[VIDEO IN EXTENDED ARTICLE]

A piece of Nazi history was destroyed in three minutes this morning when a stadium built on Hitler’s orders was demolished.

After a huge bang the steel roof of the ‘Deutschlandhalle’, or Germany Halls, fell in and 76-years of history was reduced to rubble.

The landmark sports stadium and rally hall in Berlin was built by the Third Reich in 1935 and at the time represented the regime’s prestige and future.

In 1935 it was also the largest sporting arena in the world.

Large crowds gathered to watch the building crumble at 10am German time today.

Demolition experts exploded the support beams and columns holding up the roof.

Once the walls and foundations are removed over the next few weeks, it will make way for a new £65 million events and conference centre on the site to be built over the next two years.
Built primarily for the 1936 Olympics, the building held over 16,000 people and hosted the boxing, weightlifting and wrestling.

After the war it was almost entirely rebuilt in the 1950s but remained popular, managing to shake off its Nazi connotations.

Berlin Mayor Willy Brandt declared it ‘the symbol of our divided city’s will to live’ at the building’s re dedication in 1957. 

It became a multi-purpose arena and sports venue and was central to the capital’s entertainment scene for many years.

The building however needed millions of pounds of renovation by the 1990s and was riddled with structural problems.

It was classified as a historical monument in 1995 but was closed in 1998. It re-opened briefly as an ice rink but finally closed for safety reasons two years ago but approval was given for it to be demolished last year.

Click HERE to watch this video from a mobile device.

(Source: Daily Mail UK)