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- [Narrator] A remote
mountain castle in Germany
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holds dark secrets.
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- It's almost like you'd expect
knights from a time gone by
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to come crashing through
the door at any moment.
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- [Narrator] Upon
closer inspection,
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this isn't a castle at all.
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- Why was it designed
structurally to look this way?
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- [Narrator] What
nefarious plans
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did the Nazis have in store?
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- They don't want just to
topple the democratic system,
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but they want to destroy
it from the inside.
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- [Narrator] And then
nearly 900 miles away,
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strange creatures are
found in a primeval forest.
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- This is a forest that
would have looked like
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that which covered Europe
a thousand years ago.
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- [Narrator] Rumors
of top secret projects
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and strange experiments give
way to horrifying truths.
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- Some of the medical and
biological experiments
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the Nazis undertook were
truly horrifying, pure evil.
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- [Narrator] What
did the Nazis want
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with this ancient forest,
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and what may still be
lurking in its shadows?
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[suspenseful music]
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1945, US troops capture
Vogelsang Castle,
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a strange medieval structure
on the top of a mountain
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in Germany's Westphalia region.
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The Nazis have long
since fled the area.
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- The decor is all very strange.
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You've got the great
big castle-like walls,
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these brutish
sculptures and reliefs
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of knights and Nordic gods.
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What dark plans do the Nazis
have here at Vogelsang?
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- [Narrator] As the Americans
inspect this bizarre complex,
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it becomes apparent it
is not medieval at all.
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- It's chilling because
it's built from scratch
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as this ancient medieval castle
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harking back to this
this ancient time.
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- But when you scratch
beneath the surface
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you soon see that that's not
at all what this place is.
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The grand stone
exterior that gives it
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this strong medieval appearance,
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is actually just a
facade that's stuck on
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to great concrete
slabs, and all of that's
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just for show on the outside.
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- Picking those stones and
laying them out is very onerous.
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It's a big task to do that.
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And it takes a lot
of skill with masonry
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to integrate that seamlessly,
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to make it look like that's
the bones of the structure,
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that that stone is how
this whole thing's built,
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but it's not.
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And that's really
expensive to do.
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Why would you do that?
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- Like so much of Nazi Germany,
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not all the architectural
embellishments
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served a practical purpose.
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It's unmistakable that
a lot of are there
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to imbue the German people
with a sense of superiority.
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- There's nothing really here
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apart from the
few small villages
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and an immense amount of forest.
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So why would they build
such a huge project
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seemingly in the
middle of nowhere?
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- [Narrator] The Nazis begin
by removing the local farmers
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in the area and claiming the
land for this awing structure.
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- So the dictatorships,
they don't have
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to ask for any permissions, so
the Nazis just took the land.
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- Germany has
plenty of buildings,
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and the Nazis certainly
weren't adverse
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to taking them over
for their own needs.
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So why go to all the extra
effort, all the extra cost
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of constructing
these new buildings.
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- [Narrator] Engineering
a project of this size
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on top of a mountain
in a remote region
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presents a multitude
of challenges.
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- And you'd have to
carve out your own road,
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clear away the forests, and
bring everything in by truck.
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- They would've had to
basically build a city
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for all the workers that
they had to truck in.
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It boggles the mind.
It's just that
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the scope of it is
almost unimaginable.
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- Mountains aren't great
spots to build things.
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You're subject to landslides,
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So a lot of construction
on hillsides
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revolves around
geotechnical investigations.
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A lot of foresight
has to go into this.
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- You have to build flat areas
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upon which you can then
build a structure on.
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But you can't construct
on an upper level
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until you've stabilized
that slope as well.
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If you have a terrace and
you put some heavy equipment
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on this upper portion,
it could make the soil
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underneath it unstable and
provide it to slip down.
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- We have a very weird
inherent heuristic
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that higher is better.
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This actually harkens back
to the predator in us.
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So a predator would
stand on a high place
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to overlook a large area of
land, to look for resources,
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look for prey, food, mates.
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By placing Vogelsang at
the top of this hill,
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you're really showing the
people who are in those spaces
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feeling like they've
conquered something.
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They're conquers,
they're predators,
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they're at the apex,
they're in charge.
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- [Narrator] It's not just
the location that was used
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to get the message
of domination across.
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It was also evident in every
detail of the architecture.
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- How much the building appeals
to you affects your mood.
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It affects your cognition.
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It affects your behavior.
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It affects how you
act and how you think.
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- Depending on the types
of materials that you pick,
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the types of lighting
that you engage,
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the way that you traverse and
move through different levels,
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it all impacts your
feeling about this space.
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- [Narrator] Vogelsang's design
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echoes the Nazis' insidious
intentions for this facility.
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- They're all sharp corners.
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The windows are the same.
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It's short and squat
for the most part.
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It was very ordered,
structured and utilitarian.
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So it felt like a place
that wanna get into,
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and you'd wanna get out of.
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It's a space that
reduces your creativity.
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It increases your stress levels.
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But at the same time,
suppressing your
thought processes.
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- We do know that the
Nazis were very wary
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of the spirit of
critical thinking
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that might cause
people to question
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some of the precepts
of Nazi ideology.
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- The human mind likes a
certain level of complexity.
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We know that if you
want to punish somebody,
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you put them in a space
that is very uniform,
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that has very little complexity.
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So you see the same
color everywhere.
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You see simple walls.
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You don't see a lot of
architectural features.
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Prisons work like this.
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- [Narrator]
Vogelsang's architecture
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was intended to keep
its occupants docile
and subservient.
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Could this be part of
an education program
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to warp the minds
of its students?
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A collection of statues
found on Vogelsang's grounds
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provide further ins to
this location's purpose.
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- As you moved through
this structure,
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you recognized that
these aren't sculptures
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that are inviting you to sit
and eat and enjoy and relax.
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It's more about strength
and determination.
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- Your eyes are driven to
things that are important.
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These spaces are affecting
you on an unconscious level.
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They're putting you in
a certain state of mind.
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It's already biased
you a certain way.
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- The monumental nature
of these structures
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is designed to make the
individual feel small,
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but also ideally to
make the individual
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feel like they are working
together towards a common goal,
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and that collectively
they are all powerful
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like the giant sculptures
that you see on the site.
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- This is something that
wanted to communicate
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a Nazi superiority.
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But then you notice
that there's nothing
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really very defensive
about it at all.
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So if it wasn't the military,
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then who was occupying
these buildings?
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- [Narrator] Perhaps
a clue can be found
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in the inscription on
this ominous sculpture.
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- The torchbearer is
designed to show strength.
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- It's enormous. You can
see it from miles away.
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- [Narrator] While
the inscription is
scratched out today,
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it used to bear a
frightening message.
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"You are the torch
bearers of the nation.
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"You carry forth
the light of spirit
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"in the fight for Adolf Hitler."
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- We know that the
Nazis had huge ambitions
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to establish the Third Reich
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as a regime that would
last a thousand years.
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Now could this complex have
been part of that plan?
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And if so, who was it that
attended these buildings,
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and what were they doing here?
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- If you look at 1933,
national socialism
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just came into power.
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It still has to
fight its opponents
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from its own perspective.
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So and therefore the idea
comes on the one hand
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that they need men,
and on the other hand
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with the racist ideology
in the background,
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they want to train a new
elite, a new German man.
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- [Narrator] Vogelsang
would become home
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to the Nazis'
grand plan to greet
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the next generation
of Nazi elite.
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Germany has taken
great effort to create
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a medieval-looking castle
in the Westphalia region.
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Statues and reliefs of
knights, swastikas and eagles
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are built into the structure.
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Within these walls, the Nazis
would cement their plans
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to groom the next
generation of Nazi elite.
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- Hitler saw the
Nazi reign as being
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the Thousand Year
Glorious Reich.
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So if you're gonna have
a Thousand Year Reich,
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you need a place to train the
next fanatical generation.
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00:10:01,324 --> 00:10:04,086
And if you're talking about
you're the masters of the earth,
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you need projects
befitting that scale,
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something jaw dropping
that people look at and go,
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"Oh my goodness."
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- So they deliberately
used methods and materials
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that brought age into
the structure to say,
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00:10:16,650 --> 00:10:18,272
"We've been here
for a long time.
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"We're going to be
here for a long time.
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00:10:19,791 --> 00:10:21,931
"We're going to draw on that
ancient strength and wisdom
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"and bring it forward."
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- [Narrator] Vogelsang Castle
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was to be a Nazi training school
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where students came to
be known as squires.
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00:10:30,250 --> 00:10:33,805
- There are only men here, and
those men that were selected
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they would have to be
physically, not only able,
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00:10:36,981 --> 00:10:40,847
but no what the Nazis
would call a malfunction,
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00:10:40,847 --> 00:10:43,228
so not even glasses
were allowed here.
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They should have been married
before they came here.
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And they would have
been in their mid-20s.
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00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:50,753
- Most of them were
generally working class.
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00:10:50,753 --> 00:10:53,411
They were deeply convinced
that this was their future.
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They were diehard Nazis,
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00:10:54,723 --> 00:10:56,552
and they didn't have
to be programmed,
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and they had already
subscribed to the notion
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of the Thousand Year Reich.
