Book presentation: Eine Pflanz- und Pflegestätte deutschen Geistes?

The Festspielhaus Hellerau under National Socialism as a cultural venue and police school

Parallel to the restoration of the East Wing, the last remaining unrenovated part of the Festspielhaus ensemble, research into the history of these wings, which were first built in the 1930s as SS police barracks, was also intensified.

On the initiative of HELLERAU and the state capital of Dresden, historian Robert Badura from the Institute for Saxon History and Folklore (ISGV) has been working intensively on the history of the Festspielhaus under National Socialism, which represents an unexpected, contrary accent to the much-cited “place of modernity”.

The 2025 publication examines the building from the perspective of the history of violence in the 20th century and describes its role as a training facility for the Nazi police and its operations, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe.

In the book presentation, the author Robert Badura will give an overview of the key findings of his research. Afterwards, three experts will provide input on the topics of “Festival culture under National Socialism”, “Nazi architecture” and “The architectural legacy of National Socialism”, which will then be discussed on the podium and with the audience.

The discussion will be moderated by historian Justus H. Ulbricht

Duration: ca. 2 h
Language: German

You can sign-up for the book presentation via the following link:
Register here