he got aboard his Sonderzug and he went to München.

Reichsautobahn Frankfurt - Darmstadt (1)
Location: Exact locations unknown
Today: The Reichsautobahn is still there
Adolf Hitler started the building of the first section of the autobahn from Frankfurt am Main to Darmstadt on September 23, 1933 in Frankfurt. On May 19, 1935 Hitler opened the highway. Look here for more.

Festhalle (2)
Location: Exerzierplatz, near the present Hauptbahnhof, to the southeast of the Rheinstrasse
Today: Gone, the Rheinstrasse is called Berliner Allee now.
On November 13, 1931 Hitler held a speech at the Festhalle.

An old picture of the Festhalle

Radrennbahn
Location: Not sure
Today: There is a new Radrennbahn on the Heidelbergerstrasse, but if it’s on the original location I don’t know.
On June 15, 1932 Hitler held a speech at the Radrennbahn in Darmstadt.

DARMSTADT

Hitler visits his soldiers
Location: Unknown
On December 23, 1939 Hitler visited an Aufklarungsstaffel, Infanterie Regiment Grossdeutschland, and Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler.

Festzelt (tent) on the Marktplatz (17)
Location: Marktplatz the Kornmarkt between the Bahnhofstrasse and the Böhmergasse
Today: Still there
On October 31, 1932 Hitler spoke to some 30.000 people in Limburg an der Lahn.

Left: Hitler in Limburg an der Lahn
Above: the Kornmarkt (source: www.flickr.com)

LIMBURG AN DER LAHN

GIEßEN

Volkshalle (9)
Location: Grünberger Strasse
Today: Miller Hall
On November 9 (!), 1931 Hitler held a speech at the Volkshalle. On June 17, 1932 Hitler spoke at the Festhalle in Gießen. It’s probably the same hall.

KASSEL

Election speech of Adolf Hitler 1933 - Reichskriegertag 1939
Location: Friedrichsplatz (10)
Today: The Friedrichsplatz was bombed several times from 1940 untill 1943. Some of the historic building are still on the Friedrichsplatz. Some aren’t. The place has been restored.
Hitler was in Kassel in 1933. He spoke to a large crowd of people on the Friedrichsplatz. On the same day in the Wilhelmshöher Allee a Adolf-Hitler-Haus was opened. On June 4, 1939 Hitler was in Kassel for the Reichskriegertag. He watched a parade on the Friedrichsplatz. The Staatstheater, that’s on a lot of the pictures that where made of that event, was bombed in the war. After the war the old theatre was broken down and replaced by a new one, that was ready in 1959.

The Friedrichplatz in 1783

The Friedrichsplatz in 1938

The Friedrichplatz today

The Wilhelmshöherplatz

A postcard of the old Staatstheater on the Friedrichsplatz

The Friedrichsplatz on June 4, 1939 with Adolf Hitler. In the background is the Staatstheater.
(picture: LIFE magazine)

The new Staatstheater in 1959.
(picture: Bundesarchiv)

Election speeches in a tent in 1932
Location: Unknown
Hitler spoke to 60.000 people in a tent somewhere in Kassel on April 20, 1932 (Hitlers birthday). On the same day he also spoke in Halle (Sachsen-Anhalt) and Marburg. On November 3 he spoke in a tent Kassel again, to about 50.000 people.

Adolf-Hitler-Haus (11)

Location: Wilhelmshöher Allee, exact location unknown.

Today: Unknown

Hitler held a speech at the opening of the Adolf-Hitler-Haus in Kassel on February 11, 1933.

The map shows the airport area in 2004. The runway was located between the two red dots on the right.

Großdeutschen Reichskriegertag (12)

Location: Arrival at the Flugplatz in Waldau; In between the Marie-Curie-Straße and the Fuldaaue lies an industriepark. The runway of the airport was a little east of the Antonius-Raab-Strasse.

Today: Industriepark Waldau, Kassel

On June 4, 1939 Hitler visited Kassel when the Großdeutschen Reichskriegertag took place. About 300.000 people took part of it. Hitler arrived at the airport around 10 o’clock. Keitel and Bormann join Hitler on his way to Kassel. Hitler leaves Kassel by air on 19.00 hours.

Both pictures: Hitler driving through Kassel on the Reichskriegertag

Großdeutschen Reichskriegertag – drive through the city (10, 13, 14, 15, 16)

Location: from the Leipziger Straße (13), to the Fuldabrücke (14) through the Altstadt to the Königsstraße (15) and the Friedrichsplatz (10) and he arrives at the Karlwiese (16) at the Karlsaue.

Today: The streets still have the same names.

On June 4, 1939 Hitler visited Kassel when the Großdeutschen Reichskriegertag took place. About 300.000 people took part of it. When Hitler drove through the city, thousands of people cheared him on.