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00:11:00,590 --> 00:11:03,697
So they saw themselves as
the guardians of the future.
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00:11:03,697 --> 00:11:07,149
- The Germans considered
themselves all to be superhuman
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00:11:07,149 --> 00:11:09,599
and higher up than
any other race.
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00:11:09,599 --> 00:11:12,016
And the people who were trained
in the Vogelsang program
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00:11:12,016 --> 00:11:13,914
were there to be the
best of the best.
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00:11:15,157 --> 00:11:16,572
- [Narrator] Robert
Ley was the architect
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00:11:16,572 --> 00:11:18,643
behind this intensive
training program,
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00:11:18,643 --> 00:11:22,405
and was also one of Hitler's
most fervent supporters.
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00:11:22,405 --> 00:11:25,270
- On many respects he's
the poster child of Nazism.
235
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He's a fanatical Nazi.
236
00:11:27,134 --> 00:11:29,102
He doesn't come from
privilege and elite.
237
00:11:29,102 --> 00:11:31,725
He comes from a troubled
background of working class,
238
00:11:31,725 --> 00:11:33,520
and even lower working
class background.
239
00:11:33,520 --> 00:11:35,591
So at least in Hitler's logic,
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00:11:35,591 --> 00:11:38,214
he represents the true
face of the German people,
241
00:11:38,214 --> 00:11:41,770
not these intellectual elites,
but rather your everyday man.
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00:11:41,770 --> 00:11:44,151
And in a lot of ways
was a perfect choice
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00:11:44,151 --> 00:11:48,397
to develop a program which
was all about polishing Nazis.
244
00:11:48,397 --> 00:11:51,469
- Ley was also the head
of the German Labor Front
245
00:11:51,469 --> 00:11:55,128
and given charge of
smashing the trade unions
246
00:11:55,128 --> 00:11:59,097
and destroying independent
workers' organizations
247
00:11:59,097 --> 00:12:01,306
that challenged Nazi authority.
248
00:12:01,306 --> 00:12:02,514
- [Narrator] In Ley's program,
249
00:12:02,514 --> 00:12:04,102
Vogelsang wouldn't stand alone
250
00:12:04,102 --> 00:12:06,001
to create the new Nazi elite.
251
00:12:06,001 --> 00:12:09,487
There were to be four Order
Castles to realize Ley's vision.
252
00:12:11,420 --> 00:12:13,871
- Squires would first
visit Castle Krossinee,
253
00:12:13,871 --> 00:12:16,287
located in Pomerania
to learn history
254
00:12:16,287 --> 00:12:18,876
as Germany saw it.
255
00:12:18,876 --> 00:12:22,534
It was here squires would be
taught to be racially superior.
256
00:12:24,260 --> 00:12:26,607
Next, squires would
visit Vogelsang
257
00:12:26,607 --> 00:12:29,334
where they were subjected
to intensive sports programs
258
00:12:29,334 --> 00:12:32,234
and learn the value of
bravery and heroism.
259
00:12:34,167 --> 00:12:37,239
The third castle, Sonthofen,
located in Bavaria
260
00:12:37,239 --> 00:12:39,897
would test their physical
acumen and endurance,
261
00:12:39,897 --> 00:12:41,277
which was so intensive
262
00:12:41,277 --> 00:12:44,280
it resulted in many
accidental deaths.
263
00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:46,317
The fourth castle
was Marienburg,
264
00:12:46,317 --> 00:12:47,732
but its construction was halted
265
00:12:47,732 --> 00:12:50,148
by the outbreak of World War II.
266
00:12:50,148 --> 00:12:53,048
It's here squires were to
learn Nazi foreign policy
267
00:12:53,048 --> 00:12:55,602
to further the national
socialist agenda.
268
00:12:57,052 --> 00:13:00,883
- The idea of constructing
four separate Order Castles
269
00:13:00,883 --> 00:13:04,024
at huge cost, and then
designing a process
270
00:13:04,024 --> 00:13:07,096
to put squires through
all four of them,
271
00:13:07,096 --> 00:13:09,547
you don't go to all that trouble
272
00:13:09,547 --> 00:13:11,929
unless you're intending
the outcome of that
273
00:13:11,929 --> 00:13:15,587
to be hugely significant
to your operations.
274
00:13:15,587 --> 00:13:17,072
- When the Nazis come to power,
275
00:13:17,072 --> 00:13:19,419
it's not necessarily a given
276
00:13:19,419 --> 00:13:21,973
that they will be
accepted in the long run
277
00:13:21,973 --> 00:13:24,010
as the legitimate
government of Germany.
278
00:13:24,010 --> 00:13:25,597
They're not aristocrats.
279
00:13:25,597 --> 00:13:28,048
They don't have ties to
the old royalist circles.
280
00:13:28,048 --> 00:13:31,500
They are trying to create
a set of stories and myths
281
00:13:31,500 --> 00:13:35,435
around themselves that could
serve as a justification
282
00:13:35,435 --> 00:13:39,404
for their role as the
rulers of German society.
283
00:13:39,404 --> 00:13:41,579
- For the Nazis,
it's quite clear
284
00:13:41,579 --> 00:13:46,549
that they don't want just to
topple the democratic system,
285
00:13:47,723 --> 00:13:50,139
but they want to destroy
it from the inside.
286
00:13:50,139 --> 00:13:52,348
- [Narrator] Ley's curriculum
would look beyond science
287
00:13:52,348 --> 00:13:56,214
to validate the Nazi
leadership role over Germany.
288
00:13:56,214 --> 00:13:58,389
- In all academic or
scientific research
289
00:13:58,389 --> 00:14:01,392
you test, you come to
conclusions, you present,
290
00:14:01,392 --> 00:14:02,876
now it gets peer-reviewed,
291
00:14:02,876 --> 00:14:05,741
and then you might settle
on an accepted truth.
292
00:14:05,741 --> 00:14:07,398
The Nazis already
had their truth,
293
00:14:07,398 --> 00:14:10,815
and they needed science to
prove it, pseudoscience.
294
00:14:10,815 --> 00:14:12,921
- There was in the
eyes of the Nazis,
295
00:14:12,921 --> 00:14:17,304
a superior gene within them,
which they wanted to secure
296
00:14:17,304 --> 00:14:20,825
and basically to give on
for future generations.
297
00:14:20,825 --> 00:14:23,621
So with this social
dominance thought,
298
00:14:23,621 --> 00:14:26,866
they tried to get rid of
everything out of society
299
00:14:26,866 --> 00:14:29,213
what they thought
would be inferior.
300
00:14:29,213 --> 00:14:34,183
They took bits and pieces of
every medieval time basically,
301
00:14:35,426 --> 00:14:36,876
put them together
in order to create
302
00:14:36,876 --> 00:14:39,775
some kind of an artificial
reference point within the past
303
00:14:39,775 --> 00:14:43,158
to support the racist standpoint
304
00:14:43,158 --> 00:14:47,645
that the Aryans where
of pure northern blood.
305
00:14:47,645 --> 00:14:49,543
- When we think
about the Nazi desire
306
00:14:49,543 --> 00:14:54,514
to recast German workers as
members of the Nazi party,
307
00:14:55,929 --> 00:14:57,103
and the idea of just taking
over a small building
308
00:14:57,103 --> 00:14:59,243
and putting them in
there would not impress
309
00:14:59,243 --> 00:15:02,832
upon the recruits or
impress upon German society
310
00:15:02,832 --> 00:15:07,113
how important it was for
people to participate actively
311
00:15:07,113 --> 00:15:10,495
in the reordering
and the remaking of
society on Nazi lines.
312
00:15:11,738 --> 00:15:15,190
- Drawing you into a
fabricated history,
313
00:15:15,190 --> 00:15:20,091
it's presenting you with
a falsified aged structure
314
00:15:20,091 --> 00:15:24,751
to attempt to emphasize
your longevity.
315
00:15:24,751 --> 00:15:27,616
- Like a piece in
a jigsaw puzzle,
316
00:15:27,616 --> 00:15:29,721
it fits perfectly into it.
317
00:15:29,721 --> 00:15:34,692
The Nazis are fulfilling the
dream of an imagined past.
318
00:15:35,589 --> 00:15:37,315
- For people back in the 1930s,
319
00:15:37,315 --> 00:15:38,903
this was scientific evidence.
320
00:15:38,903 --> 00:15:41,802
This was based on a
Darwinian view of the world
321
00:15:41,802 --> 00:15:43,804
that some people were
better than others.
322
00:15:43,804 --> 00:15:46,359
And clearly Vogelsang
was very much a part
323
00:15:46,359 --> 00:15:47,601
of that racial idea.
324
00:15:47,601 --> 00:15:49,465
It was meant to
be this incubator
325
00:15:49,465 --> 00:15:51,709
that this Petri dish for
the best of the best,
326
00:15:51,709 --> 00:15:54,401
the elite of the elite,
the most superhuman
327
00:15:54,401 --> 00:15:57,611
of all of the best
humans, the Aryan race.
328
00:15:57,611 --> 00:16:00,718
- It's amazing how many
people were affected by it.
