Nazi Germany's Abuse of Roman Architecture

Nazi Germany's Abuse of Roman Architecture

Presenter(s)

Chase Kinder

Comments

4:00-4:20, Kennedy Union 310

Description

My research project identifies the specific intentions behind Hitler’s and the Nazi party’s decision to design their new state buildings in the 1930s based on Roman architectural structures. Precisely clarifying these intentions allows us to understand why Hitler believed that a connection with the Roman Empire would validate his power in Germany and secure his vison for the world. My research process involved analyzing secondary sources from historians who examined Hitler’s plans for the Third Reich’s architecture and interpretated the designs of surviving Nazis structures. This approach allowed me to evaluate why Hitler chose ancient Roman architecture as the basis for Germany’s new architectural landscape and how he influenced his most important state architects, Albert Speer and Werner March, to construct structures like the Kongreßhalle and Reichssportfeld, that were similar to imperial Roman structures. I argue that Hitler instructed his architects to fulfill his vision, that Germany’s public architecture resembles structures from the Roman Empire, because he believed that Roman designs would establish Germany as the world’s most dominant nation and make the individual German citizen feel like they are united under one collective. Hitler’s attempt to unify the German people under his rule with architectural structures provides more insight into his larger plan for mass conformity to the Nazi party and also helps us recognize when contemporary world leaders use certain tactics that force individuals to submit to the masses.

Publication Date

4-23-2025

Project Designation

Course Project - HST 304 M1

Primary Advisor

Dorian Borbonus

Primary Advisor's Department

History

Keywords

Stander Symposium, College of Arts and Sciences

Institutional Learning Goals

Scholarship; Traditions; Critical Evaluation of Our Times

Nazi Germany's Abuse of Roman Architecture

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