Hitler Returns to Berlin

[Hum]

BERLIN ? Adolf Hitler is back in Berlin ? this time as a wax figure hunkered down in his bunker in the final days of World War II.

The likeness of the Nazi leader, hunched over a desk in a dimly lit bunker just before he committed suicide at the end of World War II, was one of dozens unveiled Thursday at the opening of British wax museum Madame Tussauds' latest branch.

The waxworks here are showcased in chronological and thematic order, highlighting Europe's postwar history.

"We polled people in Berlin about how they want to have the exhibition, and the majority wanted historical and cultural background to the figures," museum spokeswoman Nathalie Ruoss said.

The reviled dictator sits beneath a map of Europe on the wall, monitoring the advance of allied troops from the east and west. Deep lines upon his wax forehead mark his desperate realization of his inevitable fall.

In front of a reproduction of the Berlin wall, a waxy John F. Kennedy stands next to a video showing his famous "I am a Berliner" speech. German political bigwigs like Willy Brandt and former East German leader Erich Hoenecker are also depicted.

There are living stars, too. Visitors can cuddle with singer Robbie Williams on a sofa during a glamorous party with other wax guests like Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie and Nicole Kidman.

Even in wax, the presence of Hitler in the capital's museum created a fuss in the German media, with critics expressing concern that including him violated the country's strict laws against reproducing Nazi symbols. But defenders argued his role in German history could not be ignored.

So visitors can touch and photograph the wax figures, except for Hitler. Two security guards and video cameras make sure nobody breaks the rule.

In a statement, the museum said Hitler's rule "stands for an important, though also appalling, turning point in the development of modern Europe" and stressed that Madame Tussauds is "nonpolitical."

Another wax Hitler stands in the original Madame Tussauds in London.

The museum, located on the busy Unter den Linden boulevard and near the capital's iconic Brandenburg Gate, opens to the public Saturday.

source

[The Rev]

Ugh.... do we REALLY need this kind of crap?! Seriously, the guy was just about the most evil person the world has ever seen. "Hey, i've got an idea! let's make a wax Hitler to display and make people relive the horrors they've been trying to forget!"

Totally Unnecessary. Plus it is almost a form of idolatry/glorification. This man does NOT need glory or idolization. He was the lowest form of scum imaginable.

PS- i hope that bullet tasted REALLY good to him. He deserved every bit of it, and more.

[RAID 0]

I agree with ispam. When I was younger, us kids would ask each other's nationality. I told them I was mostly German. They called me Hitler. I didn't let it get to me, but this douche bag really left a permanent stain on the German people and culture. It's sad really.

All I can see this being used for, is to use as a target for a mini-gun or a nice .50 cal.

[Mr. Gibs]

I don't disagree with the fact that Hitler was evil considering what he did to the Jews.

But have you thought about what he did for Germany?

1. Germany was in huge debts to Britain/France, debts which they couldnt pay back because of an insanely high inflation. He got rid of that.

2. He made Germany powerful again, not the best thing but stil he got them out of the crap they were in.

3. The very first Autobahns were laid down in his time.

etc.

Plus a LOT of museums have hitler wax statues in them...madame tussads being one of them.

[zivan56]

For the 2 first commenters:

Trying to erase history often causes it to be repeated. He is a part of history, whether you like it or not, and that part of history cannot simply be erased or forgotten.

[mad_onion]

he is an important part of history and as such he should be remember for the evil he did.

[primexx]

For the 2 first commenters:

Trying to erase history often causes it to be repeated. He is a part of history, whether you like it or not, and that part of history cannot simply be erased or forgotten.

+1

Hitler - as "evil" as he was - is still part of human history, and you can't just go around ignoring that.

This is an exhibit depicting that small slice of history at the end of his reign, it's neither promoting nor demoting it, and even if someone put up an exhibit showing the positive sides of hitler, there's still no reason to censor it as long as the depictions are based in fact.

It's simply absurd to suggest that people shouldn't say or show anything about hitler which does not contain a negative value judgement.

...and that (the pic) looks like a finely crafted model.

[BoJo]

Precisely. You forget the evil by ignoring, you make the same mistake again. Don't try and fool yourselves by living in some lala land where everything is A-OK. Never forget, people are evil and life sucks.

OK, went way too pessimistic there but you get the idea :p

[Slugsie]

For the 2 first commenters:

Trying to erase history often causes it to be repeated. He is a part of history, whether you like it or not, and that part of history cannot simply be erased or forgotten.