329
00:16:00,718 --> 00:16:02,685
How many people were swept along
330
00:16:02,685 --> 00:16:06,482
by this wave of symbolism
and sense of superiority.
331
00:16:08,622 --> 00:16:11,487
- A big part of national
socialist ideology
332
00:16:11,487 --> 00:16:15,595
is the societies and even
the people within society,
333
00:16:15,595 --> 00:16:18,908
they are in a constant
struggle against each other
334
00:16:18,908 --> 00:16:21,083
and only the strongest
would survive.
335
00:16:21,083 --> 00:16:23,361
So therefore, for the Nazis
it was really important
336
00:16:23,361 --> 00:16:28,056
to have a constant struggle,
even between organizations
337
00:16:28,056 --> 00:16:30,886
or within an educational system.
338
00:16:30,886 --> 00:16:32,922
- All of the senior Nazi
leaders, Robert Ley included,
339
00:16:32,922 --> 00:16:34,717
they're all jostling for power.
340
00:16:34,717 --> 00:16:36,616
They're all trying to
justify their position.
341
00:16:36,616 --> 00:16:38,273
They're trying to
build a power base.
342
00:16:38,273 --> 00:16:40,792
And for Robert Ley to
have this training school,
343
00:16:40,792 --> 00:16:43,209
this finishing school
for future Nazi leaders,
344
00:16:43,209 --> 00:16:45,452
well that would have
made him more important.
345
00:16:45,452 --> 00:16:48,007
- [Narrator] For the Nazis,
this grueling training program
346
00:16:48,007 --> 00:16:51,044
should reflect its image
of an ideal society.
347
00:16:52,563 --> 00:16:55,980
- We know that sports were
really, really important,
348
00:16:55,980 --> 00:16:57,947
which means that they
got up in the morning,
349
00:16:57,947 --> 00:16:59,984
the first thing
they did was sports,
350
00:16:59,984 --> 00:17:01,882
then they would
go to the lecture,
351
00:17:01,882 --> 00:17:04,402
and then they had sports
again in the afternoon,
352
00:17:04,402 --> 00:17:06,680
and then they would have to
do the homework, and so on.
353
00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:08,924
- The fear was always if
you're educating them,
354
00:17:08,924 --> 00:17:12,134
you're possibly allowing in
a critical thinking function
355
00:17:12,134 --> 00:17:15,068
that could cause people to
start asking awkward questions
356
00:17:15,068 --> 00:17:17,001
about the regime, that
you were better off
357
00:17:17,001 --> 00:17:18,658
putting them in a lot
of physical activities
358
00:17:18,658 --> 00:17:20,694
and telling them how
to improve their bodies
359
00:17:20,694 --> 00:17:23,870
rather than their minds to be
good members of Nazi society.
360
00:17:23,870 --> 00:17:27,080
It emphasized teamwork
amongst the recruits.
361
00:17:27,080 --> 00:17:30,290
It tested their
physical abilities,
362
00:17:30,290 --> 00:17:33,259
and it prepared them
potentially for combat.
363
00:17:33,259 --> 00:17:35,123
- [Narrator] Squires
were all handpicked,
364
00:17:35,123 --> 00:17:36,848
and upon arriving at Vogelsang,
365
00:17:36,848 --> 00:17:39,644
they would receive
a chilling message.
366
00:17:39,644 --> 00:17:42,302
- The cadets at the school
were greeted by Robert Ley,
367
00:17:42,302 --> 00:17:44,270
and he warned them that
if they walked away
368
00:17:44,270 --> 00:17:46,720
from this project at any
point in those four years,
369
00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:48,274
their career in the Nazi party,
370
00:17:48,274 --> 00:17:50,655
their future in Nazi
Germany would be finished.
371
00:17:50,655 --> 00:17:53,382
In fact, he threatened them
that he would destroy them.
372
00:17:54,728 --> 00:17:56,627
- [Narrator] Even Vogelsang's
mountaintop location
373
00:17:56,627 --> 00:17:58,594
seems to echo Ley's warning.
374
00:18:00,286 --> 00:18:02,529
- As a squire would be
starting down at the bottom
375
00:18:02,529 --> 00:18:05,049
of all of these structures
that are moving upwards.
376
00:18:06,223 --> 00:18:08,570
And so you see it
dominating over you.
377
00:18:08,570 --> 00:18:10,675
You see a very
powerful structure.
378
00:18:10,675 --> 00:18:14,507
But you also see a goal that
you can climb for yourself.
379
00:18:14,507 --> 00:18:16,474
You see that there are steps
380
00:18:16,474 --> 00:18:19,788
and a way to get to the
top to where you wanna be.
381
00:18:19,788 --> 00:18:21,548
So it starts off dominating you.
382
00:18:21,548 --> 00:18:24,172
But at the same time you
get an unconscious feeling
383
00:18:24,172 --> 00:18:27,830
that you can make it to the
top and dominate yourself,
384
00:18:27,830 --> 00:18:30,281
dominate others yourself
as a result of it.
385
00:18:30,281 --> 00:18:33,008
- The idea of Clemens
Klotz, the architect,
386
00:18:33,008 --> 00:18:37,978
is to show that the Nazis
could rule over nature.
387
00:18:39,428 --> 00:18:42,051
Which means if you stand at
the top, you have this feeling
388
00:18:42,051 --> 00:18:45,710
that basically nature
is laying to your feet.
389
00:18:45,710 --> 00:18:47,160
And if you're at the bottom,
390
00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:50,646
you feel inferior
and you wanna go up.
391
00:18:52,061 --> 00:18:53,477
- [Narrator] Even the
layout of the fortifications
392
00:18:53,477 --> 00:18:56,031
on Vogelsang's grounds
planted Germany's vision
393
00:18:56,031 --> 00:18:58,102
of total domination.
394
00:18:58,102 --> 00:19:00,967
- If you look at it, it has
a hierarchy within itself.
395
00:19:00,967 --> 00:19:03,763
At the bottom, you have the
swimming pool at the gym,
396
00:19:03,763 --> 00:19:07,801
and the track fields,
you have sports,
397
00:19:07,801 --> 00:19:11,046
and comradeship was the
next level on top of that.
398
00:19:11,046 --> 00:19:15,706
So the open air stage,
and you have the barracks.
399
00:19:15,706 --> 00:19:18,916
And the third level of the
building that was just started
400
00:19:18,916 --> 00:19:22,161
but never finished, the
so-called house of knowledge.
401
00:19:22,161 --> 00:19:24,370
It's the ideology on top.
402
00:19:24,370 --> 00:19:26,268
It's frightening.
403
00:19:26,268 --> 00:19:28,305
- Imagine if you're
a Nazi party member
404
00:19:28,305 --> 00:19:31,308
and you've been handpicked
by Robert Ley himself
405
00:19:31,308 --> 00:19:32,792
to join this program.
406
00:19:32,792 --> 00:19:34,794
From your point of view,
it's the golden ticket.
407
00:19:34,794 --> 00:19:37,797
You're gonna rise to the
highest ranks of the Nazi party.
408
00:19:37,797 --> 00:19:40,006
Maybe even one day
become the next fuhrer.
409
00:19:41,214 --> 00:19:42,733
- [Narrator] What
dark secret oaths
410
00:19:42,733 --> 00:19:45,908
were taken by the squires
to ensure their loyalty?
411
00:19:45,908 --> 00:19:47,531
What rituals would be needed
412
00:19:47,531 --> 00:19:50,568
to firmly seal their
membership into this cult?
413
00:19:52,536 --> 00:19:54,365
Under the vision of Robert Ley,
414
00:19:54,365 --> 00:19:57,334
Nazi Germany has developed
an extensive training program
415
00:19:57,334 --> 00:20:00,060
to groom the next
generation of Nazi elite.
416
00:20:01,993 --> 00:20:04,927
- For the average squire
involved in the program,
417
00:20:04,927 --> 00:20:06,964
who was really
committed ideologically,
418
00:20:06,964 --> 00:20:09,898
being at the center of the start
of the Thousand Year Reich,
419
00:20:09,898 --> 00:20:13,281
must've been a giddy,
exciting experience.
420
00:20:13,281 --> 00:20:15,524
- [Narrator] What kind of
dark rituals were held here
421
00:20:15,524 --> 00:20:18,113
to create such blind loyalty?
422
00:20:18,113 --> 00:20:20,874
The strange, seemingly
out of place watchtower
423
00:20:20,874 --> 00:20:23,946
on Vogelsang's ground
may hold the answer.
424
00:20:25,258 --> 00:20:27,364
- The watchtower is a
tall imposing structure,
425
00:20:27,364 --> 00:20:29,089
that's overlooking everything.
426
00:20:29,089 --> 00:20:31,782
It was a symbol of
engineering feat
427
00:20:31,782 --> 00:20:34,474
and construction ability
to build this tall tower
428
00:20:34,474 --> 00:20:35,751
out of concrete.
429
00:20:35,751 --> 00:20:38,651
And for it to be even
taller than this hill,
430
00:20:38,651 --> 00:20:43,034
it's indicative of control and
perspective over everything.
