A visit to Oppeln and the Annaberg
Re: A visit to Oppeln and the Annaberg
In 1918 all of Silesia had been German (or Austrian) since the 16th century, but there was still a substantial Polish minority, and when an independent Polish state was re-established it sought to claim as much of Silesia from a weakened Germany as it could. While the western Allies tried to decide where to draw the German-Polish border, the newly formed Polish Army tried to establish “facts on the ground.” They were resisted by the German Freikorps militias, made up of demobilised German soldiers. Here we see the interior of the museum.
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Re: A visit to Oppeln and the Annaberg
In April 1921, fearing that the Allies would give most of Silesia to Germany, the Polish nationalists launched an invasion, covertly backed by the Polish government. On 4 May they seized the strategic height of the Annaberg, which commanded the valley of the upper Odra. The German resistance was led by the Bavarian Freikorps Oberland, whose ranks included future Nazi leaders such as Sepp Dietrich, Rudolf Höss and Edmund Heines. Here we see Polish posters urging the population of Silesia (both Polish and German) to support union with Poland.
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Re: A visit to Oppeln and the Annaberg
On 21 May the Germans counter-attacked and drove the Poles off the mountain. Fighting continued until June, but the Germans had successfully prevented the Poles taking over upper Silesia, although some districts were transferred to Poland after local referendums. Germany reclaimed these areas, and more besides, in 1939, but in 1945 the whole of Silesia passed to Poland and the German population was expelled. Here we see some of the Polish forces. The museum is extremely one-sided and contains no photos of the German forces. When the Nazis came to power in 1933, they incorporated the fighting in Silesia in the early 20s into their nationalist myth-making, and regular commemorative rallies were held there.
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Re: A visit to Oppeln and the Annaberg
Between 1934 and 1938 a disused limestone quarry near the village of Sankt Annaberg was converted into a huge amphitheatre, known as a Thingstätte. “Thing” is a Nordic word meaning “assembly” (the Icelandic parliament is called the Althing), so Thingstätte means “assembly place.” The völkisch movement associated with the Nazi Party intended these places to be used for rallies and theatrical productions, as part of a revived “Nordic” culture. They were initially supported by Josef Goebbels and the Propaganda Ministry, but after the mid 1930s Goebbels lost interest and the Thingstätte movement faded. About 40 Thingstätte were built, and most still exist. This is my photo of the one of the best known, on the Heiligenberg outside Heidelberg.
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Re: A visit to Oppeln and the Annaberg
The Anneberg Thingstätte was officially called the Feierstätte der Schlesier (Celebration Place of the Silesians). It is one of the biggest Thingstätte. According to the museum, when Pope John Paul II came here in June 1983, the theatre held 100,000 people. Big as it is, I doubt it can seat that many, but as this photo shows, most of them stood. Curiously, I’ve not been able to find any photos showing the amphitheatre in use by the Nazis.
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Re: A visit to Oppeln and the Annaberg
This photo shows the Thingstätte as it looked after completion. Comparing it with the following six photos, which show it as it looks today, it is evident that it has considerably deteriorated. The stonework has been allowed to weather and the trees have grown up around it. Given how far it is from any major population centre, I doubt it gets much use.
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Re: A visit to Oppeln and the Annaberg
The amphitheatre today.
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Re: A visit to Oppeln and the Annaberg
The amphitheatre today.
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Re: A visit to Oppeln and the Annaberg
The amphitheatre today.
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Re: A visit to Oppeln and the Annaberg
The amphitheatre today.
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Re: A visit to Oppeln and the Annaberg
The amphitheatre today.
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Re: A visit to Oppeln and the Annaberg
The amphitheatre today.
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