Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All Germany Munich Viscardigasse

Viscardigasse

Golden cobblestones remember a time when this small alley was used to avoid having to give a Nazi salute.

Munich, Germany

J jhavenhill profile photo
Added By
Jon
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Viscardigasse   snickcluck on Flickr
Viscardigasse   David Holt on Flickr
Viscardigasse   Andrew Fleming on Flickr
  Inkythistle / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
  Collector of Experiences / Atlas Obscura User
PNDZ   pandarezza1 / Atlas Obscura User
  Inkythistle / Atlas Obscura User
  Runawaydc / Atlas Obscura User
  hollander / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

Following 1923's abortive Beer Hall Putsch, and the subsequent rise of the Nazi party, the Feldherrnhalle became a monument for Hitler's movement, with pedestrians expected to salute when passing by, but the nearby Viscardigasse alley provided an alternate route for those that refused to show their support. 

The political conflagration commonly known as the Beer Hall Putsch saw the deaths of four Bavarian policemen, several Nazi marchers, and one waiter in the shadow of the monumental Feldherrnhalle. This confrontation led to the arrest of Adolf Hitler for treason and garnered the future leader his first bit of national attention which would eventually lead to his rise in power. Once the Nazi party did finally become the political driver in Germany, Hitler declared the site a national landmark, requiring that passersby perform the Hitlergruß (Nazi salute). Officers were stationed at the site to ensure this happened. 

However, not everyone supported Hitler or the Nazi party and as an act of passive resistance, these opposers would take an alternate route around the monument using the Viscardigasse alley. Originally named after a famed Swiss architect, the narrow road soon became known among the locals as the "Drueckebergergasse," roughly translated as "Shirker's Alley" or "Deserter's Alley."

Today the little alley is a pedestrian-only walkway with a meandering trail of bronzed paving bricks commemorating the brave Germans who refused to give Hitler even the satisfaction of a salute. 

Update December 2017: The previous construction work has been completed and the bricks restored. 

Places

Discover your next amazing Atlas Place.

Get more unusual and extraordinary places each week with the Atlas Obscura Places newsletter.

Your newsletter subscriptions with us are subject to Atlas Obscura's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Related Tags

Roads Nazis Monuments Alleyways World War Ii Military

Community Contributors

J jhavenhill profile photo

Added By

jhavenhill

G greennorthcutt profile photo P paulwhydall profile photo M mcdonut profile photo R RandomKiwi profile photo

Edited By

greennorthcutt, paulwhydall, mcdonut, RandomKiwi...

  • G greennorthcutt profile photo greennorthcutt
  • P paulwhydall profile photo paulwhydall
  • M mcdonut profile photo mcdonut
  • R RandomKiwi profile photo RandomKiwi
  • EricGrundhauser profile photo EricGrundhauser
  • hollander profile photo hollander
  • A Ashtinkler profile photo Ashtinkler
  • P pandarezza1 profile photo pandarezza1
  • W wjames profile photo wjames
  • Inkythistle profile photo Inkythistle
  • Runawaydc profile photo Runawaydc
  • S sambiguous profile photo sambiguous

Published

July 8, 2014

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dr%C3%BCckebergergasse
  • http://en.tracesofwar.com/article/12942/Shirkers-Alley-Viscardigasse.htm
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palais_Preysing
Viscardigasse
Viscardigasse
Munich, 80333
Germany
48.141264, 11.577529
Get Directions

Nearby Places

The Relics of Munich Residenz

Munich, Germany

miles away

Michael Jackson Denkmal (Michael Jackson Memorial)

Munich, Germany

miles away

Orlando di Lasso Statue

Munich, Germany

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Munich

Munich

Germany

Places 37

Nearby Places

The Relics of Munich Residenz

Munich, Germany

miles away

Michael Jackson Denkmal (Michael Jackson Memorial)

Munich, Germany

miles away

Orlando di Lasso Statue

Munich, Germany

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Munich

Munich

Germany

Places 37

Related Stories and Lists

The Best New Wonders of July

By Allison Meier

Related Places

  • The bust of Violette Szabo.

    London, England

    S.O.E. Monument

    A bronze bust commemorates the heroism of the secret agents who led covert operations against the Nazis.

  • Looking up the inside of the memorial tower

    Novo Selo Palanječko, Croatia

    Monument to the Detachment in Brezovica Forest

    A tower marking the spot where Yugoslavia began its resistance against the invading Nazis stands neglected, but not quite forgotten.

  • The 'Furrow' monument at the Stratište Memorial Complex

    Jabuka, Serbia

    Stratište Memorial Complex

    An abandoned monument remembering the "Pančevo Holocaust" now stands as a shadow of its former self.

  • Čačak Mausoleum of Struggle and Victory

    Čačak, Serbia

    Čačak Mausoleum of Struggle and Victory

    This symbol of Yugoslav liberation decorated with 620 carved heads of mythical creatures is now a forlorn relic of another time.

  • Stjepan Filipović Monument.

    Valjevo, Serbia

    Stjepan Filipović Monument

    A tribute to a man who defied the Nazis until his last breath.

  • The Warsaw Uprising Monument.

    Warsaw, Poland

    Warsaw Uprising Monument

    A tribute to the Polish insurgents who fought in the failed attempt to end their city's Nazi occupation.

  • P.O. Box 1142 Memorial

    Alexandria, Virginia

    P.O. Box 1142 Memorial

    This simple stone memorial remembers a secret, Geneva Convention-defying interrogation base from WWII.

  • Jasenovac Stone Flower

    Jasenovac, Croatia

    Stone Flower

    Croatia's towering concrete blossom grows from the site of a World War II concentration camp.

Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2026 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.