The treaty left many Germans resentful at the treatment their country had received and can be seen as vengeful on Germany who would be bled dry to repay the cost of the war.
Anschiuss which was the union between Austria and Germany was forbidden this on its own caused deep resentment.
There were many small revolts and great economic difficulties and inflation influenced by the Wall Street crash in America. As a result of this the government started printing money which aggravated the situation and made inflation worse.
This was the background in which Hitler’s Nazi policy expanded and gained support. Hitler promised to give employment and to make Germany great again. To a hungry demoralised nation this was a strong rallying call and leadership which many German people who had lost everything responded to.
The control of the country by propaganda using the radio, cinema, newspapers and mass rallies all of which were under the control of Hitler was effective. Young people were encouraged to join the Nazi youth movements and religious views were re-directed to regard Hitler as a God like being.
The resentment that many still held towards the Treaty of Versailles was a festering wound. Poland was to be given land in West Russia that would split Germany but give Poland access to the sea and use of the free port of Danzig. These accesses did nothing to calm the German people or encourage them to respect the independence and freedom of Czechoslovakia and Poland.
Hitler was not German born, he was born in Austria. Austria and Germany were next door to each other, so much so that “Anschluss” the union between Germany and Austria was forbidden in the Versailles Treaty. This was to stop them uniting. These two German speaking countries would make a very strong Germany which is what 8 million German speaking people wanted, but were denied because of the Treaty of Versailles.
Many felt the injustice of the loss of the Sudetenland’s which were rich in copper and coal mines also farming. The cost of repayment for the war was crippling Germany but without the Sudetenland’s to help them it was a recipe for another war, not a lasting peace, or the rebuilding of a war torn country.
As Hitler took over power his influence was almost like that of a replacement to religion. Some people thought he could hypnotise audiences. In his book Mein Kampf he wrote out his grand plan for Germany. He wrote of Lebensraum which was living space for Germans. This was expansion of German lands for German people and the reality was to displace Russian and Polish people and repopulate their lands with Germans. Force would be used if these countries did not give up their lands. This Lebensraum was on his agenda during his imprisonment after the First World War, when he wrote his ideas for the future, in his book Mein Kampf his main changes were directed to the Versailles Treaty which he insisted must be cancelled and all German lands returned. He thought France must be destroyed, communism because of its strong link to Russia as the political system that replaced the Royal family rule there must also be destroyed.
The role of Fuehrer a single ruler and leader who would lead the pure Aryan race (the Germans) into becoming the master race was also part of his great plan for Germany. He saw Germans as a race that must not be weakened by interbreeding with inferior races. The Jewish people were seen as being the worst of the impure.
These plans of Hitler added to the ruined state of Germany after the First World War and the economic ruin irritated by the American Wall Street crash all combined to provide hope and support for Hitler, who was able to use this support towards a policy that could only lead to the Second World War.
Food and employment was seen by many as the lesser evil of what Germany was turning into which was a police state with almost a thought control policy. This helped make the cooperation of people in the final solution possible.
In 1936 Hitler began rearming Germany. He marched into the Rhineland; there was little reaction despite the fact that he was breaking the Versailles Treaty. While major powers attempted to negotiate with Germany, Hitler continued with his grand plan and in 1939 he marched into Poland, this action could not be ignored by France or Britain who had to declare war on a Country that was prepared, armed and ready for World War two.
The treatment of minority groups
Jews have been the focus of hate dislike and blame since the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Christians have blamed the Jews for the death of Christ forgetting Christ himself was a Jew.
Hate of Jews can be found in Shakespeare’s plays, the most famous being The Merchant of Venice with Shylock the Jew being shown as the villain. The followers of anti-Semitism based their opinions on the Jewish race that were called Semites not on their religious practice. This anti-Semitism was dominant in European politics and the National Socialism party incorporated anti-Semitic doctrines, it was therefore relatively easy to discourage non Jews. Slowly laws were introduced that separated the Jews from the “pure race”. Jewish homes and shops were attacked by Nazi thugs, Jews could not vote, Jews could not employ pure Germans, Jewish doctors could not treat pure Germans, little by little they were stripped of rights, respect and protection, they were being turned into evil non humans so that the extermination of these undesirables could be undertaken with little or no protests. Genocide would be the policy to the final solution.
Kristallnacht, night of the broken glass was an organized weekend of violence against Jewish property and synagogues. The picture Hitler painted of the Jews was an imagery of the lowest life form possible “a germ”, the people that welcome him are bound to be bled to death. Those Jews that could get away from Germany including Albert Einstein were the lucky ones.
All Jews had to wear a star of David sewn to their clothes indoctrination of children took place in schools where Jewish children were made to stand in front of the class and writing on the blackboard warned their once friends “beware the Jews”.
Jews were collected up and placed into Ghettos which were separated from non Jews; here they were starved with no heating, crammed into over crowded rooms until they died of starvation or disease.
