Geoff Walden
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Reichsadler / Hoheitsadler Third Reich Eagles Remaining Today on Period Structures The Third Reich government adopted the eagle as a national symbol (Hoheitszeichen), in common with previous German governments and several other European countries. Originally, the design was to show the eagle's head facing to its right when used as a national symbol, and to its left when used as a Nazi Party symbol, but this convention was not always followed. The eagle's claws were to grasp a wreath of oak leaves surrounding a swastika. Most government and Party buildings, and some other architectural projects such as Autobahn bridges built during the Nazi period featured the Reichs Eagle Hoheitszeichen as a prominent decoration. In spite of a series of proclamations and orders from the Allied Occupation Forces in 1945-46, forbidding the wearing or display of Nazi uniforms or insignia, and ordering the removal of Nazi monuments, statues, symbols, and street signs, a number of these Reichs Eagles remain today (most are missing their swastikas, but not all).
This page lists some of these remaining Reichs Eagles - a notation of "unconfirmed" means I have not seen the eagle myself, or a recent photo of it. This list shows mainly those architectural eagles made of stone, metal, or bricks - not every painted example (there are many of these remaining, especially inside bunkers of the Westwall and air raid bunkers). This listing is far from complete - anyone with info or photos of additional Nazi Eagles that can still be seen today, or who can confirm those in the list below, is invited to contact the author at: walden01(at)comcast.net. This page also contains a section featuring Gerald Stephenson's photos from the mid-1970s. Many of the Reichs Eagles photographed by Gerald no longer exist today, making this section an important historical document. Click here to visit this section. This section of the page shows swastikas and other Nazi symbols that still exist on buildings and other structures.
GERMANY Alzey
-- Eagle over the entrance to the
Finanzamt on Römerstraße. Amberg
-- At the entrance to the former
Ritter-Von-Möhl Kaserne (later U.S. Army Pond Barracks) - This Eagle used to be on
the side of the gate building, but was removed when the building was demolished, Attendorn
-- Eagle over the entrance to the
post office. Augsburg
-- Landratsamt,
Prinzregentenstraße - Eagle over the front entrance of the building. Augsburg
-- government building at
Reinöhlstraße 72 - well-preserved Eagle on a side wing. Augsburg
-- Housing area on Theodor
Wiedemann Strasse - This small eagle on the left, which once held a swastika, is
part of a Bad
Hersfeld --
Former motorcycle troops Kaserne - Eagle on a building beside the main
headquarters building. Bad
Kreuznach --
Former Hindenburg Kaserne (later U.S. Army Rose Barracks) - slate decorations
above the roof windows with Eagles that once had swastikas, Iron Cross, Pour le
Merite (Blue Max), sword and oak leaf designs, and the Bad Kreuznach coat of
arms. Bad
Reichenhall --
Ritter-von-Tutschek Kaserne (or Gen. Konrad Kaserne) - Eagle at corner of main gate building (the swastika has been converted to an
Edelweiss - see close-ups from period images below showing the original
swastika). Berchtesgaden-Stanggass
-- Kanzlei - Eagle designed
by Kurt Schmidt-Ehmen over main
entry doorway (swastika was removed). Berchtesgaden-Strub
-- Gebirgsjäger
Kaserne - Eagle over
pedestrian entryway (swastika was changed to an Edelweiss). Bergen-Hohne --
Kaserne Offiziers Heim - Eagle and soldiers over entry doorway. Bergen-Hohne --
This Eagle with a nearly intact swastika is on the wall of a former hospital
building in the current training area. Berlin
-- Tempelhof Airport - Six Eagles appear at the corners
of buildings in the Tempelhof complex (Police and government offices). (see
also below) Berlin --
Administration building for Fritz Todt's Armaments Ministry - Friedrichsstraße 34-37 - Eagle on top of the building. Berlin --
Finanzamt, Bismarckstraße 48, Charlottenburg - Eagle above the entrance doorway. The swastika is
