Figure 1.-- The older BDM girls from the Glaube und Schönheit (Faith and Beauty) movement staged an elaborate display at the 1937 NAZI Party Rally. Thousands of Glaube und Schönheit young women linked arms for an elaborate athletic display. Notice dirdles. The young women practiced for months to make sure their display would be perfect.

The 9th Party Rally was another NAZI extravaganza. It was the Reichsparteitag der Arbeit (Rally of Labor). It trumpeted the decline in unemployment since the NAZIs seized power. The NAZIs unveiled an enormous construction project designed by Speer for future Nuremberg rallies. The center piece was the German Stadium. The most visually notable spectcular was Albert Speer's Cathedral of Light. This involved 152 searchlights that shot vertical beams into the sky around the Zeppelin Field, symbolizing the walls of a massive cathedral. The events were spread over a week. September 6: The Day of the Grand Opening. September 7: The Day of the opening of the NSDAP congress with Adolf Hitler, Rudolf Hess and Julius Streicher. September 8: The Day of the Reichsarbeitsdienst (Reich Labor Service--RAD). September 9: Grand Opening of the NS-Fight Games including sacrifying on the new stadium, and other sports events. September 10: The Day of the political Leaders including a speech by SS Reich Führer Heinrich Himmler and the sactifying of police banners. September 11: Day of the Hitler-Jugend (Hitler Youth-HJ). A day was always devoted to the HJ. This was something Hitler insisted on, attaching great iportance to youth work. HJ leader Baldur von Schirach spoke. The American Life photographic magazine took color photographs of the 1937 Rally. The older BDM girls from the Glaube und Schönheit (Faith and Beauty) movement staged an elaborate display. The annual congress of the Deutsche Arbeitsfront (German Workers Front--DAF) was convened with their Leader Dr. Robert Ley and Dr. Hans Frank (the future head of the Generalgouvernement (occupied Poland). September 12: The Day of the SA, the SS and the NSKK. Adolf Hitler and the 'reformed' SA Leader Viktor Lutze presided. September 13: Day of the Wehrmacht (German Armed Forces). This was the occassion for massive parades of the Heer (Army), Luftwaffe (Air Force) and Kriegsmarine (Navy) with displays of new weaponry. Abd by 1937 after several years of massive rearmament, there was a great deal to display. Prince Chichibu, a brother of Japanese Emperor Horohito attended the rally, showing warming relatiins between Germany and Japan. Hiler received him personally. The film 'Festliches Nürnberg' used footage shot at the 1936 abnd 37 rallies. Julius Streicher had a book published, Reichstagung 1937 recording the various events with elaborate photographs.

Last updated: 8:01 PM 1/28/2012