American History

Germania (city)

Welthauptstadt Germania (pronounced [ɡɛʁˈmaːni̯a]), or World Capital Germania, was the projected renewal of the German capital Berlin during the Nazi period, as part of Adolf Hitler's vision for the future of Nazi Germany after the planned victory in World War II. It was to be the capital of his planned "Greater Germanic Reich". Albert Speer, the "first architect of the Third Reich", produced many of the plans for the rebuilt city in his capacity as overseer of the project, only a small portion of which was realised between the years 1938 and 1943.

Some of the projects were completed, such as the creation of a great East–West city axis, which included broadening Charlottenburger Chaussee (today Straße des 17. Juni) and placing the Berlin Victory Column in the centre, far away from the Reichstag, where it originally stood. Other projects, however, such as the creation of the "People's Hall" (Volkshalle), had to be shelved due to the beginning of war, although a great number of the old buildings in many of the planned construction areas were already demolished before the war. The Second World War and Nazi Germany's defeat by the Allies ended development of the concept.

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