said to remain beneath the number sign. (info courtesy
Mark Grootendorst, Chris Hockley, and Thomas Krueger) Note: in late 2006
the number sign was removed, and some sort of material filling the area where
the swastika was carved could be seen. Berlin -- Eagle on
the former Fernmeldeamt building (now Telekom). Berlin -- Eagle on
a post office on Knesebeck Straße. Berlin -- Reichssportsfeld - At the entrance to the Haus des Deutschen Sports complex
adjacent to the Olympic grounds is an "Adlerhof" with two pylons with
golden Eagles on them, in front of the entry building. These were Third Reich
period Eagles, but not really Reichsadlers - not the government style, and
without swastikas. However, a nearby stone pylon does have a Nazi Eagle. Berlin-Hermsdorf --
Terracotta Eagle on a post office on Heinestraße. Berlin-Lichterfelde --
Postamt Hindenburgdamm - There is an Eagle with folded wings at a corner of the
building. Berlin-Mariendorf --
Martin Luther Memorial Church - This church that was decorated in the 1930s
features two styles of Reichs Eagles, along with other terracotta decorations
including soldier and Third Reich heads and other symbols, faces of farmers and
workers, and also religious symbols. All of the Third Reich symbols were later
modified to remove swastikas or disguise the original insignia (such as that of
the NS-Volkswohlfahrt, the public welfare service). A lighting fixture features
an Iron Cross. Berlin-Spandau --
former Beseler Kaserne - Eagle above an entry doorway. Berlin-Spandau -- Former
Schmidt-Knobelsdorf-Kaserne (BAOR Wavell Barracks) - There is a
much-defaced Eagle on a pylon at the entry gateway. Berlin-Spandau --
Fort Hahneberg - a Nazi Eagle (now headless) with swastika was added to this 18th-century
fortification's main entrance during the Third Reich period. Berlin-Spandau --
Eagle over the entrance to a former Napola (Nazi political education institute)
on Hohenzollern Ring. Berlin-Wedding --
Amtsgericht - This Reichsadler appears on the ornate Amtsgericht building in the
Berlin suburb of Wedding. Berlin-Westhafen --
Eagle inlaid in the brick wall of a large grain silo. Berlin-Zehlendorf
-- Eagle on a former S-Bahnhof building. Bingen am Rhein --
Amtsgericht - Eagle above the entry doorway. Bochum-Werne -- Boltestraße 38
- Eagle above the door of an air raid bunker - see http://www.dienstagstreff.de/de/ditreff/hq/index.php3. Böblingen --
Panzer Kaserne - Community Activities Club, Bldg. 3162 - Eagle above entry doorway. Böblingen --
Panzer Kaserne - Bldg. 2948 - Eagle above entry doorway. Böblingen --
former Customs Office, Mühlbachstrasse - Eagle above entry doorway Bremen -- Sögestrasse
59, at the corner of Herdentorswallstrasse - Eagle above an entry
doorway. Bremerhaven --
Zollamt Rotersand, Franzius Str. 1 - Eagle at the corner of the building with date 1936. The
outline of the swastika can be clearly seen within the wreath. Bremerhaven --
former naval hospital at Dr. Franz Mertens Str. 3-5 - Eagle beside entry gate. Bremerhaven --
Naval School on Elbestraße - Eagle above main building entrance. Bremerhaven --
Bahnhof Post - Friedrich Ebert Str. 77 Brensbach -- Eagle
on a pillar. Brodenbach -- The
war memorial has this Eagle on the front. Burg Pyrmont
-- Near Burg Eltz, in the Mosel
River region - Eagle on a column of local basalt near a small chapel in
the valley below Burg Pyrmont (does anyone know the history of this Eagle - why
was it placed there?). Butzbach
-- Schloss Kaserne - Eagle above
side doorway of the Schloss, which was formerly used as a Kaserne. Darmstadt
-- Technical University on
Lilienthalstraße in Griesheim - Eagle on the side of a wind tunnel building,
with the dates 1934-1935. Darmstadt
-- Technische Universität on
the Herrngarten in Kranichstein - Eagle over the main entrance to the university
complex. Darmstadt
-- Technische Universität on
the Herrngarten in Kranichstein - Eagle over the entrance of Building S2/02. Defersdorf (near Schwabach) --
at the gate of a former Luftwaffe signals post - Eagle with the inscription Dortmund
-- Finanzamt, Märkische
