March field
The March field denotes the annual assembly of the army in the spring of the Franconian Merovingians ; the name was used again by the National Socialists .
origin
The name can be derived in two ways:
- It refers to the Roman Campus Martius , the field near Rome consecrated to the Roman god of war Mars , where military marches, military games and troop inspections took place in the Roman Empire .
- It refers to the time when the Army Assembly is convened in March of each year.
Since the month of March also relates to the god of war Mars, both explanations are possible.
history
The field of Mars seems to have been a tradition among the Germanic tribes . It refers to the gathering of war-ready men of a tribe in a place that is redefined every year. In the course of the year it was before the war campaigns in the summer, so that before these ventures a draft of the soldiers, advice on campaigns and the distribution of the spoils from the campaigns of the previous year were offered. On this occasion, there were also political demonstrations and announcements, as all men who were capable of military service and thus politically decisive were gathered.
The Marsfeld for the Merovingian king Clovis I at the end of the 5th century is documented with the story of the Soissons pitcher . Later only the leading princes and the king came together at the March field to pass resolutions. Only when the army was exiled did all the free ones appear. When the Carolingian dynasty came to power in the Frankish Empire , they adopted the custom of the March field. Pippin III however, moved the meeting from 755 to early summer. It was therefore called Maifeld from then on . With Charles the Bald , the institution disappeared completely in the middle of the 9th century.
Later use
Based on the presumed Germanic customs and traditions, the National Socialists tried to revive the institution of the March field as a military parade ground. For this purpose, the construction of the 58 hectare “March field” began in 1938 as part of the construction work on the Nazi party rally grounds in Nuremberg. The armed forces' demonstration maneuvers during the Nazi party rallies were to be presented on it. It was located in the northwest of what is now the Langwasser district and was only half completed.
Individual evidence
- ^ Hans-Werner Goetz: Europe in the early Middle Ages 500-1050; Stuttgart 2003. Page 157. ISBN 3-8001-2790-3
- ↑ Martina Hartmann: The Merovingians; Munich 2012. page 19. ISBN 978-3-406-63307-2
see also field of Mars