The final solution, which was the extermination or genocide, was completed by forced removal to extermination or death camps. These men, women and children were transported by cattle trucks, worked as slave labour or gassed. All goods were confiscated by the Government.
Jews were not the only groups to be exterminated or made to do forced labour. Gypsies, Jehovah’s witnesses, homosexuals, the handicapped were all treated in the same way.
It is the number, over 6 million people, that is so devastating and unbelievable. Many of these were Polish and Jews. This was not warfare where there would be chance to fight back, this was removing ill and impure, old and young defenceless people, with the single aim of not just murdering them but also disposing of their bodies and using any by products that could be recycled to fuel the war in progress.
The final solution did not show any humanity at all, its coldness, merciless power was overpowering, ruthless and without pity.
The cold efficiency with which the Germans experimented to find the most cost effective method to achieve mass cheap killings is implausible. Zyklon B, hydrogen, cyanide gas, carbon monoxide, shooting were all evaluated almost as if to evaluate a way of gaining a productivity bonus of the loss of human life.
The services and facilities currently available in the village of Penley
The village of Penley today, is that of an uninspiring cluster of buildings on either side of the main road. The boundaries of the village are unclear and present to the non local motorist not a view of a village but small clusters of unattached buildings without character and identity.
There is an apparent original core with the more recent or modern parts being separated by the Industrial Unit Estate. As if built as an after thought the characterless architecturally viewed secondary school was built away from the other established buildings, it covers a large site and has no appeal to a visitor as it is just a block without style.
The Maelor School
The health centre is built on the school site but is featureless and to approach by car is an obstacle course presented by the school pupils and visitors going in and out of the schools main drive.
There are O.A.P. bungalows built very closely to the school near to its entrance which is subjected to the daily traffic noise and variety of school sounds.
The infant junior school of Penley Madras with its thatched roof on the approach into Penley from Wrexham is interesting, unusual and of historical interest and is part of the major past of the original Penley village, there are records of the school and its pupils from 1811 to be seen in the school log books that were kept by law.
The Madras School
The 16th Century Dymock Arms is the most impressionable building in the village. The coat of arms of the Dymocks is displayed outside with its ‘Pro Rege ET Ledg Dimic’ motto, it was originally called The Plough and has and is undergoing modernisation. While once the most central meeting place with rents being paid by the tenants it was also a working farm.
The Dymock Arms
There is a chapel which has been converted into private dwellings and many of the cottages for farm labours or small holdings have been bought for private homes and dramatically changed from their original pre renovation look.
The street lighting is poor and there is no open space for public meetings and recreation. There are no obviously placed litter bins or flower beds.
There is a small warehouse that has been converted to a children’s nursery for working mothers but its position on this drab industrial estate does nothing to inspiring confidence. The entrance to the industrial estate is extremely neglected and rundown with limited information on its purpose or use. While the residential housing is well balanced with council housing, original pre and Victorian properties a new modern estate with plans for future building there is no visual feeling of community. There are no shops therefore there is no use of the village by people who don’t live there.
The Penley Urban Design Appraisal which was presented for Wrexham Strategy identified many problem areas and set out four basic long term aims, these of which are: -
- Redevelop the Polish Hospital site
- Introduce a significant woodland element into the redevelopment proposals
- Redesign the public realm at the former council housing site
- Reinforce the landscape character particularly at route way approaches.
The new County Borough of Wrexham presented its plan in 1999 and stated that this will be a guide to the development of and until 2011. Its revised grand plan considered the following areas: -
- Provide for the needs of the community for housing, industry and employment
- Achieve development that can be sustained by the environment
- Create development that is accessible to people
- Ensure that neighbouring land uses are compatible
- Give people the opportunity to comment on the highlighted issues of the development in a public debate.
The Penley Urban Design Appraisal appears to show concrete ideas where as the revised plan is not specific.
Site Proposals
My proposals for the site at Penley Polish Hospital are to develop an area that the whole community can use as well as encouraging non residents to visit.
On the cleared site I would have a large lake excavated in the shape of an 8. The centre of the lakes would be for the Polish memorial. The two lakes would be used for: -
A. Sailing club
Rowing boats
Canoes
These would be used by adults and teenagers.
B. Paddle boats
Dinghies
These would be used by children under 13 and families.
These two recreational areas would be served by two club house structures, where lessons could be booked, instruction classes held and information obtained. Links would be made for extending the use of these water sports with competitions and visits to other centres.
As Penley is set in a farming country, activities such as tree naming, walks, wild flower identification, wild animal habitats and handouts would be made available with planted woodlands being extensively sign posted and used by school groups and visitors. Picnic areas would be scattered across the site to enable large and small gatherings.