Straße 124 - Eagle above the main entrance doorway. Düsseldorf
-- Goethestrasse - Eagle on
building façade. Düsseldorf
-- Polizeipräsidium - Eagle on a corner of the
building, covered with a modern plaque stating "All People Are Equal Before
the Law." Düsseldorf
-- Polizeipräsidium - This Eagle is above an
entrance doorway. Erding -- (near
Munich) - Eagle with the swastika removed on a public works building in the city
park. Erlangen
-- Amtsgericht, Sieboltstraße
2 - Eagle over main doorway (sculptor Walter Bischoff). Erlangen -- Friedrich-Rückert-Schule,
Memelstraße/Ohmplatz - Eagle above side doorway - in this example, the
sculptor Walter Bischoff showed the Hoheitszeichen being held up by two school
children. Erwitte
-- DAF Schule, Horst Wessel Halle
(near the Schloss) -
Eagle on front of building (sculptor Willy Meller). Esslingen
-- Reichsbank - a large
Eagle on the front, smaller Eagles on the ends of the building (swastikas
removed) (unconfirmed). Eschwege
-- Bundesgrenzschutz Kaserne
(former Hindenburg Kaserne) - Eagle originally on the gate building is now
displayed outside the gate. Feldberg (Schwarzwald)
-- Parkplatz on highway B317
on the Feldberg Mountain - Eagle on a wall
commemorating the completion of a Third Reich construction project with dates
1938-1939. Forchheim -- This
Eagle with removed swastika is over the main entrance to the Bahnhof (train
station). Frankfurt am Main - Hainerhof
-- 1938-dated Eagle on a former government building. Frankfurt am Main - Praunheim
-- Luftschutz Bunker (air raid shelter) near Heerstraße - Eagle on corner
of bunker. Garmisch-Partenkirchen --
Krafft von Dellmensingen Kaserne (Artillerie Kaserne) - This Eagle with its swastika
modified to an Iron Cross is at the corner of a gate building. Garmisch-Partenkirchen --
former Standart Lazarett (garrison hospital); used by the US Army post-1945 as
the Abrams Hotel. An Eagle with medical cherubs was painted over the entrance. Gütersloh
-- Eagle above the entry of a Third
Reich building at Kaiserstr. 5. Hamburg
-- Hafenbunker) - Vorsetzen 70, between the U-Bahn Station St.Pauli-Landungsbrücken and
the U-Bahn Station Baumwall. Hamburg -- Arningstraße
Bunker - in the harbor area - Eagle dated 1941. Hamburg -- Billhornerbrückenstraße
Bunker - Röhrendamm - ceramic Eagle and 1940 date shield above bunker
entrances. Hamburg -- Hasselbrook
Bunker, at the S-Bahnhof - Eagle with 1941 dated shield. Hamburg -- Wiesendamm
Bunker, at the Barmbek Bahnhof, Wiesendamm 11 - Eagle and 1939 plaque above
bunker entry doorways. Hamburg
-- Former Lettow-Vorbeck
Kaserne on Wilsonstr. - There is an Eagle at a corner of one of the barracks buildings, along
with period decorations of helmets, rifles, grenades, gas masks, iron crosses,
and flags that once had swastikas. Hamburg
-- Former Estorff Kaserne on
Wilsonstr. - Eagle on a monument to the German Colonial Afrika Korps (the Eagle
originally had a swastika, which is now an Iron Cross). Hamburg
-- Former Douaumont Kaserne
on Rodigallee - Eagle on a tall pylon at the entrance to the Kaserne (now a
Bundeswehr University). Hamburg -- Glinde - About 15km east of Hamburg - a monument with a Reichs Eagle (unconfirmed). (This may be a confusion with a 1901-vintage eagle on a Bismarck monument near Glinde (Reinbek-Silk) - thanks to Phil Beckett for this info.) Hannover -- Maschsee - There is an Eagle on a pylon along the north shore of the
Maschsee,
commemorating its construction from 1934-36. The sculpture on top of the pylon
is a 1937 work "Fackelträger," representing the Olympic torch-bearer. Heidelberg -- Campbell
Barracks (former Großdeutschland Kaserne) - two Eagles at the main entry gate. Heilbronn --
Rosenberg Bridge - Third Reich Eagle on a bridge pylon (another pylon has an
Imperial Eagle). The Eagle originally held a wreath in its talons, but most has
been chipped away. Herrsching
-- Finance School building -
large Eagle over main entryway. Hillersleben --
Eagle in the masonry of the main gate of the Wehrmacht ordnance test facility. Holzminden --
Eagle on a pylon at the main gate of a Bundeswehr Pioneer Kaserne at Bodenstr.
