January 29, 2007

Why is there a Nazi Blimp over Manhattan? Beats me.
posted by xenmate 17 years ago
  • It's an LZ series german rigid frame zeppelin, not a blimp. Theres a reasonable chance it's LZ-129 Hindenburg, but the markings are indistinguishable.
  • Also, nice post.
  • Well those flew there regularly, didn't they? Also, the Empire State Building was designed for them.
  • At the very least, the Graf Zeppelin (LZ-127) and the Hindenburg were regular vistors to NYC in the 1930s. All the images of the last visit, 1937, of the Hindenburg I was able to easily locate feature the swastika roundel on a flag-shaped background, unlike this pic. However, the ships' livery changed regularly and therfore a record of the livery and visits should help to ID the ship. I have recollections of seeing the Graf Zeppelin in Weimar, pre-Nazi livery but that could just be wishful thinking. looking solely at the image, I think it's from the first visit of the Hindenberg to NYC in 1936: http://www.signalalpha.com/html/historical_audio___video.html http://www.signalalpha.com/HindenburgOverNYC_09May1936.jpg
  • er, to clarify: I have recollections of seeing PHOTOS OF the Graf Zeppelin in Weimar, pre-Nazi livery but that could just be wishful thinking.
  • this is an awesome link.
  • See the Wikipedia page (subhead "The Fall of the Zeppelins") for info on Nazi-emblazoned Zeppelins for propeganda purposes (before hostilities of WWII began). I believe mwhybark is correct that this is the first visit of the Hindenberg.
  • Ah! I drown in the gorgeousness! Them's some fine pictures there, xenmate! It's only recently that I've come to appreciate NYC. For a lot of us in upstate NY, it's traditionally preceived as the rowdy cousin who makes all the noise and hogs all the attention at family gatherings, the charming ne'er-do-well who's always bumming smokes and borrowing money, the one who has the same last name as you so all his party buddies assume you're just like him, the one with the attitude who can't keep his mouth shut when you're out together, the big brother who always gives you a noogie in front of the other states, etc. But y'know, I like my rowdy cousins a lot more than I used to, and it's the same with The City. I wonder if any of those handsome sailors have grandsons?
  • Beauty link, xenmate! Sweet Mothra, do I need to go back. I'm way overdue for a fill-up at the Strand...
  • Lovely post, xenmate!
  • Gorgeoappleorgeous!
  • I cannot help but be struck by how grand and graceful the city looked a few decades back, before modern boxiness rendered so many of the buildings monolithic and featureless. And I must say, there has never been a finer backdrop for a beautiful old cruise ship. Lovely, xenmate.
  • Wow. Aviation geeks, anyone?
  • Wow, wow, and wow. That is fantastic. It reminds me that New York got to be so big because it is a giant port. I have no idea how much it still is used as a port, but those photos really hammer home just how much of a port it was.
  • Notice the direction the zeppelin is heading? Hugo Eckener disliked the nazis, and when orderd to circle either Manhattan or Chicago (as the story goes, don't remember which one), he did so counterclockwise so the nazi symbol wouldn't be visible to the majority of the people.
  • I have no idea how much it still is used as a port... Found out yesterday that Cunard is docking in Brooklyn now, not on the Hudson River. So no sailpast of the downtown before reaching midtown. Which is a letdown.
  • I looked at Manhattan on Google Maps and there are comparatively few jetties and wharves left around the island. Looks like most of where the waterfront was is now reclaimed land. Take a look; it's surprising how different it is.
  • Why is there a Nazi Blimp over Manhattan? Assuming you were looking for a serious response to this question, I can tell you that there was a little known and long forgotten Nazi program going on in the mid to late 1930's. Before the Germans were yet at war with anyone, they recognized that they did not want Jewish people in their country. They knew that the United States was fairly accepting of European immigrants at the time -- particularly in New York City. Because of the sanctions placed on Germany at the end of World War I, Germany was not allowed to have a navy. While they were secretly building ships, they could not alert the world by sending the German Jews to New York City in boats. However, they did have blimps. So, for a period of a few years, the Germans would load up blimps with Jews and fly them over to New York City where they would then often parachute them down into the city. This is why today we think of New York City as having such a high Jewish population. It is because for a period of years Jews were literally raining down from the skies on occasion. Once the war began and Germany did not have to operate under the pretext of not having a navy, Germany initially considered putting the Jews on boats and sending them to New York City. However, they realized that they needed all the boats they could get their hands on for the war in Europe. Plus, it was pointed out that it would be much more economical for them to use trains and just take them somewhere else entirely.
  • Assuming you were looking for a serious response to this question Okay, so assuming you were . . .
  • *scribbles notes, raises hand*