As Penley is basically set in farming country and as many farms are now closing or looking for other more profitable ways of earning a living many farm tools, knowledge and folk law are being lost. A museum of country life that displays and collects farming and dairy tools with taped interviews with the older members of the community, photos of historic buildings for example the Great Barn of Penley, which was moved brick by brick to the St. Fagan’s Welsh Folk Museum. This Penley folk museum could be the focus of local land use in the past making it a place of interest and personal responsibility for local people.
The entry to the Country park would be eye catching and attractive to draw attention to it presence for people who were driving through the village. Local artists would be asked to display their art with a country theme carving.
A gate way of wooden poles with tree and wild woodland flowers growing on either side of the entry road would not only look attractive but would also usually show that these were part of the attractions. Bird hides and bird watches would also feature an area that was screened would be cleared and wooden hut accommodation of six buildings would be built without side barbecue areas. Thsee could be used as holiday accommodation that could be part organized part free time where the local and surrounding areas could be explored with the theme being country matters. Rustic seating would be placed randomly in the village not just on the main through road.
A shop and café would also be on site built in a style sympathetic to the theme and outdoor life style.
These proposals would do many things for the village of Penley. The most important justification would be they would not ruin the village or exclude the local people. They would respect the history, environment, working practices of the local people. The main theme is “Country Life” so its theme could then be extended to the main road and incorporate it in defining the boundaries by Rustic ‘Welcome to Penley’ signs and flower beds. Planting of woodlands with tree varieties would also add interest.
This proposal would bring work to local people who could work in their own village and feel a continued sense of belonging ownership and promote pride, in its new and growing reputation that is strongly linked to its past.
This proposal would also complement some of the actions proposed by the urban design appraisal.
- Reinforcing the gateways e.g. introducing locally distinctive signage and features of interest
- Improving areas of usual degradation bye renovation, proper boundary treatment and good hard and soft landscaping schemes
- Taking the opportunity to create spaces for public enjoyment by making use of redundant sites.
- Reducing levels of visual clutter bye amalgamating signage and lighting and remaining redundant items.
- Introducing consistent and locally responsive street furniture
- Infecting usual interest into the environment with public art and imaginative use of spaces.
These six quoted aims of the development plans clearly show how my proposals complement them.
My development site
Memorial
I have looked at many memorials in my search for ideas for this coursework. There seems to me to be a theme running through the different wars and their memorials. The 1914 – 1918 war memorials seem to be presented by a figure of a solider in his uniform with words like “honour” used.
The Second World War memorials are less visual but more rendering us in words that these people died for us to have a future. Granite, marble and bronze were the most typical materials that were used.
I wanted my design to be of my generation young and foreword looking. This influenced my choice of material, I want to use a clear glass or plastic so that while I acknowledge the past human hardships, misery, bravery and courage. I want the message to be forward looking and light. If it were possible this structure would be a block of 12 foot clear glass or plastic with the names of all the polish towns battles and camps inscribed on it that were involved with the war. No names will be inscribed on the memorial block because children, men, women, old and young all gave their own ultimate sacrifice, their lives! So it would not be appropriate to name generals or ranks because Poland gave its life with its people. I would want an arch with a prism to capture light and throw a rainbow effect on the water so it is visually eye catching, dignified, foreword looking yet at the same time remembering the past with honour. The rainbow would be balanced on a globe of clear plastic or glass with the world land masses clearly identified.
Children and adults could enjoy this memorial the rainbow would reflect hope for the future, the clear glass or plastic would show the past and future are all part of the same world.
I don’t want the memorial to be depressing and I don’t want it to be disrespectful but I do want it to be part of the community that these Polish people found themselves in. I also want the local people to view it and be thoughtful.
As the memorial is placed in the centre of the lakes there is a feeling of movement which reminds us of the vast miles that were travelled by this group of people. Set in the middle of these family leisure activities it also becomes part of laughter as well tears and is I think a living memorial that is modern and foreword looking.
I had thought of gates, gardens, skate parks and play areas but I decided that I would incorporate nature, movement, laughter, tears, names and peace in a regenerated setting that would reflect nature which is living.
I would be happy for future generations of Polish people to see this acknowledgement of their culture, sacrifices and bravery.
Extension
If I had, had more time I would have organised a questionnaire, which would have been helpful towards realising the needs of the village and what the people of Penley believe should be appropriate to situate on the Polish hospital site. The questions that would have been on the questionnaire are:
- Do you think that the Polish hospital site should be built on?
- Do you think the community of Penley should be involved in the future of the Polish hospital site?
- Do you think we should remember the soldiers and medical staff that were established here?
- Do you think a memorial would be appropriate if the above question is answered yes?
- Do you think the proposals for the Penley hospital site should be built with the communities needs first?
The relatives and descendants of the soldiers, doctors and nurses that worked and lived there, would be contacted and be asked for there view towards the redevelopment of the Polish hospital site.
