"The banality of evil" is something that vexes humans to no end. We need "evil" to be larger than life, as well as grotesque, in order to get our heads around the horrors human beings afflict on each other. The serial killer often goes unnoticed because he isn't running around the neighborhood in a hockey mask carrying a machete. Instead, he is seen as "a quiet young man who kept to himself." In other words, "Move along folks, there's nothing of interest here." The same was largely true with the Third Reich and the Nazis. While there were a number of freak-show worthy people, the vast majority were "normal" (read, banal).
When confronted with the evil's banality, our minds short-circuit. We need Kehlsteinhaus to be high Gothic, with thunder and lightning and organ music in the background, filled with the grotesque. But it's not. It's not. Instead we see a conference room, not unlike any other conference room in any other part of the word, and we then wonder about what they are planning in these "normal" conference rooms.
Yes, but from the full quote “Evil comes from a failure to think. It defies thought for as soon as thought tries to engage itself with evil and examines the premises and principles from which it originates, it is frustrated because it finds nothing there.” And I was thinking of it in the context of our, too, pretty much finding nothing there (at the Eagle’s Nest).
"The banality of evil" is something that vexes humans to no end. We need "evil" to be larger than life, as well as grotesque, in order to get our heads around the horrors human beings afflict on each other. The serial killer often goes unnoticed because he isn't running around the neighborhood in a hockey mask carrying a machete. Instead, he is seen as "a quiet young man who kept to himself." In other words, "Move along folks, there's nothing of interest here." The same was largely true with the Third Reich and the Nazis. While there were a number of freak-show worthy people, the vast majority were "normal" (read, banal).
When confronted with the evil's banality, our minds short-circuit. We need Kehlsteinhaus to be high Gothic, with thunder and lightning and organ music in the background, filled with the grotesque. But it's not. It's not. Instead we see a conference room, not unlike any other conference room in any other part of the word, and we then wonder about what they are planning in these "normal" conference rooms.
Thanks for the photos and report. What is Hitler Tourism season? Do the Nazis only come out at certain times?
Apparently during the summer months, English speaking tourists flood places like this, Hitler's bunker, etc and most of them are there in admiration.
What is the Arendt connection? Banality of evil?
Yes, but from the full quote “Evil comes from a failure to think. It defies thought for as soon as thought tries to engage itself with evil and examines the premises and principles from which it originates, it is frustrated because it finds nothing there.” And I was thinking of it in the context of our, too, pretty much finding nothing there (at the Eagle’s Nest).