The Capital of the World Germania project, also known as Welthauptstadt Germania, was one of the Third Reich’s most ambitious architectural undertakings. Adolf Hitler and his chief architect Albert Speer planned to transform Berlin into a massive metropolis of monumental architecture, inspired by both ancient Rome and the neo-classical and National Socialist styles. At the centre of this project was to be the Great Hall, intended to become the political and ideological heart of the new empire. Germania was to impress with its grandeur and overwhelm with its scale, emphasising Germany’s dominance in the new world order. Speer admitted in his memoirs that Hitler dreamt of Berlin becoming the largest city in the world, surpassing London, Paris and New York.
The history and concept of the Great Hall
The Great Hall (die Große Halle), also known as the People’s Hall (die Halle des Volkes), was a key part of the redevelopment plans for Berlin as part of the Germania project. The monumental edifice was to stand at the northern end of the city’s main axis, in the area around the bend of the Spree River. It was planned that the People’s Hall would be the venue for annual NSDAP conventions, grand parades and official state ceremonies. Adolf Hitler had already created the first sketches of the building in 1925, but it was not until after 1937, when Albert Speer was appointed General Building Inspector for the Reich capital, that the project took shape. Hitler was inspired by, among other things, the Roman Pantheon, but on a much enlarged scale to symbolise the power and eternity of the Third Reich.
The Great Hall – cost and planned implementation
The cost of the construction of the Great Hall was estimated to be around one billion reichsmark, and was to be financed mainly from tourist revenue. According to Speer’s plans, the momentum of the whole project was expected to attract millions of tourists a year, generating huge revenues for the Reich. Construction was planned to be completed in 1950. In order to realise the project, it was necessary to demolish a large part of Berlin’s existing buildings, including the Alsenviertel district. Preparatory work, such as rerouting the Spree riverbed, had already begun in 1939-1941.
A model of the hall from 1939. Photo: Bundesarchiv / CC-BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Architecture and construction of die Große Halle in Berlin
The Great Hall was to be the largest of its kind in the world. Its base is 315 by 315 metres with a height of 74 metres. On top of it, a massive dome with a diameter of 250 metres was planned, the top of which would reach 320 metres above the ground. Hitler wanted the dome to be so huge that its interior was to evoke a feeling of smallness and awe in anyone who entered. The entire building was to be seventeen times the size of St Peter’s Basilica in Rome. Inside, it was envisaged to seat 150,000-180,000 people, and the main space was designed with huge columns, gilded mosaics and slogans praising the Third Reich. The main entrance to the building was to be flanked by huge sculptures, Atlas carrying the world and Tellus supporting the sky, created by Arno Breker. An eagle holding a swastika was planned to be placed on the dome, which was to measure 24 metres high and weigh several tonnes.
The Great Hall and its surroundings
To the south of the hall, an extensive square was planned, surrounded by administrative buildings, to be named after Adolf Hitler. To the north-west, behind the building and on the north side of the Spree, a huge reservoir measuring 1,200 by 400 metres was planned. Its surface was to reflect the monumental dome of the Great Hall and the symbolic eagle. The size of the pool was planned to be as much as fifteen times larger than that at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. The layout of the dome, the water reservoir and the east-west axis was clearly reminiscent of the Capitol, but its scale was blown to caricature proportions. Germania’s design also included a giant Arc de Triomphe, significantly larger than its Parisian counterpart.
The use of forced labour
Extensive use of forced labour was planned for such a huge undertaking. As early as 1939, the General Building Inspectorate (GBI) used foreign forced labourers and prisoners of war. A number of labour camps were set up around Berlin for the construction, including one of the largest at Staakener Feldstraße. In 1939, construction of a housing estate for 8,000 workers began in the western part of Spandau, but the project was discontinued in 1942. Speer personally supervised this work, which later formed one of the key elements of his trial at Nuremberg.
Construction problems and the project fiasco
In preparation for construction, Speer commissioned soil stability tests, which showed that the soil of Berlin could not support such a massive structure without additional stabilisation work. To carry out the tests, a special heavy concrete block (Schwerbelastungskörper) was created to simulate the pressure of the Great Hall on the ground. It turned out that the building would settle on the ground, which called into question its feasibility. In addition, Speer was concerned that condensing water vapour from the breaths of thousands of people could cause rain inside the building. A similar problem had already occurred at the Zeppelinfeld Hall in Nuremberg, which served as a warning to the architects.
The Great Hall in Berlin today
Hitler claimed that the building would last for 10,000 years, but his insane ambitions brutally collided with reality. The Great Hall project never lived to see realisation. After the end of the Second World War, the Germania plans were abandoned, and the land on which the hall was to stand is now occupied by a complex of government buildings and the Spreebogenpark. The only remnant of the construction plans is the aforementioned Schwerbelastungskörper, which still exists today as a testament to the gigantomaniacal ambitions of the Third Reich and is a tourist attraction in Berlin.
Source: veikkos-archiv.com, visitberlin.de
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