Heinrich Hoffmann (1885 – 1957) served as Adolf Hitler’s official photographer from when Hitler took control of the Nazi party in 1921 until his death in 1945. Hoffmann estimates he took over half a million photographs of Hitler over the course of his career. His portraits were the most significant source of Nazi propaganda materials published over the course of close to 25 years, everything from postcards, posters, magazines, postage stamps and picture books. Click on eachtheme below to see a complete photo albumdevoted to that particular event or topic.
The following photographs were taken across several different portrait sessions from the early 1930’s. Many are from February 1933 just after Adolf Hitler’s appointment as chancellor, but it would be a great injustice to cram all of these into the ‘Hitler as Chancellor’ album. There are just so many amazing photos to savor from this particular time period. A couple of these are not Hoffmann photos (proper credit is given), yet these particular pictures just seemed to naturally flow together as a set. Several highlight many important, even if somewhat more obscure behind the scenes events around the time of Hitler’s ascent to power.
The newly appointed Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler in early February of 1933.Adolf Hitler seen in the midst of tough negotiations with Chancellor Bruening about the extension of President Hindenburg’s term. After the negotiations failed, the race for the presidency was underway in April 1932.Adolf Hitler in Berlin after negotiations with Chancellor Bruening about extending President Hindenburg’s term. The negotiations failed, and the presidential race got underway in April 1932.Adolf Hitler as the new Chancellor, after his appointment by President Hindenburg in 1933. American photojournalist James E. Abbe took this trio of portraits in Hitler’s study in the Reich Chancellery in Berlin.Portrait of Chancellor Adolf Hitler immediately after his appointment as Chancellor on 30 January 1933. He emerges from the chancellery right after taking an oath as governor of the Reich’s provinces in front of Marshall Hindenburg in Berlin, Germany.Portrait of Adolf Hitler taken on 2 February 1933, three days after he was appointed as Chancellor.Adolf Hitler out on the terrace of Haus Wachenfeld around the time of his appointment as Chancellor in 1933.Adolf Hitler with Max Amann, the managing director of the NSDAP publishing house Franz Eher Nachfolger GmbH in front of Hitler’s former apartment on Thierschstrasse in Munich at the time of the Reichstag elections on 14 September 1930. The number of National Socialist deputies in the German Reichstag shot up from 12 to 107. After the announcement of the election results, Adolf Hitler stands smiling as his supporters cheer.Hitler stands between Gauleiter of Danzig-West Prussia Albert Forster and leader of the Danzig Agricultural League Hermann Rauschning, in front of Haus Wachenfeld on 9 July 1932, during a leader meeting of the NSDAP where they discussed the happenings and future of Danzig.Hitler conversing with Otto Dietrich, who was appointed Press Chief of the NSDAP in 1931 and the following year joined the SS. By 1941 he had risen to the rank of SS-Obergruppenführer.Construction at the Braunes Haus 1930Adolf Hitler at a rally of the Berlin Nazi Party in 1931. Joseph Goebbels as Gauleiter of Berlin and Hermann Goering were also in attendance.Hitler spricht im Berliner Sportpalast. Februar 1932. Hitler speaks at the Berlin Sports Palace in late February 1932 just after declaring his candidacy for the Presidential Race.Journalist Hans V. Kaltenborn of CBS poses next to Adolf Hitler after a 45 minute interview that took place on Wednesday, 17 August 1932. Also present were Karl Von Wiegand (Hearst News) & Louis Lochner (AP Chief, Berlin). Kaltenborn’s former Harvard classmate, Ernst “Putzi” Hanfstaengl had arranged the interview and used Louis Lochner’s camera for this snapshot, which was taken on the front porch of Hitler’s home. Since all of these men were fluent with the German language, no interrupter was needed during the visit.
