Monday, January 7, 2013

Feldherrenhalle and Dodger's Alley


King Ludwig I built Field Marshall’s Hall to honor Bavarian Generals and symbolize the Bavarian Army’s strength.  There are two bronze statues in the hall commemorating General Tilly and General Wrede.  There are two large lion statues guarding the front of the hall.  One is facing the church with its mouth closed and the other is facing the parliament building with its mouth open.  This is because you should not speak out against your god hence the mouth closed and you should speak out against your government hence the mouth open.  Hitler gave many speeches on the stairs in-between these lions.    


This is also the site of the failed beer hall putsch.  Because of the curve of Residenz Str. Hitler couldn't see that the Government Troops had set up a blockade.  Hitler and the Nazis fought the Government Troops here.  When the Nazis came into power years later Hitler made this a designated national shrine and everyone who passed by was obligated to salute. 



He placed a Nazi solider by this so those who refused could be properly reprimanded.  Lots of people chose to walk around this and take other routes one popular way was to cut though a nearby alley.  Eventually the Nazis noticed and started recording peoples names that took this path.  If they walked through the alley too many times they were taken to jail.  The alley became known as “Dodger’s Alley” and commemorated today with a gold like painted down the center.      




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