211 Comments for Heidelberg Thingplatz

from the Finnish posted by Juho- Looks just like the good feeling would roll downhill

Näyttää ihan siltä kuin hyvä olo vierisi alarinteeseen päin... :)

I could just sit there, contemplate, and mediate for hours. I can easily see, in this surrounding, these steps leading closer to God.

I see the two people, too. Wonder what's going through their minds as they sit there???

Sometimes I think life would be much easier and less stressful if we would turn off the technology (TVs, Internet, and gaming) and 'turn back on' to nature, our roots, and people as a species.

Yes -
and all can think of is how cleverly this is made.

Okay, heres a more or less literally translated version (there were a couple of phrases that where almost impossible to translate)

Open-air-theatre "Thingstaette"

After the takeover, the "Heiligenberg" was an inherrent part of the nationalsocialistic blood and soil mysticism. After a 12 months construction period, the Reichsarbeitsdienst created - with help of the Heidelberg students - the so-called "Thingstaette auf dem heiligen Berg" (Thingstaette on the holy mountain) on the supposed Germanic ritual place - an open air theatre for NS presentations. Propaganda-minister Joseph Goebbels inducted the Thingstaette on June, 22. in the context of a solstice celebration, declaring it a "true church of the Reich" and "turned into stone Nationalsocialism". Goebbels´ performance, a forest of banners, music and a gigantic choir attracted over 20.000 people into the complex - numbers never matched in later solstice celebrations or Thing games.
In 1936 the expression "Thingstaette" was changed into "Feierstaette Heiligenberg" - the Nationalsocialists had lost interest in the "Thing-movement". It was replaced by movie and radio - a far more effective instrument.

Oh, I really like the lines and greens in this one.

@Team Stretch
ok, a little late answer... :) Well, first of all, the structure is not typically Roman, the Greek as well as other ancient cultures very early found out about the advantages of that design when it comes to visibility and audibility. Second, Germanic tribes were not that "rag-tag" as often imagined at all. They had a strong liking for colorful and ornamental jewelry. And calling them "warring" doesn't do them justice at all. The Romans for example were much more into warmongering as the history shows.

German history classes begin with stone age and end with the 1990s. An unproportionally big part of course covers the time from 1933 to 1945. That darkest of all times is depicted in detail and not leaving out the atrocities done by Germans. The goal is to clarify not glorify what happened then and why. To prevent anything similar happening again.

I remember being there around 20 years ago. I was staying in Heidelberg for some weeks and got dragged along to some birthday party of a friend's friend. He did it up there and it was kinda fun being in this huge arena at night, having some beers and eating what everybody had brought along. At some point the police arrived, but didn't interfere. They just watched and quietly left. It turned out that guy had birthday the very same day as the "Führer", April 20th. I guess the police saw it was no "Führer's birthday celebration", but just some more or less alternatively looking students. :)

Really nice Gallery. Thanks.

LOVE this picture.

Cool picture!

so cool :)

breathtaking... simply breathtaking.