Hitler wanted a bit of the Vatican in Berlin

Kai-Petri · #1 (**permalink**) December 9th, 2007, 06:11 PM

Hitler wanted a bit of the Vatican in Berlin - World - smh.com.au

January 23, 2006

But the plans for a new, Germanic version of St Peter's Square, complete with a giant statue of Mussolini, have astonished historians.

Speer even built a scale model of how he planned to recreate the piazza's columns.

The Moscow museum's director, David Sarkisian, said: "The plan was for the new Berlin to be ready in 1950 after Nazi Germany had defeated the Allies. Hitler would declare Germany the ruler of a world empire, and at the centre of its capital … was to be a recreation of St Peter's Square in the Vatican."

Mr Sarkisian said Speer's plans included the columns from the square and at the centre instead of an obelisk, as in Rome, there would be a huge statue of Mussolini.

"Hitler considered the Eternal City to be the only city in the world to rival Berlin so he wanted to better it in every way possible."

18mile · #2 (**permalink**) December 9th, 2007, 09:39 PM

So much for Hitler supressing religion.

Hawkeye90 · #3 (**permalink**) December 10th, 2007, 02:13 AM

I recall watching a program on The History Channel about this. The modern architects interviewed were completely baffled as to

how Speer expected to build the massive Parthenon like structure and

maintain the structural integrity. The interviewed architects said it was an

impossible project, that the dome was simply to large.