431
00:20:43,034 --> 00:20:45,002
- The idea of
building a watchtower
432
00:20:45,002 --> 00:20:47,315
as part of this complex
just feels very odd
433
00:20:47,315 --> 00:20:49,455
and actually quite misplaced.
434
00:20:49,455 --> 00:20:52,285
These were not
defensive buildings.
435
00:20:52,285 --> 00:20:54,322
What were you watching out for?
436
00:20:54,322 --> 00:20:56,565
- [Narrator] The watchtower
was not only out of place,
437
00:20:56,565 --> 00:20:58,981
it also had an
atypical interior.
438
00:21:00,431 --> 00:21:03,089
- Normally you would expect
that there to be multiple levels
439
00:21:03,089 --> 00:21:06,403
and lots of open windows
and spaces higher up.
440
00:21:06,403 --> 00:21:09,026
But the Watchtower is
actually functionally used
441
00:21:09,026 --> 00:21:10,752
a very different way
where all the activities
442
00:21:10,752 --> 00:21:13,237
were happening down
at the ground floor.
443
00:21:13,237 --> 00:21:16,413
And light was filtering
down through all the levels
444
00:21:16,413 --> 00:21:18,518
of the watch tower
to the bottom.
445
00:21:18,518 --> 00:21:23,005
The aesthetics of the space
are affecting your mind
446
00:21:23,005 --> 00:21:25,076
very differently than the rest.
447
00:21:25,076 --> 00:21:26,699
So what's done there?
448
00:21:28,356 --> 00:21:29,978
- [Narrator] Once the
squires entered the room
449
00:21:29,978 --> 00:21:31,566
inside of the watchtower,
450
00:21:31,566 --> 00:21:35,915
an entire new level of dark
and ominous trials await.
451
00:21:35,915 --> 00:21:38,987
- The cult room is probably
the creepiest place
452
00:21:38,987 --> 00:21:41,230
across the entire complex.
453
00:21:41,230 --> 00:21:44,026
We have records of
torch-lit ceremonies,
454
00:21:44,026 --> 00:21:45,821
rallies, and parades.
455
00:21:45,821 --> 00:21:48,617
Well, it's not that
big, but stood in there,
456
00:21:48,617 --> 00:21:51,724
it would feel
incredibly imposing.
457
00:21:51,724 --> 00:21:53,242
- If you were looking
to make a cult,
458
00:21:53,242 --> 00:21:55,175
Oldenburg would be
the right place.
459
00:21:55,175 --> 00:21:57,592
You've got these
statues holding flames.
460
00:21:57,592 --> 00:22:00,491
You've got the names of
the Nazi party members
461
00:22:00,491 --> 00:22:02,182
who were killed in the Putsch.
462
00:22:02,182 --> 00:22:05,600
And their names are read
out, and the cadets there,
463
00:22:05,600 --> 00:22:07,878
the squires have
to shout, "Here,"
464
00:22:07,878 --> 00:22:10,467
as if they're
recreating them again,
465
00:22:10,467 --> 00:22:12,296
as if their names will
be etched in stone
466
00:22:12,296 --> 00:22:15,023
and part of the Thousand
Reich mythology forever.
467
00:22:15,023 --> 00:22:16,921
It's the perfect
place to start a cult.
468
00:22:18,164 --> 00:22:19,890
- So the cult room
reminds me of a room
469
00:22:19,890 --> 00:22:21,270
where you would go to worship
470
00:22:21,270 --> 00:22:23,997
or to have a meaningful
religious experience.
471
00:22:23,997 --> 00:22:26,137
There was a real emphasis
472
00:22:26,137 --> 00:22:28,381
on celebrating and
mourning the dead,
473
00:22:28,381 --> 00:22:31,867
reminding the living that the
dead had not died in vain,
474
00:22:31,867 --> 00:22:33,697
and that if the
living were to die,
475
00:22:33,697 --> 00:22:36,147
they would have died in
the service to the Reich.
476
00:22:36,147 --> 00:22:38,943
This is in a way, a
political religion
477
00:22:38,943 --> 00:22:41,636
where you would go to
have a bonding experience
478
00:22:41,636 --> 00:22:46,606
with your fellow Nazis,
but also find your purpose
479
00:22:47,849 --> 00:22:50,196
in the collective and in
celebrating the rituals
480
00:22:50,196 --> 00:22:53,372
that bind you together
very closely as a group.
481
00:22:53,372 --> 00:22:57,755
- This space is really set to
crank up the emotional state
482
00:22:57,755 --> 00:22:59,895
and the cognitive state of
the people inside of it.
483
00:22:59,895 --> 00:23:04,279
It adds a level of this
is something secret
484
00:23:04,279 --> 00:23:06,488
because people can't really see.
485
00:23:06,488 --> 00:23:07,800
There's a small number of people
486
00:23:07,800 --> 00:23:09,491
who'd be in the
space at the time.
487
00:23:09,491 --> 00:23:12,252
And you're getting into
this idea that it's special
488
00:23:12,252 --> 00:23:15,255
and secret while your
arousal levels are going up
489
00:23:15,255 --> 00:23:18,189
that would put you in a
positive frame of mind,
490
00:23:18,189 --> 00:23:20,813
make you feel like
you were special,
491
00:23:20,813 --> 00:23:23,988
and it would feel stronger
to you than it would
492
00:23:23,988 --> 00:23:26,853
in a large open
rectangular space.
493
00:23:26,853 --> 00:23:28,199
- People keep telling you,
494
00:23:28,199 --> 00:23:29,856
"You are born to
rule over others.
495
00:23:29,856 --> 00:23:32,376
"You are superior
to everybody else.
496
00:23:32,376 --> 00:23:33,998
"You are the new human.
497
00:23:33,998 --> 00:23:35,828
"You are the new German."
498
00:23:35,828 --> 00:23:38,278
I think it's not
that hard to imagine
499
00:23:38,278 --> 00:23:41,420
that people start to
believe that themselves.
500
00:23:42,800 --> 00:23:45,251
- [Narrator] In this
room, a statue stands tall
501
00:23:45,251 --> 00:23:47,564
over every cult member.
502
00:23:47,564 --> 00:23:48,841
- It's an imposing sculpture.
503
00:23:48,841 --> 00:23:51,775
It has the physique that
is basically unrealistic
504
00:23:51,775 --> 00:23:53,017
for a human figure.
505
00:23:53,017 --> 00:23:56,435
It is in a position of
power, of standing tall
506
00:23:56,435 --> 00:24:01,474
in the Heil position,
imposing its will on you
507
00:24:02,682 --> 00:24:05,374
in that room that is
ritualized and lit
508
00:24:05,374 --> 00:24:08,032
and built in a way,
and finished in a way
509
00:24:08,032 --> 00:24:12,278
that is about power
and submission as well.
510
00:24:12,278 --> 00:24:15,384
- It feels to me that if
I had spent any time here
511
00:24:15,384 --> 00:24:19,112
when it was operational,
there's a very intimidating feel
512
00:24:19,112 --> 00:24:20,666
about the whole place.
513
00:24:20,666 --> 00:24:23,772
And it seems to me that if
you didn't go along with it,
514
00:24:23,772 --> 00:24:26,706
then you'd probably
feel quite isolated
515
00:24:26,706 --> 00:24:30,192
surrounded by all
this strong symbolism.
516
00:24:30,192 --> 00:24:33,368
- There's giant eagles,
there's giant torches,
517
00:24:33,368 --> 00:24:35,577
there's giant Nazi swastikas.
518
00:24:35,577 --> 00:24:38,338
Everything seems
to be super-sized.
519
00:24:38,338 --> 00:24:39,857
- [Narrator] In addition
to the cult room,
520
00:24:39,857 --> 00:24:41,376
massive stone sculptures
521
00:24:41,376 --> 00:24:43,930
of the Teutonic Knights
on the Vogelsang grounds
522
00:24:43,930 --> 00:24:46,485
help bolster perceptions
of superiority.
523
00:24:47,934 --> 00:24:50,799
- The symbols of the knights
that are around Vogelsang
524
00:24:50,799 --> 00:24:55,770
are symbols of a time of
individuals being powerful,
525
00:24:57,219 --> 00:24:59,187
and individuals working
with that power for a cause.
526
00:24:59,187 --> 00:25:01,534
So when you have
individuals walking around
527
00:25:01,534 --> 00:25:04,779
in a place like that,
and you see a symbol
528
00:25:04,779 --> 00:25:06,435
of a powerful knight,
529
00:25:06,435 --> 00:25:09,715
you can imagine yourself
being such a person.
530
00:25:09,715 --> 00:25:12,787
And it's trying to set
you up in that mind frame.
531
00:25:12,787 --> 00:25:14,789
- [Narrator] Dating back
to the 12th century,
532
00:25:14,789 --> 00:25:17,895
the German Teutonic Knights
protected Christian crusaders
533
00:25:17,895 --> 00:25:20,035
in the Holy Land
throughout the middle ages.
