1938 - Nazi Nuremberg Rally

The annual Nazi Party rally was a key propaganda event showcasing the intimidating might, organization and commitment of Hitler's supporters.

Although there were earlier rallies of the Nazi Party in Nuremberg (in 1923, 1926, 1927 and 1929), it is the rallies held in the city between 1933 and 1938 after Hitler came to power that showed Germans and the world how huge gatherings with tremendous spectacle and displays of strength could be used to shape the views and feelings of many millions of German people choosing Nuremberg as the venue for Nazi Party rallies, Hitler and his associates wanted to emphasise the continuity of German history.

Nuremberg had been a major medieval town, at the junction of a number of significant trade routes. It was also the birthplace of the great Renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer, and the centre of a strong tradition of popular poetry and song known as Meistersänger). Thus to Hitler and other Nazi leaders Nuremberg seemed to provide a suitable backdrop and arena for their displays of power and the broadcasting of the messages that their propagandists designed to win support for their policies.

​The final rally, in 1938, ran from 5th to 12th September and was the biggest ever. The theme was ‘Greater Germany’and each day was devoted to a separate topic: Welcome, Congress of Labour, Fellowship, Politics, Youth, Storm Troopers and Armed Forces. The experience of the previous rallies was drawn on to ensure the effectiveness of the parades, banners, speeches, torchlight processions and fireworks. Attended by over one million people, the events were recorded by hundreds of reporters from all over the world. However, this was the final Nuremberg spectacle: a year later, Germany was at war.

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