The Stauffenberg memorial in downtown Stuttgart explores the life of the legendary German military officer, who was part of the plot to assassinate Adolf Hitler in 1944. (John Vandiver/Stars and Stripes)
It’s easy to breeze past the downtown Stuttgart memorial dedicated to Claus von Stauffenberg, whose role in the 1944 attempt to assassinate Adolf Hitler has been the subject of Hollywood films and is part of World War II lore.
The entrance is mostly unadorned, tucked into a side passage of the Old Castle. But the small exhibition inside, which is free to visit, provides an enlightening look at the man behind a name that’s become synonymous with the plot to kill the führer.
The museum consists of various displays in German and English that take visitors through the course of his life before the point where he planned to blow up Hitler’s secret command post.
I didn’t know a lot about Stauffenberg, a Stuttgart native, besides his role in the failed assassination attempt.
The bomb-laden briefcase he brought into the Wolf’s Lair on July 20, 1944, was moved before detonation, and Hitler escaped the attack with only minor injuries.
As the museum’s artifacts make clear, much about the man remains a mystery, in part because the Nazis destroyed most of his belongings and papers after his execution by firing squad at age 36.
The memorial to Claus von Stauffenberg in downtown Stuttgart, Germany, features a cello and sword that belonged to him. The museum notes that the items are among the few surviving artifacts, since the Nazis destroyed most of his belongings after his execution by firing squad. (John Vandiver/Stars and Stripes)
An old cello he liked to play in his army barracks and a sword are the only personal items shown. But the exhibit offers revealing details that may resonate with modern-day service members.
In addition to information panels, there are also interactive displays where visitors can learn more about the time period in which Stauffenberg lived.
He was born in 1907, during the reign of Kaiser Wilhelm II. So he was alive for the last years of the German Empire, aka the Second Reich, as well as World War I, the Weimar Republic and the Third Reich.
Stauffenberg was a career military man and cavalry officer. Early in his career as a lieutenant stationed in Bamberg — years later home to a since-shuttered U.S. Army garrison — he was known for his sharp mind.
A museum panel quotes a performance review that described him as having “outstanding intellectual aptitude” with an occasional tendency for “arrogance toward his comrades.” Still, he stood out for his exemplary treatment of noncommissioned officers.
Indeed, Stauffenberg seemed to have a high opinion of himself. The memorial highlights how he and his associates regarded themselves as German elites.
The museum dedicated to Claus von Stauffenberg in Stuttgart, Germany, provides interactive touch screens to explore the broader historical context of the time and also learn about the background of Stauffenberg’s co-conspirators. (John Vandiver/Stars and Stripes)
There also are signs that Stauffenberg was generally sympathetic to the Nazi movement, at least early on. Notes from a 1944 Nazi interrogation of his brother, Berthold, indicated they both generally approved of certain aspects of Nazism.
These included the notion of the führer, the emphasis on agricultural life and “the concept of race,” though the interrogation notes didn’t specify his exact views on Jewish people.
Their big problem with the movement, according to his brother’s account, seemed to be that Nazism was overrun by “ordinary people” who rose to the top and “exercised unrestrained power.”
The museum didn’t delve deeply into Stauffenberg’s transformation. The motives of the conspirators have always been a source of debate.
One reason commonly cited for Stauffenberg’s involvement was his anger over Germany’s mounting losses and a sense that the military was being mismanaged into defeat.
Although the memorial is small, you can easily spend an hour there examining the displays, which also provide contextual information about the greater Stuttgart area and Germany as a whole.
While it might be easy to overlook amid all the other attractions in Stuttgart’s downtown, the Stauffenberg memorial is a worthy box to check on anyone’s Stuttgart to-do list.
The
Stauffenberg
museum includes a variety of informational panels that give insights into different aspects of the German military officer’s life. (John Vandiver/Stars and Stripes)
Old Castle at Stauffenberg Platz
Location: The Old Castle at Stauffenberg Platz, Stuttgart, Germany
Hours: 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Thursday-Sunday
Cost: Free
Information: Phone: +49 711 212 3989; online: www.hdgbw.de/stauffenberg-erinnerungsstaette-stuttgart/
