Guide Note

Berlin's Myth Germania exhibit showcases Hitler's elaborate plans for reconstructing the Nazi capital after World War II. Hitler and his architect colleague Albert Speer had hoped to completely reconstruct the city of Berlin into a so-called "World Capital Germania," a center of global activity rivaling the famed Great Cities of antiquity. The centerpieces of the new capital were to be the Volkshalle, or People's Hall, a model of which is currently on display in the exhibit, and a German version of Paris' Arc de Triomphe called the Triumphbogen. The plans would have essentially gutted most of Berlin's historical districts in favor of new boulevards lined with monuments and large buildings.

Fast Facts

1. Exhibit will be open from March 15 through December 31, 2008
2. Hitler had long disliked the design and layout of Berlin¹
3. Some construction actually began below Tiergarten Park
4. The plans included boulevards, squares and an 290-meter high Great Hall¹
5. The Great Hall was designed to have space for 180,000 people¹

Berlin Tunnels

• August 2000: Three tunnels were opened under Tiergarten park in Berlin¹
• 1938: Tunnels were constructed as part of an underground network designed by architect Albert Speer¹
• The tunnels are 16 meter deep¹
• The tunnels are between 90 and 220 meters long¹
• British forces closed the tunnel after WWII¹
• 1969: The tunnels were rediscovered but remained closed¹
• 1990: The tunnels were handed to the city of Berlin, a year after the fall of the Berlin Wall¹

Related Pages on Mahalo

Adolf Hitler | Germany | Berlin | Nazi | World War II | Germany

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