Description

Prior to World War II Jewish life and culture was a great asset to the entire Hesselberg region. Many Jews were eminant merchants and scholars. The National Socialists became active in the villages around Hesselberg in the late 1920's. The notorious anti-semitic publisher Julius Streicher established Hesselberg as a meeting place of the Nazis. After Hitler came to power in 1933 the NSDAP organized the annual Frankish Days, the largest celebrations in Franconia besides the Nuremberg rallies. Hermann Göring starred twice during the Frankish Days as a speaker. Hitler attended once. Up to 100,000 visitors on the Osterwiese listened to the virulently anti-Semitic speeches of Julius Streicher. Hesselberg was named Heiliger Berg der Franken (Holy Mountain of the Franks). The NSDAP planned to construct an Adolf Hitler School and a Julius Streicher Mausoleum but World War II put an end to those projects.