The Karlsaue today

(picture: www.kunsttrip.nl)

The Orangerie on the Karlsaue

Hitler on the Reichskriegertag

Großdeutschen Reichskriegertag – Karlwiese (16)

Location: An der Karlsaue

Today: Still there

On June 4, 1939 Hitler visited Kassel when the Großdeutschen Reichskriegertag took place. About 300.000 people took part of it. At the Karlwiese a large army demonstration is planned. Hitler gave a speech in which he attacked England.

FRITZLAR

Speech for the 9th army-corps (8)

Location: The old Watterkaserne on the Kasseler Straße was the home of Artillerie-Regiment 5 and parts of the Artillerie-Regiment 9, 29, 45 and 65. There also was an army airport in Frizlar. The speech could have taken place at the Watterkaserne, but I don’t know the exact location.

Today: The airport is still there. Unknown what happened to the Kaserne.

On September 18, 1936 Hitler spoke to the 9th army-corps on the occasion of the so called Fahnenübergabe.

Adlerhorst (24)
Near Bad Nauheim, Ziegenberg (Wiesental), Schloßstrasse
Today: Some buildings still exist.
Hitler conducted the Ardennes Offensive here from December 11, 1944 untill January 15, 1945. Behind the castle were 7 bunkers built, looking like normal cottages.The castle and many homes were firebombed by the allied forces. After that German troops were instructed to dynamite the compound. The Wachhaus, the Pressehaus and the garage of the large motor pool building located in the village prop exist today. The castle is rebuilt. There are apartments in it now. More information can be found here: www.militaryhistoryonline.com

A picture of the Adlerhorst area

ZIEGENBERG

LORSCH

Friedhof (18)
Location: Friedhofstrasse
Today: Still there. Excact location of the grave unknown.
Hitler came to Lorsch on August 9, 1929 for a speech at the funeral of Erich Jost, a member of the SA.

Die Marburger Rede (19)
Location: University of Marburg, Lawschool (room 101); Landgrafenhaus, the 1920s neo-rococo class room building of the university, in the main lecture hall, Universitätsstraße
Today: The hall is still there today, including the original furniture.
Franz von Papen held a speech at the University of Marburg, that is said to have been the last public speech against Nazism. Hitler was furious. Von Papen resigned as vice chancellor, but he was a diplomat for Germany untill 1944.

MARBURG

Bürgerwiese (20)
Location: Erlenring 11
Today: There was a Festhalle on the Bürgerwiese once. It burned down. The firedepartment (Hauptfeuerwache) has a building on the location of the Festhalle. If Hitler spoke inside the Festhalle or outside on the Bürgerwiese, I don’t know.
Hitler held a speech at the Bürgerwiese of Marburg once.

OFFENBACH

Sportplatz (21)
Location: Unknown
Hitler spoke at the Offenbach Sportplatz on June 16, 1932.

Niederwalddenkmal (22)
Location: Am Niederwald; Rheingauer-Riesling-Route (L3034)
Today: Still there
Hitler saw the two monuments, the Hermannsdenkmal (Nordrhein-Westfalen) and the Niederwalddenkmal, when he was on his way to the battlefields of the first World War in 1914. It is said that he was very impressed. On August 28, 1933 Hitler spoke at the Saarkundgebung at the Niederwald-Denkmal.

The Niederwalddenkmal today

RÜDESHEIM

Adolf Hitler at the Niederwalddenkmal. It’s hard to see, but he walks inbetween the crowds in the centre of the picture.

(picture: Heinrich Hoffmann)

A large crowd has gathered to see Hitler.

(picture: Heinrich Hoffmann)

Through a relay greetings from the Saarland were brought to Hitler.

(picture: Heinrich Hoffmann)

WIESBADEN

Sportplatz (23)
Location: Unknown
Hitler spoke at a Sportplatz in Wiesbaden on July 28, 1932. There were about 50.000 people present.

One of the things Hitler is still credited for is that he was responsible for making the German highway-system. The plans for a highway between Frankfurt and Darmstadt, both in Hessen, were already made before he came to power. Hitler visited Frankfurt several times.

1. Autobahn, Darmstadt 2. Festhalle, Darmstadt 3. Festhalle, Frankfurt

4. Römer, Frankfurt 5. Braubachstrasse, Frankfurt 6. I.G.-Farben-Haus, Frankfurt

7. Plane and Sonderzug, Frankfurt

8. Speech, Frizlar 9. Volkshalle, Gießen

10. Friedrichsplatz, Kassel 11. Adolf-Hitler-Haus, Kassel 12. Flugplatz Waldau, Kassel

13. Leipziger Strasse, Kassel 14. Fuldabrücke, Kassel 15. Königsstraße, Kassel

16. Karlwiese, Kassel 17. Marktplatz, Limburg an der Lahn 18. Friedhof, Lorsch 19. University, Marburg 20. Bürgerwiese, Marburg

21. Sportplatz, Offenbach

22. Niederwalddenkmal, Rüdesheim

23. Sportplatz, Wiesbaden 24. Adlerhorst, Ziegenberg