+1 (Y)

[BoJo]

Oh and Razorfold...

Hyperinflation was solved by Stressemann when he reissued the RentenMark, so actually Germany was NOT crippled by debts at the time when he rose to power. The economic crisis which I believe you are trying to think of (which made people lean towards extreme politics) was the wall street crash of 1929 (when Germany had to pay back the loans which it had been issued with by the US under the Dawes and (potentially) the Young Plans. Frankly Germany's economy could have recovered and was not crippled by the reparations as is evidenced by it's recovery under the Stresseman government.

Sorry for the lesson :p Don't take it the wrong way hehe...

[George Bush]

There is nothing wrong with this news. For me Hitler was EVIL as well, however one person's evil is sometimes one person's hero. It is sad but true. You see Saddam as evil but he has many followers, you see Osoma as evil but he has many die hard followers. the truth is they are part of the history. It is very rude to call all Germans as nazi as what happened to RAID 0 as he said few posts ago. But Germany can not ignore him from the history as well. Overall as Razorfold said, Hitler did help Germany to have a powerful industry.

Of course i am not defending Hitler. I HATE HIM. but these are all facts.

[Mr. Gibs]

Oh and Razorfold...

Hyperinflation was solved by Stressemann when he reissued the RentenMark, so actually Germany was NOT crippled by debts at the time when he rose to power. The economic crisis which I believe you are trying to think of (which made people lean towards extreme politics) was the wall street crash of 1929 (when Germany had to pay back the loans which it had been issued with by the US under the Dawes and (potentially) the Young Plans. Frankly Germany's economy could have recovered and was not crippled by the reparations as is evidenced by it's recovery under the Stresseman government.

Sorry for the lesson :p Don't take it the wrong way hehe...

Ah true, you are right but also slightly wrong. Because Stresemann was during 1923-1929, when germany was already in a huge debt / hyperinflation:

Sharp criticism was levelled in Parliament and in the press against the extreme slowness with which long overdue taxes were being collected. The slowness in tax collection was partly attributable to the overworked condition of revenue and taxation officials. The sensational drop in the value of the mark due to inflation in the Weimar Republic made the financial position still more deplorable, and produced at the end of the year an unprecedented rise in prices. It also led to a positive inundation of the large western towns with buyers from the countries with high exchange. This resulted in Germany being drained of goods without receiving a fair equivalent. The stimulus given to trade and industry, though it certainly reduced unemployment to a minimum, was no compensation, because the export of manufactures involved a continual decrease of German assets. Eventually, all of these factors would lead to the mark being devalued to as little as 4.2?1¹²> mark to the United States dollar.

Stresemann got rid of the hyperinflation yes, but he never got rid of the debt. Nor could he get rid of the debt that would come in 1929. So you could say that sure he saved Germany, but at what cost? All of Germany's industries were tied to France, Britain and America, because of the treaty of versailles and because of American loans. So technically Germany didn't really have a strong economy or GDP, France/Britain/America would take some of it as reparation of the loans and stuff. Also, Germany's industries were cripplied so that "nothing" could really be "built"

Then in 1929 the stock market crashed, worldwide depression. Inflation returns to Germany, Germany industries can't do much because they have no money, unemployment increases, poverty increases etc. In the midst of all this the Weimar Republic isn't able to do anything and then in 1930 the Nazis win the election. Germany's industries become better, the war factories come back on line and Germany now has an army/airforce/navy etc, the debt is pretty much non-existant by now, the treaty of versailles was abolished etc. German people once again had pride in their country.

[BoJo]

I didn't say that he had payed off their debts... All I said was that he resolved the immediate issue that had caused passive resistance etc. etc. by turning to the international community (if you could call the LoN that :p)

Also, you speak of debt that would come in 1929. There was no more debt. What happened was that the American banks who had loaned the Weimar govt. money needed it back, thereby increasing the pressure on Germany.

ANYWAY... enough History talk... let's have more people saying "I hate hitler" and "but you can't forget history" again and again and again. :p

[Scirwode]

For the 2 first commenters:

Trying to erase history often causes it to be repeated. He is a part of history, whether you like it or not, and that part of history cannot simply be erased or forgotten.

I agree, if we erase it, we are only doomed to repeat it. I'm not denying he is evil, but he was an essential part of history, albeit a dark one, but one we must learn in order to never repeat the same mistakes ever again.