534
00:25:22,175 --> 00:25:23,729
- I mean, the irony
here of course,
535
00:25:23,729 --> 00:25:25,938
is that the Teutonic
Knights are deeply embedded
536
00:25:25,938 --> 00:25:28,181
and affiliated with Catholicism,
537
00:25:28,181 --> 00:25:31,668
which the really hardcore Nazis
were very hostile towards,
538
00:25:31,668 --> 00:25:34,602
but they try to co-opt
some of the stories
539
00:25:34,602 --> 00:25:37,708
about the Teutonic Knights
to fit into the mythologies
540
00:25:37,708 --> 00:25:40,504
that they're trying to create
about the ideal community.
541
00:25:42,299 --> 00:25:44,543
- [Narrator] In one of the
rooms above the fireplace
542
00:25:44,543 --> 00:25:47,684
a stone carving appears
to depict the god Odin.
543
00:25:49,133 --> 00:25:52,999
- Here it's actually a depiction
of the so-called wild hunt.
544
00:25:52,999 --> 00:25:57,728
It's a Germanic belief
that the gods Odin
545
00:25:57,728 --> 00:26:00,420
that they would
ride across the sky
546
00:26:00,420 --> 00:26:02,250
with the souls of the dead.
547
00:26:02,250 --> 00:26:06,944
What you see here is how
they try to use death
548
00:26:06,944 --> 00:26:10,534
as something that is
desirable for the men.
549
00:26:10,534 --> 00:26:13,123
Something that is the
ultimate sacrifice
550
00:26:13,123 --> 00:26:16,782
that they could give to create
some kind of a cult of death
551
00:26:16,782 --> 00:26:19,474
in order to support
national socialism.
552
00:26:20,855 --> 00:26:22,442
- [Narrator] But the
tides of war are changing,
553
00:26:22,442 --> 00:26:26,067
and the Third Reich is now
engaged in an all-out war.
554
00:26:26,067 --> 00:26:29,553
Suddenly there's no real
use for the Order Castles.
555
00:26:29,553 --> 00:26:32,556
The squires are repurposed
for Germany's war effort.
556
00:26:33,902 --> 00:26:38,389
- The program is essentially
up-ended by the war.
557
00:26:38,389 --> 00:26:41,703
- Main part of those men
that were trained here
558
00:26:41,703 --> 00:26:43,532
are either drafted,
or most of them
559
00:26:43,532 --> 00:26:45,431
they volunteer to the Wehrmacht,
560
00:26:45,431 --> 00:26:48,468
so they want to
fight on the front.
561
00:26:48,468 --> 00:26:50,332
- It's not surprising
that some of them
562
00:26:50,332 --> 00:26:52,852
were tried with some of the
worst crimes of the regime
563
00:26:52,852 --> 00:26:55,027
because they were
indoctrinated to believe
564
00:26:55,027 --> 00:26:57,823
that this was in fact
part of their mission.
565
00:26:57,823 --> 00:27:00,239
- For all the bluster of
creating this master race
566
00:27:00,239 --> 00:27:01,827
and the elite of the elite,
567
00:27:01,827 --> 00:27:05,831
the truth is that these were
mid-level, lower-level people.
568
00:27:05,831 --> 00:27:08,799
They weren't particularly
important to the
Nazi war machine.
569
00:27:08,799 --> 00:27:11,491
And that says a lot about
the failure of this project.
570
00:27:12,838 --> 00:27:14,356
- [Narrator] Because
Vogelsang was never intended
571
00:27:14,356 --> 00:27:15,806
to be a defensive structure,
572
00:27:15,806 --> 00:27:18,671
it is easily captured
by US troops.
573
00:27:18,671 --> 00:27:22,088
At one time, it would become
the home of the Belgian army.
574
00:27:22,088 --> 00:27:23,849
- It's actually a
very dark legacy.
575
00:27:23,849 --> 00:27:26,748
And when I think about
walking through the complex
576
00:27:26,748 --> 00:27:28,094
and looking at the sculptures,
577
00:27:28,094 --> 00:27:29,820
and looking at the
grand buildings,
578
00:27:29,820 --> 00:27:33,272
and the way it was designed,
it's very important I think
579
00:27:33,272 --> 00:27:35,930
to keep those nefarious
intentions in mind,
580
00:27:35,930 --> 00:27:39,692
and the deep racism
that underpins so much
581
00:27:39,692 --> 00:27:41,556
of the learning that
took place there.
582
00:27:42,764 --> 00:27:44,214
- [Narrator] The
Order Castles are just
583
00:27:44,214 --> 00:27:47,424
one step in the Nazi effort
to reshape the world.
584
00:27:47,424 --> 00:27:51,462
900 miles away in an ancient
forest at the edge of Poland,
585
00:27:51,462 --> 00:27:54,465
Germany is twisting
science in order to realize
586
00:27:54,465 --> 00:27:56,157
a horrifying vision.
587
00:27:57,641 --> 00:28:00,023
In an ancient forest
at the edge of Poland,
588
00:28:00,023 --> 00:28:03,474
something secret and
ominous is taking place.
589
00:28:03,474 --> 00:28:07,582
Villagers evicted, fences
put up, military scouts
590
00:28:07,582 --> 00:28:10,654
and a high ranking
Nazi leader visits.
591
00:28:10,654 --> 00:28:12,691
- There's no question that
locals must've wondered
592
00:28:12,691 --> 00:28:13,899
what on earth is going on.
593
00:28:13,899 --> 00:28:15,832
They're living in one
of the most remote
594
00:28:15,832 --> 00:28:18,420
and rural places
in all of Europe.
595
00:28:18,420 --> 00:28:21,458
And all of a sudden
Nazis in black leather
596
00:28:21,458 --> 00:28:24,150
are showing up and are
building facilities,
597
00:28:24,150 --> 00:28:27,775
putting up fencing, driving
people out of their homes.
598
00:28:27,775 --> 00:28:30,950
- Why is there suddenly
so much secret activity
599
00:28:30,950 --> 00:28:33,712
going on in this forest
when it doesn't really feel
600
00:28:33,712 --> 00:28:36,784
like there's any real strategic
importance to this place,
601
00:28:36,784 --> 00:28:39,787
and as far as we're aware,
there's no military equipment
602
00:28:39,787 --> 00:28:40,649
being brought in.
603
00:28:42,099 --> 00:28:44,895
What could the Nazis have
wanted with this forest?
604
00:28:46,586 --> 00:28:48,761
- The forest itself,
it's a bit different
605
00:28:48,761 --> 00:28:50,694
from any other forest
I've ever been to.
606
00:28:50,694 --> 00:28:52,661
The first thing I
noticed immediately
607
00:28:52,661 --> 00:28:54,491
is the fact that this
is a primeval forest,
608
00:28:54,491 --> 00:28:56,631
so it hasn't been
managed by humans
609
00:28:56,631 --> 00:28:59,565
in the same way that most
forests you ever visit have.
610
00:28:59,565 --> 00:29:02,499
- This is a forest
that would have looked
611
00:29:02,499 --> 00:29:06,020
like that which covered
Europe a thousand years ago,
612
00:29:06,020 --> 00:29:08,643
before much of it was cut down.
613
00:29:08,643 --> 00:29:10,783
- [Narrator] Why would the
Nazis take such great effort
614
00:29:10,783 --> 00:29:12,958
in securing this region?
615
00:29:12,958 --> 00:29:15,581
- Humans have always had a
bit of a dual relationship
616
00:29:15,581 --> 00:29:17,203
when it comes to the forest.
617
00:29:17,203 --> 00:29:19,723
I mean on the one hand
it can be nurturing,
618
00:29:19,723 --> 00:29:22,208
beautiful, resourceful.
619
00:29:22,208 --> 00:29:24,797
On the other hand,
it can also be dark,
620
00:29:24,797 --> 00:29:27,938
mysterious and dangerous.
621
00:29:27,938 --> 00:29:30,492
- [Narrator] The Nazis tapped
into a strong emotional link
622
00:29:30,492 --> 00:29:33,116
between Germans and the land.
623
00:29:33,116 --> 00:29:35,221
- For the Germans, the
forest is actually critical
624
00:29:35,221 --> 00:29:36,878
when they look back
at the mythology
625
00:29:36,878 --> 00:29:39,605
of the Germanic tribes that
were able to, for example,
626
00:29:39,605 --> 00:29:41,434
defeat the Romans
where other tribes
627
00:29:41,434 --> 00:29:43,920
had truly no chance of doing so.
628
00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:45,922
So the forest for
them is important
629
00:29:45,922 --> 00:29:47,958
because it's the
last remaining part
630
00:29:47,958 --> 00:29:50,616
of the forest that used to
cover the whole of Europe.
631
00:29:50,616 --> 00:29:53,308
And this directly links back
to the ancient Germanic tribes
632
00:29:53,308 --> 00:29:57,726
that Hitler is trying
to re-imagine in
this new Third Reich.
633
00:29:57,726 --> 00:30:00,868
- When we think about the
slogans of the Nazi period,
634
00:30:00,868 --> 00:30:03,008
one of them is of course
adhering to the notion
635
00:30:03,008 --> 00:30:04,423
of blood and soil.
636
00:30:04,423 --> 00:30:07,909
The Nazi desire to
harken back to a Germanic
637
00:30:07,909 --> 00:30:11,154
sort of rural agrarian
past is a big part
638
00:30:11,154 --> 00:30:13,812
of the romantic side
of Nazi imagery,
639
00:30:13,812 --> 00:30:17,436
the celebration of the
pastoral, of the rural,
640
00:30:17,436 --> 00:30:18,955
of the traditional.
