The National Socialists used this area for their Party Rallies from 1933 onward. The central venue for these events was the Zeppelin Field – which got its name after one of Count Zeppelin's airships landed there in 1909. Architect Albert Speer modeled the grandstand after the ancient Pergamon Altar. It was built between 1935 and 1937 of concrete and brick, faced with slabs of shell limestone. The original complex was considered a prime example of National Socialist state architecture. The Zeppelin Field (interior area 312 x 285 meters, bigger than 12 soccer fields) and its main grandstand were the only planned structures that were actually completed. It had a capacity of up to 200,000 people. This is where mass parades of the German Labor Service, the Wehrmacht, and the "political leaders" (Nazi Party officials) were staged in front of the "Führer," Adolf Hitler. The "Cathedral of Light" provided spectacular effects when over 150 powerful searchlights projected their beams straight up into the sky.
