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The ”Day of Potsdam”: Hitler’s rise to power on January 31, 1933 marked the be-ginning of dictatorship in Germany. On March 21, 1933 the opening of the newly elected ”Reichstag” under Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler followed the seizure of power. This ”Day of Potsdam” was literally elevated to a national holiday, and the masses were cheering. All schools had classes canceled, however, teachers and students were obligated to listen to the political speeches on radio, and the great event had to be acknowledged according to service regulations. All over the country patriotic rallies

and impressive torchlight parades took place, at Burghaun and Huenfeld as well. The mayor of Huenfeld, Dr. Daniel, called up the spirit of ”Fredric the Great” in his speech and hailed the commencement of a new era. Lifted up by national pathos and fascinated

as well as lulled by the pompous and solemn mass rallies of the Nazis even well educated people would initially believe in a national new beginning after the failure of the ”Weimar Republic”.