The National Socialists used this area for their Party Rallies from 1933 onward. The central venue for these events was the Zeppelin Field – which got its name after one of Count Zeppelin's airships landed there in 1909. Architect Albert Speer modeled the grandstand after the ancient Pergamon Altar. It was built between 1935 and 1937 of concrete and brick, faced with slabs of shell limestone. The original complex was considered a prime example of National Socialist state architecture.

In 1967, the City of Nuremberg demolished the colonnades because they were unsafe. Some years later, the side towers were also taken down to half their previous height. The relics of the Nazi structures still serve as grandstands today.

The complex survived World War II largely intact. On April 22, 1945, the U.S. Army held its victory parade in front of the main grandstand. After the parade, the swastika was blown up, a signal to the entire world that National Socialism was at an end.