641
00:30:18,955 --> 00:30:21,440
They wanted to celebrate
German farmers,
642
00:30:21,440 --> 00:30:22,924
and they wanted to
encourage Germans
643
00:30:22,924 --> 00:30:24,443
to get back to the land.
644
00:30:24,443 --> 00:30:26,031
- [Narrator] While
the Bialowieza Forest
645
00:30:26,031 --> 00:30:28,827
sprawls across Poland
and Belarus today,
646
00:30:28,827 --> 00:30:30,863
then it was under
Soviet control.
647
00:30:32,071 --> 00:30:33,555
- As I walked around
the towns and villages
648
00:30:33,555 --> 00:30:35,868
around the forest, I was struck
by how beautiful they were.
649
00:30:35,868 --> 00:30:38,353
They're generally
gorgeous places.
650
00:30:39,527 --> 00:30:41,046
But when the Germans arrived,
651
00:30:41,046 --> 00:30:42,668
it would have been
very different.
652
00:30:42,668 --> 00:30:44,497
The lands itself had
actually been occupied
653
00:30:44,497 --> 00:30:48,053
by the Soviet army in
1939 in the secret pact
654
00:30:48,053 --> 00:30:51,159
that Russia and Germany
had signed with each other.
655
00:30:51,159 --> 00:30:54,059
- [Narrator] In 1941,
Germany invades Russia,
656
00:30:54,059 --> 00:30:56,682
and wastes no time in
sending in Nazi troops
657
00:30:56,682 --> 00:30:59,098
to infiltrate the
Bialowieza Forest
658
00:30:59,098 --> 00:31:02,446
sending there horrifying
plans into motion.
659
00:31:02,446 --> 00:31:04,621
- The first thing they
do is they ethnically
660
00:31:04,621 --> 00:31:08,383
cleanse the land, the local
peasants, Jews, Poles, Slavs,
661
00:31:08,383 --> 00:31:10,454
whoever's there, the German
troops would have been
662
00:31:10,454 --> 00:31:13,216
pulling people out of their
homes, executing them,
663
00:31:13,216 --> 00:31:15,874
and there's multiple
accounts of slave labor teams
664
00:31:15,874 --> 00:31:18,117
being used to build the
roads for the Germans.
665
00:31:18,117 --> 00:31:21,465
One step out of
line, shot instantly.
666
00:31:21,465 --> 00:31:24,468
- That was just the beginning
of the dark purposes
667
00:31:24,468 --> 00:31:26,850
for this particular forest.
668
00:31:26,850 --> 00:31:29,025
- [Narrator] Witnesses report
members of the Luftwaffe,
669
00:31:29,025 --> 00:31:32,304
Germany's air force,
scouting and patrolling here.
670
00:31:32,304 --> 00:31:35,203
Could the Nazis be
planning an airbase?
671
00:31:35,203 --> 00:31:37,999
In July of 1941, Hermann Goring,
672
00:31:37,999 --> 00:31:41,209
a member of Hitler's inner
circle, arrives in the area.
673
00:31:43,108 --> 00:31:45,455
- Goring is the commander
of the Luftwaffe,
674
00:31:45,455 --> 00:31:47,353
Germany's air force.
675
00:31:47,353 --> 00:31:49,631
- Goring had quite a
number of properties,
676
00:31:49,631 --> 00:31:52,358
and quite an insatiable
desire, really,
677
00:31:52,358 --> 00:31:54,740
for living a certain
kind of life,
678
00:31:54,740 --> 00:31:56,569
aspirational to what
we might consider
679
00:31:56,569 --> 00:31:58,571
the life of a German aristocrat.
680
00:31:58,571 --> 00:32:02,161
And so the traditional
activities of an aristocrat,
681
00:32:02,161 --> 00:32:04,198
which would have been
hunting, and shooting,
682
00:32:04,198 --> 00:32:05,820
and weekends at
the country estate,
683
00:32:05,820 --> 00:32:07,235
Goring would have
been very drawn
684
00:32:07,235 --> 00:32:08,719
to this kind of a lifestyle.
685
00:32:08,719 --> 00:32:11,999
So to that end, he
became very interested
686
00:32:11,999 --> 00:32:13,552
in hunting, in animals,
687
00:32:13,552 --> 00:32:16,658
and in these large
forested properties
688
00:32:16,658 --> 00:32:20,248
where he could have a certain
amount of freedom to live
689
00:32:20,248 --> 00:32:22,457
what was in fact, a very
luxurious lifestyle.
690
00:32:23,700 --> 00:32:24,977
- [Narrator] This wasn't
the first time Goring
691
00:32:24,977 --> 00:32:27,566
had been to the
Bialowieza Forest.
692
00:32:27,566 --> 00:32:30,500
- So in the 1930s,
Hermann Goring was invited
693
00:32:30,500 --> 00:32:32,019
as a German government official
694
00:32:32,019 --> 00:32:35,436
to come here and hunt with
Polish government officials.
695
00:32:35,436 --> 00:32:37,956
They were having
intergovernmental talks
696
00:32:37,956 --> 00:32:39,164
and thinking to himself,
697
00:32:39,164 --> 00:32:40,820
"I wouldn't mind having
a palace to myself,"
698
00:32:40,820 --> 00:32:42,788
and this probably
was part of his plan.
699
00:32:44,031 --> 00:32:45,549
- [Narrator] Hitler
goes even further,
700
00:32:45,549 --> 00:32:49,001
giving Goring much more power
and control over the forest.
701
00:32:50,209 --> 00:32:52,177
- To cap it all off,
because Hermann Goring
702
00:32:52,177 --> 00:32:55,145
is known as this chief's
huntsman of the Third Reich,
703
00:32:55,145 --> 00:32:57,872
they even put the
German Forestry Division
704
00:32:57,872 --> 00:32:59,425
underneath the Luftwaffe,
705
00:32:59,425 --> 00:33:02,808
and they bring these units and
people straight to this site.
706
00:33:02,808 --> 00:33:04,983
This is obviously a priority.
707
00:33:04,983 --> 00:33:07,399
- Now it could just be
that Goring and his men
708
00:33:07,399 --> 00:33:10,919
want a nice bit of
private forest to hunt in.
709
00:33:10,919 --> 00:33:13,853
But take a deeper look
at what's going on.
710
00:33:15,303 --> 00:33:17,236
- [Narrator] This
untouched primeval forest
711
00:33:17,236 --> 00:33:19,031
wasn't enough for Goring.
712
00:33:19,031 --> 00:33:21,654
In his vision, the forest
should look just as it had
713
00:33:21,654 --> 00:33:24,105
when the mythologized
Teutonic Knights roamed them.
714
00:33:25,624 --> 00:33:28,834
- The Nazis were actually
redesigning this forest,
715
00:33:28,834 --> 00:33:30,870
removing certain
species of trees
716
00:33:30,870 --> 00:33:33,218
and replanting more of others
717
00:33:33,218 --> 00:33:35,047
so that it would
fit their vision
718
00:33:35,047 --> 00:33:39,258
of what a pure ancient German
forest should look like.
719
00:33:39,258 --> 00:33:41,467
- That forest lasted
because it was diverse,
720
00:33:41,467 --> 00:33:43,055
because it had
new species in it.
721
00:33:43,055 --> 00:33:46,645
And to destroy all the
plants that were in there
722
00:33:46,645 --> 00:33:49,337
that didn't fit their picture
of what it looked like
723
00:33:49,337 --> 00:33:54,135
in the 1600s, this forest
could have been eradicated.
724
00:33:54,135 --> 00:33:56,241
- [Narrator] Zoologists
and other scientists
725
00:33:56,241 --> 00:33:57,932
are quickly brought
onto the project
726
00:33:57,932 --> 00:34:00,107
as it goes down a darker path.
727
00:34:01,487 --> 00:34:04,939
- Why are Nazi
scientists and zoologists
728
00:34:04,939 --> 00:34:08,046
combing the world
for animal samples?
729
00:34:08,046 --> 00:34:09,668
- The project itself
is spearheaded
730
00:34:09,668 --> 00:34:12,705
by a zoologist from the
Berlin Zoo, Lutz Heck.
731
00:34:12,705 --> 00:34:15,225
He's key in making
this thing happen.
732
00:34:15,225 --> 00:34:17,262
- [Narrator] Lutz Heck
wouldn't work alone.
733
00:34:17,262 --> 00:34:19,264
His brother, Heinz
Heck, would join him
734
00:34:19,264 --> 00:34:20,679
in this dark endeavor.
735
00:34:22,163 --> 00:34:24,062
- The Heck brothers even
traveled to France and Spain
736
00:34:24,062 --> 00:34:25,925
and looked at ancient
cave paintings
737
00:34:25,925 --> 00:34:28,066
from thousands of years ago.
738
00:34:28,066 --> 00:34:29,895
- [Narrator] Goring
makes his next move,
739
00:34:29,895 --> 00:34:32,794
a secret deal to the
unsuspecting Canadian government
740
00:34:32,794 --> 00:34:34,934
to export animals to Germany
741
00:34:34,934 --> 00:34:36,764
where the Heck
brothers are waiting.