9-11. Idar-Oberstein --
Partially defaced Eagle at the gate of the former Strassburg Kaserne. Kaiserslautern --
Panzer Kaserne - Eagle with head and swastika removed, over Command building
entrance. Kaiserslautern --
Eagle on a war memorial in Morlautern. Karlsruhe --
Eagle on a Luftschutzbunker at Rheinhafen. The eagle reportedly had a swastika
on its breast. The head has also been damaged. Kassel -- This
Eagle appears on a building that was a post office during the Third
Reich. Kiel -- This Eagle
is on a house owned by the German Navy, near the harbor. Koblenz --
Reichsbankfiliale, Neustadt 6 - Eagle above the entry doorway. Köln / Cologne --
Kolpinghaus, Steinkopfstrasse 9-13 - Eagle on the corner of the building. (See
also below for Eagle on the Martin Luther
Haus) Krefeld -- This
Eagle (now headless) is on a building on the former Bradbury Barracks. Künzelsau --
Bruder-Grimm-Schule, Schulstraße - Eagle preserved and restored above the entry
doorway. Also preserved was the motto "Nichts für Uns - Alles für
Deutschland" (Nothing for Us, All for Germany), in the wooden beam above
the Eagle. Lauffen am Neckar --
Neckar River locks - Eagle above a doorway of the lock building. Lenggries --
Former Prinz-Heinrich-Kaserne - Eagle on a pylon that used to be at the main
gate (see period postcard below), but is now on the parade ground. Lenggries --
Former Prinz-Heinrich-Kaserne - Imperial Eagle that had a wreathed swastika
added, replaced by the Bavarian colors. Lindau am Bodensee
-- Eagle dated 1937 above the
doorway of a building at Lingstraße 3, with a period mural of an ancient hero Lohr am Main --
Forsthaus (Am Forsthof Straße) - sandstone Eagle taking flight in front of the
main entryway. Mainz -- This Eagle
is on a Third Reich period building on Schillerstraße. Mainz-Kastel --
Corner of Dyckerhoffstraße and Wiesbadener Straße - Eagle on a pylon. Marburg -- Eagle
on the Hessian State Archives building. Marburg -- Eagle
on a corner of a building at the former Jägerkaserne (defaced with paint in
this photo) Minden -- Former
Gneisenau Kaserne (Elizabeth Kaserne under British use) - the Eagle (somewhat
damaged over the years) was left on the gate pylon when the swastika and
"Vaterland" were removed. Minden -- Former
Gneisenau Kaserne (Elizabeth Kaserne under British use) - Eagle and wreathed
Iron Cross as parts of
decorative statuary above a doorway (see also below). Münster -- Former
Von Richthofen Kaserne, Eagle over an entry doorway. Münster --
Oberpostdirektion at Hohenzollernring 56. Münster --
Gievenbeck (Oxford) Kaserne Münster Münster --
Hautklinik medical building - Eagle in the pediment. Munich
-- Oberfinanzpräsidium
(Landesfinanzamt),
Sophienstraße 6 - Eagle over main entry archways. Munich -- Bavarian
Nationalmuseum,
Prinzregentenstraße - Eagle above side doorway. Munich -- former
Nazi Party offices, Schellingstraße 50 - Eagle above the doorway (now
missing its head). Munich
-- Luftgaukommando,
Prinzregentenstraße - This eagle with the swastika partly removed is located above an
inner doorway (info and photos courtesy 3rmedals@free.fr). (see
also below) Munich
-- former Funk-Kaserne -
Eagle at entry gateway. Munich
-- Air raid shelter at
Gaißacherstraße and Thalkirchnerstraße - decapitated Eagle above the doorway. Munich
-- Kurfürstenplatz 5 - iron
Eagle in balcony grillwork; also other period decorations such as the date 1938
and a wreath that originally held a swastika. Munich
-- 1936-dated Eagle and period
reliefs on an apartment building at Winzerstraße 93. Murnau
-- 1935-dated Eagle on a
railroad bridge. Murnau
-- former Panzer Kaserne
(now the Werdenfelser Kaserne) - Eagle with its swastika replaced by a unit
shield. Nürnberg
-- Hotel Carlton - when the
Fränkischer Hof hotel was rebuilt in the 1990s, original coats-of-arms shields
were placed back on the façade of the new building - one of these shows an
Eagle with the swastika only partly removed. Nürnberg
-- former
Reichsbahndirektion, Sandstrasse 34a - Eagle with the date 1938 above the doorway. Pelzerhaken
