Lecture 3

"The New Reich's Chancellery - Rooms and Destruction"

  

9.00 o'clock - The Basements of the New Reich's Chancellery

Christoph Neubauer gives an overview of the layout and the technical equipment of the basements which reached on some parts over two levels. To make this vast labyrinth of rooms (more than 200 rooms, an hydraulic lift for trucks, the underground road leading through the basements, the positions of the bunkers) understandable for the audience Neubauer shows it by using a Live - 3D - Model. 

 

9.30 o'clock - The Rooms on the Main Level
of the New Reich's Chancellery

In this section of the lecture the audience will learn from historic photographs, construction plans and 3D - Computer Animation how the rooms of the main level of the New Reich's Chancellery where utilised and designed. The main focus lies here on the so called "Passage of the Diplomats" which was a series of rooms followed by each other and designed to make more and more impression on the viewer until he reached the Great Reception hall.

 

10.30 o'clock - The Upper - and Roof Levels
of the New Reich's Chancellery

Using historic photographs and construction plans Neubauer reconstructs the upper levels of the new Reich's Chancellery including the offices, passages and waiting rooms. Furthermore he shows, using a Live - 3D - Model, the vast roof terraces and the cargo lift leading to the roof platform on the Court of Honour. 

 

12.00 o'clock - Lunch Break

 

13.00 o'clock - The New Reich's Chancellery -
An International Comparison

Here the New Reich's Chancellery is compared with constructions built by different countries in different times and from different societies. This comparison results in the understanding of parallels to those buildings, and offers a new understanding on Albert Speers construction. On top of that the question is asked if Adolf Hitler knew what kind of building he got built by Albert Speer with the New Reich's Chancellery.

 

13.30 o'clock - The Never Completed New Reich's Chancellery

Neubauer discusses here the parts of the building which have, for different reasons, never
been completed. He gives an overview on the role the New Reich's Chancellery played in Albert Speers planning for "Germania" and shows the plans Hitler had to extend the New Reich's Chancellery by adding to the Great Reception Hall.

 

14.00 o'clock - The Destruction of the New Reich's Chancellery

Shown are documents and historic photographs documenting step by step destruction of the New Reich's Chancellery by allied bombings, construction measures and Artillery during the battle of Berlin. Followed by a detailed look on the damaged building how it presented itself in 1945 Neubauer analyses the damages and discusses the question why the building was not used further after the war and was demolished instead. Examining the files of the east German secret service and the photographs taken by excavations after the war it is shown which parts of the New Reich's Chancellery are remaining in the Grounds of Vossstrasse until today.

 

16.00 o'clock - Discussion

A free discussion regarding the topics of the lecture guided by Christoph Neubauer. To answers questions of the audience Neubauer gives access to his archive of more than 14.000 historic photographs and construction files of the Reich's Chancellery and the buildings surrounding her.

 

17.00 o'clock - End