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BERLIN (Reuters) - A gigantic Nazi seaside resort on Germany's Baltic coast in the town of Prora has been turned -- after decades of disuse and decay -- into one of the country's largest youth hostels.
Yet initial advertisements highlighting its Nazi past as the "World famous" Strength through Joy (Kraft durch Freude) project caused objections from local historians and led to a marketing U-turn, but not before the German media took notice.
Former Nazi resort rebuilt as huge youth hostel - Yahoo! News (http://news.yahoo.com/former-nazi-resort-rebuilt-huge-youth-hostel-144810229.html - broken link)
This doesn't sound much different than how the US put many buildings from from the former third reich to use for for vacation or recreation purposes. I was with the US Army for nearly 4 years in Germany in the mid 70s. While on a visit to Berlin (at that time, West Berlin) I stayed at the US Army Wannsee Recreation Center on Lake Wannsee, which was by then converted into a hotel. It was right next to a beautiful lakeside beach. It was the former residence of the Finance Minister of the third reich, and was taken over by US forces after WW2. That was well known by everyone who went there.
On several visits to Berchtesdaden (in the Bavarian Alps) I stayed at the incredible General Walker Hotel for a few dollars a day. It was turned back over to Germany in 1989. There were also beautiful alpine resorts in Chiemsee and Garmisch which the US Military took over after WW2, which were available for use by US military and dependants. Everyone knew the history of those places and it sure did not stop them from being heavily booked up for vacations by US military people. In fact, it was widely promoted that the General Walker Hotel was the place where many of the big wigs from the third reich stayed during WW2 when they went to visit the Eagle's Nest in Berchtesgaden.
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