-- Lighthouse - metal
Eagle with date 1936. Pirmasens
-- Haus des Handwerks - wooden
Eagle with various other decorations, including an unmodified Reichsnährstand
insignia. Potsdam
-- former Ruinenbergkaserne - Eagle
inlaid in the brickwork of a barracks building wall (restored). Rain am Lech
-- former Hitler Jugend Heim -
terracotta
Eagle over doorway. Rastatt
-- This eagle, with its beak broken
off, is on a pylon at the Ludwigsfeste. Rheinhausen (suburb of Duisburg)
-- This Eagle appears on the
Rathaus (town hall) on the Körnerplatz. Rothenburg o.d.Tauber
-- Finanzamt,
Ludwig-Siebert-Straße 31 - Eagle above main doorway. Schleswig
-- Eagle above the Finanzamt entry, Suadicanistraße 1. Schwäbisch-Hall
-- Two adjacent bank buildings on Sparkassenplatz have Third Reich Eagles on their exterior
walls (the first building was formerly the Post). Schwäbisch-Hall
-- Former U.S. Army Dolan Barracks (Flugplatz) - The former Luftwaffe
Kasino building has this Eagle with oak leaf decorations above a
side wing doorway. (See also below.) Schwebenried
-- Near Schweinfurt - The Gasthaus zum schwarzen Adler has an Eagle that
certainly appears to have once had a swastika in its claws. It could be that
this was added to an earlier eagle that decorated the "Black Eagle
Guesthouse," as this Eagle does not really appear to be in the Nazi style. Schweigen-Rechtenbach
-- Deutsches Weintor - Reichs Eagle with swastika partially effaced, by a
sculptor named Imanuel. Schweinfurt
-- Panzer Kaserne (later U.S.
Army Ledward Barracks) - large Eagle on main gate building (note that this
Eagle's head now faces opposite its original direction). Schweinfurt
-- Flugplatz
(later U.S. Army
Conn Barracks) - Luftwaffe Eagle on main gate building, another Luftwaffe Eagle
on a bunker near the airfield. (A barracks building also has a painting of the
Nazi coat of arms for Munich, complete with Reichsadler (swastika painted over.) Schweinfurt
-- Side building of a former
Hitler Youth school on Wilhelm-Leuschner-Str. - Eagle dated 1937 above the side
doorway (the head is painted green and may have been replaced). Speyer
-- Wilhelmsbau (Technical Museum) -
Golden Eagles that appear to have originally has swastikas (although the
building was built before the Third Reich period, it was used for military
purposes from 1937-1945, and these Eagles may have been added during that time;
photos courtesy Greg Pitty) Straubing
-- This Eagle on the riverside is
part of a stone bastion built ca. 1941 as a viewpoint overlooking the Danube
River. Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen
-- Grenadier Kaserne - Eagle
at the main entry (this is now a housing area). Stuttgart-Vaihingen
-- Government building at Lautenschlager
Straße 24 - Eagle with the swastika removed from beneath (part of a period
sculpture of workers). Ulm
-- Eagle above a doorway at
the former Eich-Amt on Elisabethenstraße. Ulm
-- Eagle above a doorway of
a former Finanzamt on Wagnerstraße. Villingen-Schwenningen
-- Former SS Headquarters, now the
Rathaus at Marktplatz 7 -
Eagle in the ironwork above the entry doorway. Villingen-Schwenningen
-- Former hospital, now the
Friedenschule on Mozartstraße in Ortsteil Schwenningen - Eagle above the
doorway. Vogelsang
-- Former Order Castle (Ordensburg)
in the Eifel region - Eagle on a wall above the Assembly Square; Eagle by
Willy Meller as
part of a sculpture on the Sports Field; one of the Eagles that were once on
either side of the entrance building is now in the Adlerhof. Webenheim
-- Kriegerdenkmal. Wentorf
-- At the former entrance to
the Bismarck Kaserne (1936-37), on the Südring (near Hamburg). Werl
-- This Eagle is on the main
post office in Werl. A swastika that was beneath it has been removed. Westwall
-- This Eagle dated 1940 appears
above a tunnel entrance in a Westwall complex. Wolfenbüttel
-- Flak Kaserne (Northampton Barracks
under British use) - Eagle dated
1936 (with removed swastika) on a monument at the entrance to the post. Würzburg
-- Nordkaserne - Eagle at
corner of main gate building.
