Bavaria Statue - The Bavaria Ensemble During The Third Reich

The Bavaria Ensemble During The Third Reich

The Nazis had an ambivalent and cynical relationship to the Hall of Fame and the Bavaria statue. On the one hand, the various plans they developed to redesign the fairgrounds on the Theresienwiese including the Bavaria and the Hall of Fame betrayed a total lack of respect for the location and the intention of their founders. For example, in 1934 they considered demolishing the Hall of Fame behind the Bavaria statue to make space for exhibition grounds, and the Theresienwiese was to be fragmented by avenues for large parades. In 1935 another plan was presented to eliminate the Bavaria statue as well, and in its place to erect a huge congress hall with a memorial for heroes. According to plans from 1938, the Bavaria and Hall of Fame were to be retained, but framed by enormous monumental buildings. The Theresienwiese was to be modified.

On the other hand, the open space of the Theresienwiese and the existing imposing and symbolic architecture were readily used for propagandistic staging, for example for the mass events connected with the pompous May Day celebrations which took place until the outbreak of World War II, as is evident in accounts written by the tightly controlled press.