The Festival Agenda
The Reich Harvest Thanksgiving Festival Agenda
Except for lengthening the time of the military exercise, the Fest (festival´s) general agenda remained unchanged over the years. The following schedule took place from 1935 onwards.

Agenda of the Reichserntedankfestes 1936
Gelderblom Collection
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Waiting for the Führer, undated (presumed 1933)
Town Archives Hanover, 3 NL 342 unpublished Hampel, Bückeberg I,Number 90, photographer :Erich Hampel
It was intended by the organisers that the people be kept waiting for Hitler´s appearance for a long time. The waiting period and the continuously changing scenery was aimed at creating state of tension and excitement amongst the crowds.
At around 12 midday - Start of the over 2 hour long main programme.
- Hitler´s arrival and inspection of the guards of honour of the Third Reich armed forces and the Reichsarbeitsdienst (Reich Labour Service).
- Hitler´s first Weg durch das Volk (pathway through the people) up to the Ehrentribüne (honorary rostrum) (instead of the planned 15 minutes it took considerably longer).
- The harvest festival ceremony (very short and without loudspeaker transmission).
- Opening speech by Joseph Goebbels (5 minutes).
- Schauübung (Military Display) performed by the Third Reich armed forces (1933/34: the German Army) on the plain behind the speaker´s rostrum (30 minutes,1937 60 minutes)
- Hitler´s Weg durch das Volk (pathway through the people) again down to the speaker´s rostrum.
- Speech by the Reichsbauernführer (Reich Farmers´ Leader) and Minister of Agriculture Walter Darré (15 minutes).
- Hitler´s speech (30 minutes).
- Joint singing of the German national anthem and Horst-Wessel song as well as repeated Sieg Heil chants to the “Führer und Volk” (Führer and the people).
At about 14:30 - Hitler´s departure
The Minute by Minute Agenda 1935
minute by minute agenda 1935
Gelderblom Collection