AUSTRIA Hallwang -- Autobahn underpasses - two
Eagles with 1939 date (swastikas removed). Innsbruck -- Landhaus -
Wilhelm-Greil-Straße
- Eagle
on front of building. Vienna -- A1 Autobahn bridges - Eagles
with 1939 and 1941 dates. Villach -- A10 Autobahn bridge - Eagle
with 1938 date.
France Marckolsheim -- The
remains of a much-damaged Eagle can be seen at the Siedlung.
HONORABLE MENTIONS Eagles that no longer appear in their original locations, or that no longer exist but still have visible remains, or that did not originally have swastikas (and thus not Hoheitsadlers), or not actual architectural eagles. Ainring (Bad Reichenhall)
-- Former Nazi airfield
administration building (now a Polizei training school) - This iron Eagle
grasping a snake in its claws appears above the entry doorway. Ansbach -- This Red Cross eagle remains on a building at
Karolinenstraße 13. Augsburg
-- This Eagle honoring the
1936 Olympics is one of four Third Reich decorations on an apartment building at Berlin -- The new Reichs Chancellery
(Reichskanzlei) featured several stone and metal Eagles as Hoheitszeichen, by
sculptor Kurt Schmid-Ehmen. Some of these were taken by the victorious Allies in
1945 and can still be seen today in museums. Berlin
-- Tempelhof Airport - A large metal Eagle was displayed on the top of the
terminal building. This Eagle was removed in the 1960s and the head was sent to
the USA, but was returned in the 1980s and now sits on a stone plinth in front of
the terminal in "Eagle Square." Berlin --
Luftfahrtsministerium - This eagle was reportedly removed from the Luftfahrtsministerium
building. It is now on display near the Führerbunker
site. (Does anyone have any more info on this display?) Duisburg
-- Luftschutzbunker (air raid
shelter) at Friedenstrasße 3 - This Luftschutzbunker has an eagle head dated
1941 Euskirchen
-- Kaserne - This Eagle may
now be on display in the Haus der Geschichte museum in Bonn (unconfirmed). See http://www.dhm.de/lemo/objekte/pict/Nachkriegsjahre_reichsadlerEntnazifiziert/
. Frankfurt am Main / Höscht
-- Eagle on the Finanzamt. This
Eagle apparently did not have a Goch
-- This Luftwaffe Eagle with the
date 1944 was found carved into a tree in the Hochwald. Grafenwöhr
-- Kaserne - an Eagle above
a doorway on Bldg. 621 apparently never had a swastika, but a helmet above
another doorway partially covers a swastika. Masurian Canal
(Poland - former East Prussia) --
Recess where a huge Eagle was mounted on a lock of the Masurian Canal,
near Mauerwald. Munich -- Kongreßsaal of the
Deutsches Museum (Haus der Deutschen Technik) - This building was erected, with
Eagles at each roof corner, in 1935-36, but these Eagles did not have swastikas. Munich
-- Oberfinanzpräsidium,
Sophienstraße 6 (see above) - This Reich-style Eagle perches on the Bavarian
coat of arms - it never had a swastika. Neustadt an der Weinstraße
-- This Eagle on a pillar
near the stadium was emplaced in 1941, but apparently did not have a swastika. Nürnberg
--
Umspannwerk - Regensburger Straße - the outlines where the Eagles were
applied to each end of the building can still be plainly seen (period photos
from 1937). Salzburg (Austria) -- Schloss Klessheim - two
Eagles at entrance gateway (these Eagles were installed during the period
1940-42, but they never had swastikas associated with them). Schweinfurt -- Willy Sachs Stadion -
This Eagle on top of a stone pylon at the entrance to the
stadium complex was part of the 1935-36 construction, but it never had a
swastika. It was by Ludwig Gies, who later designed the "Fat Chicken"
Eagle that can be seen today in the Bundestag chamber of the Reichstag building
in Berlin.