742
00:34:38,110 --> 00:34:41,009
- He's also stealing
animals from whichever zoos
743
00:34:41,009 --> 00:34:44,358
or private collections he finds
in the conquered countries
744
00:34:44,358 --> 00:34:46,808
that Germany has taken over
and he's bringing them all back
745
00:34:46,808 --> 00:34:49,225
to his own personal fiefdom.
746
00:34:49,225 --> 00:34:50,674
There's something a
little bit chilling,
747
00:34:50,674 --> 00:34:52,090
a little bit creepy
about this forest
748
00:34:52,090 --> 00:34:54,126
that you wouldn't
automatically feel
749
00:34:54,126 --> 00:34:56,301
if you were anywhere else.
750
00:34:56,301 --> 00:34:57,992
Then when you find out what
the Nazis are planning here,
751
00:34:57,992 --> 00:35:00,788
it's literally the epicenter
of something much bigger.
752
00:35:00,788 --> 00:35:04,895
- Lutz Heck, this
zoologist and scientist
753
00:35:04,895 --> 00:35:08,658
is going to bring
back extinct species,
754
00:35:08,658 --> 00:35:12,627
and bring back a giant
aurochs, this massive bull.
755
00:35:12,627 --> 00:35:16,044
He's gonna bring back
large prehistoric wolves
756
00:35:16,044 --> 00:35:18,599
that once roamed the
European landscape
757
00:35:18,599 --> 00:35:20,256
thousands of years ago.
758
00:35:20,256 --> 00:35:24,363
And they're gonna recreate
this Germanic Jurassic Park.
759
00:35:24,363 --> 00:35:26,503
- [Narrator] It's an
ominous and dark experiment
760
00:35:26,503 --> 00:35:29,127
only the Nazis could
begin to explore.
761
00:35:31,715 --> 00:35:34,408
An ancient forest attracts
mysterious attention
762
00:35:34,408 --> 00:35:36,375
from one of the Nazi elite.
763
00:35:36,375 --> 00:35:39,206
Zoologists and biologists
begin to formulate
764
00:35:39,206 --> 00:35:41,415
top secret projects here.
765
00:35:41,415 --> 00:35:45,453
What nefarious plans do the
Nazis have with this place?
766
00:35:45,453 --> 00:35:48,525
- Sometimes I think it's easy
to laugh at Hermann Goring.
767
00:35:48,525 --> 00:35:50,320
He seems this
ridiculous character,
768
00:35:50,320 --> 00:35:52,011
but he was anything but.
769
00:35:52,011 --> 00:35:54,393
This extent of his savagery,
770
00:35:54,393 --> 00:35:58,121
the cruelty with which he
was known to rule his lands.
771
00:35:58,121 --> 00:35:59,916
And there's something
quite disturbing
772
00:35:59,916 --> 00:36:02,850
about the depth of his vision
for this particular area.
773
00:36:04,058 --> 00:36:05,508
- [Narrator] Germany
expends great effort
774
00:36:05,508 --> 00:36:09,167
to conceal their plans,
fencing off the entire forest.
775
00:36:09,167 --> 00:36:11,134
- This forest was
picked for a reason.
776
00:36:11,134 --> 00:36:14,206
They're in the middle of
preparing for World War II.
777
00:36:14,206 --> 00:36:16,346
And then they're in the
middle of World War II,
778
00:36:16,346 --> 00:36:19,246
and they're building
fantastical, and outlandish
779
00:36:19,246 --> 00:36:23,250
and incredibly expensive
projects all over the continent.
780
00:36:23,250 --> 00:36:25,976
- For Lutz Heck, this
is more than just a job.
781
00:36:25,976 --> 00:36:28,531
This is his personal
and national priority.
782
00:36:28,531 --> 00:36:29,911
He's even on record as saying
783
00:36:29,911 --> 00:36:32,328
that, "Returning this
dull and strange land
784
00:36:32,328 --> 00:36:36,124
"to a Germanic one must
be our highest priority."
785
00:36:36,124 --> 00:36:37,919
- [Narrator] The Heck
brothers go to great lengths
786
00:36:37,919 --> 00:36:40,853
to make this vision a reality.
787
00:36:40,853 --> 00:36:44,512
- You do hear about strange
animal experimentation,
788
00:36:44,512 --> 00:36:46,376
experimentation
for medical needs,
789
00:36:46,376 --> 00:36:48,240
but this is something else.
790
00:36:48,240 --> 00:36:51,174
This is a whole new level.
791
00:36:51,174 --> 00:36:53,694
- [Narrator] In order to
realize these massive aurochs,
792
00:36:53,694 --> 00:36:57,318
Lutz Heck utilizes a frightening
technique, back breeding.
793
00:36:58,561 --> 00:36:59,803
- And when you talk
about back breeding,
794
00:36:59,803 --> 00:37:01,702
you have this idea of
the species in mind.
795
00:37:01,702 --> 00:37:02,979
In this case it's the aurochs.
796
00:37:02,979 --> 00:37:04,636
So what you do is
you start to look
797
00:37:04,636 --> 00:37:09,606
at other similar species that
you may think are related.
798
00:37:09,606 --> 00:37:12,609
And then you start to look at
those features that they have.
799
00:37:12,609 --> 00:37:15,233
And if they're close
to matching the feature
800
00:37:15,233 --> 00:37:18,546
of the original species
that you want to recreate,
801
00:37:18,546 --> 00:37:20,721
and they start to
breed them one by one.
802
00:37:20,721 --> 00:37:22,447
And eventually you
get closer and closer
803
00:37:22,447 --> 00:37:24,345
to that original species.
804
00:37:25,795 --> 00:37:27,866
- The idea of being able
to back breed these animals
805
00:37:27,866 --> 00:37:29,902
to restore these ancient traits,
806
00:37:29,902 --> 00:37:31,490
it's a bit like they
imagine themselves
807
00:37:31,490 --> 00:37:33,768
as Dr. Frankenstein
able to bring back
808
00:37:33,768 --> 00:37:34,942
any animal they please.
809
00:37:36,461 --> 00:37:37,979
- [Narrator] The Heck brothers
breed Spanish fighting bulls,
810
00:37:37,979 --> 00:37:39,326
and French fighting cattle
811
00:37:39,326 --> 00:37:41,914
in an attempt to realize
the mythic auroch.
812
00:37:43,640 --> 00:37:45,504
- Key to all of this
is this obsession
813
00:37:45,504 --> 00:37:47,679
that Hermann Goring
has with hunting.
814
00:37:47,679 --> 00:37:50,509
So this Heck horse and the
bison to bring them all back
815
00:37:50,509 --> 00:37:52,166
for one specific purpose,
816
00:37:52,166 --> 00:37:55,445
to be hunted by these
Germanic spearman,
817
00:37:55,445 --> 00:37:57,378
it's quite a disturbing idea
818
00:37:57,378 --> 00:37:58,931
and it seems to
be quite powerful
819
00:37:58,931 --> 00:38:01,555
because it connects
this modern Third Reich
820
00:38:01,555 --> 00:38:04,005
to ancient German tribes.
821
00:38:04,005 --> 00:38:06,422
- This is the ultimate
round of hunting,
822
00:38:06,422 --> 00:38:09,528
bare chested Nazi men
in a primeval forest
823
00:38:09,528 --> 00:38:13,843
like Teutonic Knights hunting
extinct massive species.
824
00:38:13,843 --> 00:38:16,880
This is absolute madness.
825
00:38:16,880 --> 00:38:18,503
- [Narrator] The Nazis
believed these animals
826
00:38:18,503 --> 00:38:20,919
had been polluted over
time and should be restored
827
00:38:20,919 --> 00:38:22,438
to their former existence.
828
00:38:23,473 --> 00:38:24,371
- Let's be absolutely clear.
829
00:38:24,371 --> 00:38:26,165
This is no conservation project.
830
00:38:26,165 --> 00:38:29,445
This is really horrible
and nasty ideology.
831
00:38:29,445 --> 00:38:32,827
- There was an attempt by some
of the scientific thinkers
832
00:38:32,827 --> 00:38:36,383
to justify what they believed
was their natural superiority.
833
00:38:36,383 --> 00:38:39,938
You had to overcome
and conquer nature.
834
00:38:39,938 --> 00:38:43,113
- It allowed the Germans
to tie it into these myths
835
00:38:43,113 --> 00:38:46,254
they had concocted of
these Aryan superman,
836
00:38:46,254 --> 00:38:49,568
of this blood soil linkage
to Teutonic Knights
837
00:38:49,568 --> 00:38:53,158
that long ago there was
this great Germanic tribe
838
00:38:53,158 --> 00:38:54,815
which was the most
powerful on earth,
839
00:38:54,815 --> 00:38:57,335
which simply wasn't the case.
840
00:38:57,335 --> 00:38:58,957
- One of the first
things the Germans do
841
00:38:58,957 --> 00:39:01,373
when they enter power
is introduce these
racial purity laws
842
00:39:01,373 --> 00:39:02,650
which are all about proving
843
00:39:02,650 --> 00:39:05,101
that some humans were
better than others.
