Abstract
This chapter focuses on the so-called Thingstätten or Thingplätze (amphitheatres) that were built during the Nazi era in the 1930s. About four hundred sites were planned, but in the end, only about fifty were finished. Different from many other Nazi structures, the Thingstätten are nearly forgotten today. This is surprising, since some remained in use after the Second World War and others ‘survived’ as modern ruins. The chapter explores this special and failed form of architecture through three case studies, and focuses on how these structures were dealt with after 1945. Thus, the main objective lies in showing how they were neglected, reused, and reinterpreted, as well as any associated social negotiation processes. The author concludes that Thingstätten are visible-invisible remnants of the Nazi era that were appropriated often inconspicuously and silently.
Samida, Stefanie