A gigantic Berlin conference centre, built by the Aldolf Hitler's Third Reich in 1935, was demolished Saturday to make way for a new events hall. The Deutschlandhalle (Germany Halls) was blown up by controlled demolition. After a huge bang, the steel roof of the building collapsed in a cloud of dust.
The building was the largest in the world at the time it was constructed, two years into Hitler's reign. It was opened by the Nazi dictator himself on November 29, 1935 and was used by the regime for mass rallies. Decades later, the building played host to concerts by the likes of the Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix and Queen, and hosted indoor football matches and a boxing match of Mohammed Ali's.
A new 65-million euro conference centre and exhibition hall is due to replace it. Bystanders were kept at 200 metres distance from the demolition, in the Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf district. The local authority, and many residents had campaigned to keep the building.