844
00:39:05,101 --> 00:39:06,585
Some animals are
better than others.
845
00:39:06,585 --> 00:39:09,623
It's all continuation
of the same policy.
846
00:39:09,623 --> 00:39:13,074
- Some of the medical and
biological experiments
847
00:39:13,074 --> 00:39:18,045
the Nazis undertook were truly
horrifying and pure evil.
848
00:39:19,495 --> 00:39:21,842
- [Narrator] Though the war
rages all around the continent,
849
00:39:21,842 --> 00:39:23,395
the Heck brothers delve deeper
850
00:39:23,395 --> 00:39:25,328
into their mad
science experiment,
851
00:39:25,328 --> 00:39:27,675
shedding any fear or hesitation.
852
00:39:29,574 --> 00:39:31,472
Under the instruction
of Hermann Goring,
853
00:39:31,472 --> 00:39:33,647
the Heck brothers have
worked towards bringing back
854
00:39:33,647 --> 00:39:37,685
extinct species to create a
hunting ground for the Nazis.
855
00:39:37,685 --> 00:39:41,275
- This is like something out
of science fiction or fantasy,
856
00:39:41,275 --> 00:39:43,484
like the Island of Dr. Moreau.
857
00:39:43,484 --> 00:39:46,245
The very idea of
tinkering with biology
858
00:39:46,245 --> 00:39:48,247
to bring back extinct animals
859
00:39:48,247 --> 00:39:51,354
does have moral and
ethical implications.
860
00:39:51,354 --> 00:39:55,807
But in the hands of the Nazis,
well, it makes you shudder.
861
00:39:55,807 --> 00:39:58,050
- [Narrator] But this isn't
a science fiction film,
862
00:39:58,050 --> 00:40:00,467
it's real, and
after many attempts,
863
00:40:00,467 --> 00:40:02,814
the Heck brothers succeed.
864
00:40:02,814 --> 00:40:04,091
- I think it's easy to dismiss
865
00:40:04,091 --> 00:40:06,265
some of the weirder conspiracies
866
00:40:06,265 --> 00:40:07,853
about what the Nazis
were trying to do,
867
00:40:07,853 --> 00:40:09,027
but this is very real.
868
00:40:09,027 --> 00:40:11,581
This is an actual
project which had legs.
869
00:40:11,581 --> 00:40:14,653
They were breeding
these aggressive
Spanish fighting bulls.
870
00:40:14,653 --> 00:40:16,275
They were making progress.
871
00:40:16,275 --> 00:40:18,830
The animals weren't obviously
the original animals,
872
00:40:18,830 --> 00:40:20,625
but they were
making things happen
873
00:40:20,625 --> 00:40:22,005
and that's quite disturbing.
874
00:40:23,455 --> 00:40:25,871
- [Narrator] But the war
turns against Nazi Germany.
875
00:40:25,871 --> 00:40:28,736
- The forestry projects that
they're pouring money into
876
00:40:28,736 --> 00:40:31,981
comes out of a disbelief
that they could in fact,
877
00:40:31,981 --> 00:40:33,465
actually lose this war.
878
00:40:33,465 --> 00:40:36,744
For many of them, they
have become so convinced
879
00:40:36,744 --> 00:40:38,470
that they are in fact
a superior people,
880
00:40:38,470 --> 00:40:39,920
that they can't imagine
that they're actually
881
00:40:39,920 --> 00:40:41,231
gonna lose the war.
882
00:40:41,231 --> 00:40:42,681
- [Narrator] The Nazis
were so committed
883
00:40:42,681 --> 00:40:43,993
to their own supremacy,
884
00:40:43,993 --> 00:40:46,029
that when the allies
approached the region,
885
00:40:46,029 --> 00:40:48,549
they made a horrifying decision.
886
00:40:48,549 --> 00:40:50,344
- The Germans issue the
orders to shoot down
887
00:40:50,344 --> 00:40:52,415
as many animals
as they can find.
888
00:40:52,415 --> 00:40:54,452
It's all part of their
scorched earth policy
889
00:40:54,452 --> 00:40:56,557
to leave nothing
for the Soviets.
890
00:40:56,557 --> 00:40:58,594
For them, this was
the end of the world.
891
00:40:58,594 --> 00:41:01,493
This was their own
personal Valhalla.
892
00:41:01,493 --> 00:41:04,220
- [Narrator] The Nazi atrocities
led to many mass graves
893
00:41:04,220 --> 00:41:05,911
in the Bialowieza Forest.
894
00:41:07,361 --> 00:41:09,570
- As morbid of the thought
of that many people
895
00:41:09,570 --> 00:41:12,228
dying in a forest, all
that organic matter
896
00:41:12,228 --> 00:41:14,299
will go back into the
nutrients of the soil,
897
00:41:14,299 --> 00:41:16,957
which could lead to a
lot of different life
898
00:41:16,957 --> 00:41:20,581
that would allow that
forest to continue on.
899
00:41:20,581 --> 00:41:22,583
- [Narrator] Today,
scientists are examining
900
00:41:22,583 --> 00:41:25,068
a plant's ability
to produce memories.
901
00:41:25,068 --> 00:41:27,485
Through calcium-based
signaling in their cells,
902
00:41:27,485 --> 00:41:29,487
plants are able to
change their behavior
903
00:41:29,487 --> 00:41:31,834
based on past experiences.
904
00:41:31,834 --> 00:41:34,284
With such a dark
and unusual past,
905
00:41:34,284 --> 00:41:38,392
what might we discover one
day in this forest of secrets?
906
00:41:39,566 --> 00:41:41,222
- In the way that humans
have used that forest
907
00:41:41,222 --> 00:41:45,157
over the last 500 years has
definitely shaped history.
908
00:41:45,157 --> 00:41:48,298
But it's definitely
soaked in blood and death
909
00:41:48,298 --> 00:41:49,852
of a lot of people.
910
00:41:49,852 --> 00:41:51,370
- If you walk through
the forest today,
911
00:41:51,370 --> 00:41:53,234
you won't actually
understand what the Germans
912
00:41:53,234 --> 00:41:55,996
are planning here because
they left no real traces.
913
00:41:55,996 --> 00:41:58,964
But that doesn't mean that this
forest doesn't hold secrets.
914
00:42:00,310 --> 00:42:01,760
- [Narrator] The Nazis
deemed themselves
915
00:42:01,760 --> 00:42:04,280
to be masters of
science and technology,
916
00:42:04,280 --> 00:42:07,386
but they went too far with
their attempt to twist nature,
917
00:42:07,386 --> 00:42:10,769
and proved not to
be masters at all.
918
00:42:10,769 --> 00:42:14,739
- It's the recurring human flaw
that we can control nature.
919
00:42:14,739 --> 00:42:16,775
Say there's an invasive species.
920
00:42:16,775 --> 00:42:19,571
And we bring in another species
921
00:42:19,571 --> 00:42:23,368
to introduce into that area
that we know will kill it.
922
00:42:23,368 --> 00:42:26,509
Well, that introduced species
can all of a sudden be able
923
00:42:26,509 --> 00:42:28,684
to dominate that area.
924
00:42:28,684 --> 00:42:30,340
You're starting to
mess with nature
925
00:42:30,340 --> 00:42:34,448
where you have no understanding
of what can happen.
926
00:42:34,448 --> 00:42:36,001
- [Narrator] While
the Bialowieza Forest
927
00:42:36,001 --> 00:42:37,727
is a protected site today,
928
00:42:37,727 --> 00:42:41,593
we might consider what could
still be lurking in the forest.
929
00:42:41,593 --> 00:42:43,319
- As I was walking
through the forest today,
930
00:42:43,319 --> 00:42:44,872
a thought came to me.
931
00:42:44,872 --> 00:42:47,150
What's terrifying about
this whole project
932
00:42:47,150 --> 00:42:49,912
is not what we know about
what the Nazis were doing
933
00:42:49,912 --> 00:42:52,570
with genetic engineering
and back breeding.
934
00:42:52,570 --> 00:42:54,088
It's about what we don't know,
935
00:42:54,088 --> 00:42:55,296
what they might've been doing
936
00:42:55,296 --> 00:42:56,884
that hasn't yet come to light,
937
00:42:56,884 --> 00:42:59,162
and what they might've been
planning for the future.
938
00:43:00,405 --> 00:43:02,614
- As an engineer,
I'm always impressed
939
00:43:02,614 --> 00:43:05,721
by the lengths that scientists
and engineers will go to
940
00:43:05,721 --> 00:43:09,828
in order to achieve a desired
result, a desired outcome.
941
00:43:09,828 --> 00:43:13,349
But the lengths that the
Nazis were prepared to go to,
942
00:43:13,349 --> 00:43:17,422
to strip away any ethical
or moral limitations
943
00:43:17,422 --> 00:43:20,977
to achieve the vision of
the world as they saw it,
944
00:43:20,977 --> 00:43:25,292
both the natural world and
the humans that live on it
945
00:43:25,292 --> 00:43:27,812
is absolutely horrifying.
946
00:43:33,818 --> 00:43:36,786
[suspenseful music]
78011
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