Deutsches Reich Höhenmärken --
These iron survey markers can be found on churches and public buildings in the following
cities (if any reader knows of any similar markers, please send
an e-mail to the page author at: walden01 @ comcast.net (take out the
spaces on either side of the @). Waiblingen - Karolinger-Schule (I couldn't find this one - does anyone have a photo?)
GERMANY (no longer remaining?) Frankfurt am Main -- Drake-Edwards
Kaserne - The front gate of Drake Kaserne used to have Eagles at each side and swastikas in the
decorative ironwork of the gate itself; and two Eagles with the date 1937 on a building
of Edwards Kaserne, but I believe all of this has been
removed - can anyone confirm this? Nov. 2006 note - I have visited these
sites myself, and indeed, these relics are now gone (Edwards Kaserne has been
torn down). Frankfurt
am Main --
Gibbs Barracks, Marbach Weg - Eagle over building doorway.
This eagle was removed ca. 2010 - thanks to Greg
Pitty for info. Hamburg -- University
Clinic - Eagle above entry doorway. Eagle gone,
building demolished - thanks to Greg Pitty for info. Karlsruhe
-- Rheinkaserne - An Eagle
with swastika appeared on a building by a former gate - the swastika was still
present into the 1960s, when the Kaserne was U.S. Army Gerszewski Barracks. The
swastika was later removed, and the entire Kaserne was torn down a
few years ago (thanks to Marco Spadafora for confirmation). Munich
-- This eagle on a public building
was photographed by the Heinrich Hoffmann firm sometime after the end of the war
(1946?) - the swastika has been chipped off. Does anyone know where this eagle
was, and if it still exists? (This photo may be misidentified as a Munich photo
- this really looks like the eagle on the Vorsetzen/Hafenbunker in Hamburg (see above.) Nürnberg -- I have been told that a hotel building near the center of the Altstadt - perhaps just south of the Marktplatz - has a Reichs Eagle with the swastika covered over, but still visible. I couldn't find it - can anyone confirm this? Rothenburg o.d.Tauber -- I have read that there is a Reichs Eagle on the Sparkasse building on Kapellenplatz - I couldn't find it - can anyone confirm this? Schweinfurt --
This Eagle with partially-removed swastika was in a shield above the front
entrance to the Schweinfurt Panzer Kaserne HQs building (later U.S. Army Ledward
Barracks) until about 2010. The shield now displays the Pzkw I tank, but no
Eagle.
A few stylized swastikas and other Nazi symbols surprisingly remain today on buildings in Germany. Augsburg -- These decorations appear on an
apartment building on VonRichthofenstraße 26-34. The symbols, which were de-Nazified
after the war, Baumholder -- This
stone swastika remains in the wall of a building on U.S. Army H.D. Smith
Barracks. The building was renovated in 2013 and the swastika was altered, but
is still recognizable. Bavaria -- Somewhere along a road in Bavaria
is this period swastika carved into the stones of the retaining wall. Berlin --
Bendlerblock former Wehrmacht HQs building - part of the wooden parquet flooring
in the display area forms a swastika motif. Berlin --
Humboldt University - stylized swastikas in a staircase. Berlin -- The bronze bell for the 1936
Olympics had swastikas cast into either side, and these were not entirely
removed (or covered over) after the war. The original bell is now on display
outside the Olympic Stadium. Dortmund
-- A public swimming pool has a
decoration with stylized swastikas. Koblenz --
Reichsbankfiliale, Neustadt 6 - Panels above the windows contain stylized
swastikas. Köln (Cologne) -- At the famous Dom (Cathedral)
there are fountains with stylized swastikas; however, research by A. Egli
indicates this fountain was built with these designs in 1973. The Dom also has a swastika and the date 1935 on one of the spires,
but this is not visible from the ground (info courtesy A. Egli). See - https://www.infoladen.de/koeln/fnb/antisem/dom_hakenkreuz.htm
. Köln (Cologne) --
Martin Luther Haus, Mehlemerstrasse 27 -- Built in 1933-34, this building
features a relief carving of Martin Luther. Originally there was also a carving
of an SA Mann with an early-style Eagle and swastika. This carving was partially
removed after the war, but it is still visible, as is a quote from Hitler -
"Wenn so die Welt gegen uns steht, dann müssen wir um so mehr zu einer