Scirwode

[Smigit]

"Hey, i've got an idea! let's make a wax Hitler to display and make people relive the horrors they've been trying to forget!"

It's in a museum...you know, a place of history? The fact you feel so strongly about someone who likely died well before your time is indication enough that he made his mark on history and thus a spot in a museum isnt unwarranted. No one is being made to go there or relive anything.

Besides he's not the only example of evil around. Should we forget the existence of the catholic church, muslims, Americas role in recent wars blah blah blah. Infact I'm sure if you go back you will struggle to find a group of people that either haven't done something evil or otherwise were lead by people performing evil acts yet didn't do much in the way to stop them doing it. And please don't use the whole "but Hitler was more evil (Holocaust especially) than our evil" excuse since evils still evil.

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

Hitler was a great many things ranging from evil to missunderstood, scientist to dictator, madman to patriot. Whatever we think of him - there is no denying that he is an icon of the 20th century. To ignore that takes the whole century out of context, and moreover ignores any lessons learned.

[valhalla_rk]

Can I use him as a candle?

[jabba1974]

Hi,

i'm from Berlin in germany.

The yellow press is full of articles about Hitler "returning" to Berlin.

That's a lot of b*ll.

Madame Tussauds is some kind of museum. Museums are for displaying history or other important things of our or past times. Hitler was an important person for the first half of the last century. important does not mean any judgement about good or evil.

Without those kind of people a lot of museums around the world would be half empty.

so, yes Hitler should be a part of Madame Tussauds here in Berlin.

We (the germans) will never forget our history - how about you? Do you know the history of your country - good and evil?

Greetings..

Jabba

[wellofsouls]

Hitler is evil doesn't mean we should try to forget him and erase him from history. There's the saying "Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it".

As for whether he's the most evil human being in the entire history of humanity, or the Satan incarnate on Earth, well, let's just say that if people like Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsch, or Plato were to become the political leader of a powerful nation, the result could well be much more catastrophic than WW2 and The Holocaust (anyone here have read Plato's The Republic? That got to be one of the most horrible visions for a country IMHO :blink: )

Besides, in terms of mass-killing and genocide, historical figures like Alexander the Great, Attila the Hun, Ghengis Khan, Tamerlane, etc. are well at the same level of Hitler, as well as the masscre of native Americans, the Witch Hunting and Inquisition, etc. not to mention Hitler is greatly outdone by both Stalin and Mao in terms of killing people, and the latter two are actually killing their own people.

one thing I'm sure, Hitler is a complex human being, not the Devil incarnate, and labeling him with that kind of over-simplifications like that is just as dangerous as Neo-Nazism.

Oh, and I remember several years back, plenty people say that Saddam Hussein is more evil than Hitler? :p

Edited July 4, 2008 by wellofsouls

[Hum]

My -- the history lessons you get on Neowin. :laugh:

Hitler's purpose was to test the people of Germany.

The Bully eventually draws out the Will and Power of the individual.

The 'power' was always within the collective will of the masses.

They could have refused to follow the leader and booted Hitler out at any time.

From my observations, billions of humans in both the USA and in other countries have not quite learned this lesson, just yet. ;)

[Rebdomine]

I think Hitler was a mastermind..

More leaders like him would be great!

[richardsim7]

Can I use him as a candle?

:laugh:

Hitler was a very good dictator, he just had the wrong ideas.

I don't think we should try and forget and erase history, we can't, but instead we should learn from it :)

-Rich-

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

I think Hitler was a mastermind..

More leaders like him would be great!

I take issue with such comments, and yet cannot help but partially agree. He was a genius, a master manipulator, and 100% set on what he wanted to achieve.

However, his goals and methods were outright dispicable.

Also, he was a genecidal madman!

We need strong leaders, but one's who are more accountable and less morally corrupt.

[jwjw1]

somtimes i think the jews still need hitler...in order to keep the jewish genocide alive and expect the attention...I think what happen to the jewish people is sad...but no sadder than what happen during the Armenian Genocide....do i think the jews really want 'Hitler' and 'History'..to disappear...i doubt it very much. How else will they bring up their struggle.

Edited July 4, 2008 by jwjw1

[zhangm Supervisor]

The context and presentation are appropriate. Hitler was a figure of political and historical interest. The horrors as well as triumphs of history are best remembered - not dwelt upon or forgotten.