During my last few trips to Erlangen I had thought about having lunch or dinner at a restaurant located on Weisses Herzstrasse 8 (located on the Neustaedter Kirchenplatz) . Up until a few years ago, it was an Italian restaurant, whose name escapes me. Today it is a Thai restaurant, and last September, I finally entered the place for lurch. It was more out of historical curiosity than anything else. While researching my book on the history of Erlangen ("Erlangen-An American's History of a German Town"), I had learned that before and during the years of the Third Reich, this location had been been a prime meeting place for Nazis. (p 153).
In the years leading up to Hitler's ascension to power in 1933, number 8 Weisses Herzstrasse had been known as the Goldenes Herz. It was, in effect, the Nazis' main meeting place. The local Nazi leader was Alfred Gross, who became the city's Oberbuergermeister under Hitler from 1934-44. Prior to 1933, it was at the Goldenes Herz that he would hold court and greet visitors.
After the war, Gross was arrested by the Americans and imprisoned for a few years. He died in 1949.
Today, the restaurant is called simply, "Thai Food 2".
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