Einheit werden" (If the world stands against us, then we must even more
have unity). Landstuhl -- In a forest near Landstuhl is
(or was in the early 1990s) a dam with a swastika and the date 1937. Removed
ca. 1998 - thanks to Larry Roche for info. Mannheim -- This stylized sword with the date
1939 and a swastika are part of a cast-iron stairway railing in a barracks
building. Minden -- Former
Gneisenau Kaserne (Elizabeth Kaserne under British use) - In addition to Eagles,
the
Gneisenau Kaserne complex features period decorations of helmets dated 1935,
soldier heads with eagles, oak leaves and iron crosses, and
flags that once had swastikas. Munich -- Haus der
Deutschen Kunst - These interlocked swastikas appear in mosaics on the ceiling
spaces between the pillars on the outside of the building. Munich -- Luftgaukommando,
Prinzregentenstraße - These ironwork swastikas appear on windows on the Oettinger Straße side. Munich -- A building at Marsstraße 26 has a
relief of interlocked swastikas. Munich -- These stylized swastikas appear as
a frieze around an entry doorway of the Antikensammlungen museum on the
Königsplatz. Munich -- "Hakenkreuzhaus" - in
1934 an existing building at Hanfstaenglstraße 16-20 was converted to a swastika shape, which is still
plainly visible from the air. (The original Munich "Hakenkreuzhaus" at
Donaustraße 25-31 was
rebuilt to a different configuration after the war.) (image from Google Earth) Northern Germany --
These markings all appear on grave markers in a public cemetery. Pirmasens -- This partially defaced Deutsche
Arbeits Front insignia appears on a Third Reich era shoe factory building. Sassnitz -- The Bahnhof (train station) floor
still shows a swastika border, only partially changed after the war. Removed
ca. 2008 - thanks for Greg Pitty for info. Schweigen-Rechtenbach
-- Deutsches Weintor - The 1936-dated wooden arcade pillars retain
carvings of runes, Sonnenrad (sunwheel) symbols, and even stylized swastikas. Veltheim -- The World War I memorial was
erected in 1936, and had a swastika that has been only partially removed. Undisclosed -- This stone helmet decoration
on the grave marker of a Third Reich officer clearly shows the swastika
insignia. Undisclosed -- This unaltered Luftwaffe
insignia remains on a pilot's grave marker. Undisclosed -- These unaltered Nazi Iron
Crosses remain on wartime grave markers. Undisclosed -- This bunker in the western
part of Germany has a swastika over the doorway, only partly removed. Undisclosed -- This Westwall tunnel entrance
has a faded white painted swastika over the doorway. Vogelsang -- There is a
swastika inlaid into the floor of the Ehrenhalle ("Cult Room") of the
castle tower at the Ordensburg Vogelsang. Wewelsburg -- SS
"Honor Castle" - A swastika appears in the Crypt dome of the North
Tower of the castle, and partially-effaced SS runes appear on a small guardhouse
outside the castle.
Wewelsburg --
former SS Kameradschaftshaus or Dorfgemeinschaftshaus (now the Ottens Hof
guesthouse) - Third Reich decorations on wooden benches erected in 1937. Poland -- This water sluice near the
Oder-Warthe-Bogen has a swastika and the date 1934 on the front face. Poland -- This bunker ruin in the
Pommernstellung near Tuczno had a swastika on its roof (now collapsed). Russia -- The Thingplatz
at Nordenburg, East Prussia, now lies at Krylovo on the border between Russia
and Poland, and the border area is closed to the general public. Consequently,
the Thingplatz, complete with Eagles and swastikas, is in a preserved condition
today.
My thanks to the following individuals
who have generously provided information and/or photos for this page - Karl Asmus,
Frank Backes, Keith Ball,
Jörn Baier, Phil Beckett, Monika Beutling, Jim Cobbs, Tiago
Colombo
Gerald Stephenson's Reich Eagles Gerald Stephenson photographed these Eagles when he was a U.S. Army soldier stationed in Germany in the mid-1970s. Many of these Eagles are gone today, having fallen victim to destruction of the buildings that once held them. If any reader knows the current status of any of these, please send me an e-mail at: walden01 @ comcast.net. Many thanks to Gerald for sending these photos!
Another view of the Eagle that was at the Nürnberg-Fürth Hospital (courtesy Jean Richter)
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