Black and White Wednesday: More from Thingstatte

I blogged earlier this week about our visit to the Nazi amphi-theatre, Thingstatte, and I thought some of the photos from that day would be perfect for B&W Wednesday.  When shooting the site, I found it hard to capture the feel of this place.  While modern day Thingstatte is still an impressive site with its massive stone benches rising up the hilltop, it also has a sense of modesty and calm as it sits in the forest at the end of Philosopher’s Way and next to old church ruins.  Locals visit the site and run up the stairs on their afternoon runs, they wander through on their way to do a family picnic or just as a cut-through on a leisurely hike, tourists visit and take photos and think of what this place once stood for.  What it once was is certainly not what it is now, and that was what made it difficult to capture in photos.  It is both beautiful and ugly all at the same time.

I’m still working on trying to master black and white conversions and have a very long way to go, but I thought B&W was a good way to present some of these photos from this historic site.

This engraved stone sign sits close by and directs visitors to Heiligenberg, the location of Thingstatte.

The view from “backstage” looking out onto the seating where the crowds would have gathered for the festivals and rallies.

The view from the top of the theatre seating, looking down on the stage.