Normally I only include one
or two pictures with each blog entry. However, when I was researching Germania I came across so many striking images that I
thought I’d share some of them here, starting with this artist’s impression of
the approach to the Volkshalle or
Great Hall:
This monstrosity was so huge
that it would have been the biggest structure in the world if it had ever been
built. Rising more than 1000 ft it had a capacity of 180 000 people. One of the
unpredicted consequences of having so many people in a single space is that
their breath would have risen into the dome, condensed, then fallen as rain,
making it the only building even to generate its own climate. To get a sense of
its sheer size here’s a model with the Brandenburg Gate in the foreground to
show the scale:
The Great Hall stood at the
end of the Avenue of Victory. The following two images show its position within
the city:
Another of Germania ’s
landmarks would have been the Arch of Triumph. Once again, it was planned to be
on a gargantuan scale and have a cubic capacity 49 times larger than the Arc de
Triomphe in Paris
If you’d like a virtual tour
of Germania , I recommend this video:
Nazi breath as spitty rain. Nice (not). LOL!
ReplyDeleteThe comments under this clip in YouTube are beyond scary. LOL! Oh dear. Take care
x
Kitty - this blog does not endorse crazy comments on youtube! ;o) x
DeleteThis is your best blog entry so far, and a double! Really interesting and I enjoyed the video tour. I think it was a shrewd idea not to repeat Robert Harris and have scenes set in Berlin/Germania, it's such an obvious location to use; it's what makes Afrika Reich different.
ReplyDeleteBest regards, Ron
Ron - thanks and glad you enjoyed the Germania blogs
DeleteHitler also made drawings of the Great Hall in 1925 and was inspired by the Pantheon (at least according to Griesler's autbiography. Btw, I liked the way he designed the Bridge across the Kongo in your book!).
ReplyDeleteThere's a more detailed Wikipedia entry on the Hall here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkshalle#cite_ref-1
I assume you mean Giesler, Monsterbau (great name by the way!). Very informative link too. I certainly learnt some new facts about the Great Hall.
DeleteI'm beginning to disagree with you (and myself!), Guy, maybe there is more to be said about Germanaia. Could you set a scene inside the Hall?
Monsterbau - thanks for your comment and link
DeleteRon - like I said in 'G is for...' there's a scene set in Germania in TAR2; I might not be able to set it actually in the hall, but it might feature in the background. In fact, isn't there a joke in FATHERLAND about the only way NOT to see it in Berlin is to be inside the building?
I added a PS to my comment yesterday but for some reason it didn't post. I was just saying that having walked down UdL and through the B.burg Gate seeing the size of the Great Hall in comparison is a jaw-dropper! No wonder they never could have built it.
ReplyDeleteTop video!
ReplyDeleteAnon - thanks
DeleteYou are aware the building such a city was a fantasy from the start. It would have been impossible to build such huge buildings on the ground of Berlin because it's boggy. To build such structures you need a granite foundatin - such as in Manhattan (hence why it has so many skyscrapers.) People always overlook this fact when talking about germania - including Speer himself!
ReplyDeleteGD - Thanks for your comment. See post 'G is for Germania' above!
DeleteGreat pics. I hope we're going to see more of Germania in Book 2!
ReplyDeleteAndy - thanks for your recent comments. Yes, Germania will have a cameo appearance in Book 2. Have replied to your other question below...
DeleteI can't see any photos!!! Just blank squares on my screen :-(
ReplyDeleteHopefully it should be sorted by now
Delete