A copy of Kaltenborn’s interview from 17 August 1932 is posted here…
This is a rare photograph of Adolf Hitler taken in 1933, featured in the book Deutsche Arbeit – Sieg Heil! Bild-Dokumente vom Wiederaufbau published in 1934, focusing on the National Socialist labor aspect of the resurgence of Germany and dedicated to Dr. Robert Ley, the leader of the Deutsche Arbeitsfront (DAF or German Labor Front). This is from the opening page of the book and reads Unser Führer, Adolf Hitler.Chancellor of Nazi Germany Adolf Hitler, 1933.Stunning photo of Adolf Hitler in a dark colored suit from March 1933. Apparently this suit was dark blue and not black, but he looks absolutely AMAZING in it, and this is definitely in my top 5 all time favorite photos of Hitler so I’ve included it in this album.“Der Führer überall ! Reichskanzler Adolf Hitler mit dem Reichskommissar für Sachsen, Manfred von Killinger“. I’m so THRILLED with this find! I’ve never seen this entire uncropped photo titled “The leader is everywhere! Reich Chancellor Adolf Hitler with the Reich Commissioner for Saxony, Manfred von Killinger” taken in March 1933. Hitler is STUNNING here, his hair, this suit… simply amazing!Adolf Hitler stands between his personal bodyguards Erich Kempka (left) and Bruno Gesche (right) at his private residence in Berchtesgaden, Haus Wachenfeld, in early spring 1932. Kurt Gildisch stands to the far left and is often cropped out from this photograph.. The three bodyguards depicted were among the eight original members of the SS-Begleitkommando des Führers (“SS Escort Command of the Führer”)My latest find – gorgeous photo with no date or location yet… same with the 2 postcards below…Screenshot
The series of 3 photographs shown below appear to be from an NSDAP rally held between 1929 and 1932, but I don’t believe it’s the Nuremberg Party Pally. Note how Hitler is wearing a black suit coat over his uniform along with a black tie – this appears to be a style combo he was playing around with before his uniform became much more consistent and standardized in 1933. The badge on Martin Bormann’s uniform appears to be the 1932 July Hitler Woche (Hitler Week) Ostpreussen regional tinnie, when Hitler gave a series of speeches in 17-19 July 1932 in Königsberg.
Martin Bormann, Albert Bormann, K. H. Frank, Heinrich Himmler, Adolf Hitler at a rally circa 1929.
(The last photo above might be actually be Hitler at Erich Jost’s funeral in Lorsch on 9 August 1929. Hitler gave a funeral speech in the cemetery at the funeral of Erich Jost (SA, 1909-1929). His hair and uniform look similar – if anyone knows the event please let me know…)
MYSTERY SOLVED!!! These photographs are from July 1930! They have a story too, and an explanation for the heavy black coat over his uniform … So have you ever had one of those days? Well Hitler had an absolutely terrible day when he woke up sick in Gera on 13 July 1930, with a fever so high that it made it difficult for him to even stand up. He had a speech to deliver a few hours drive away in the town of Gerolfingen, and when he arrived the streets were so muddy from pounding rain that the road was completely impassible. He ended up walking on foot to a local farm in order to deliver his speech. Due to the uniform ban on civilians, he also had to wear a heavy dark coat and hat to conceal his uniform. He still managed to address a crowd of 7000 listeners.
Despite being extremely ill, facing heavy rains and impassible muddy roads, and a pesky uniform ban on civilians, Hitler was still able to deliver a speech in the town of Gerolfingen to a crowd of 7000 listeners on 13 July 1930.
“Adolf Hitler speaks to many thousands of Franconian farmers on the top of the Hesselberg on 13. July 1930. The assembled sing the Horst-Wessel-Lied as Hitler and Streicher make their way through the enthusiastic crowd. The motorcycle squadron Nuremberg had a difficult field to traverse on the rain-soaked roads up to the Hesselberg. When the Führer left the mountain, he was accompanied by thousands of Franconian farmers that had absorbed National Socialism. Farmers had appeared who had walked for hours on foot to the Hesselberg, including many over 80 years of age to listen to the Führer and Streicher, the fighter of Franconia.” (The importance of the speech is the upcoming Reichstag election campaign.)
Reichstagswahlkampf 15 Juli 1932. Beginn des dritten Deutschlandflugs. Tilsit.Reichstagswahlkampf 15 Juli 1932
I love history and have always been infatuated with the design and style of the 1920’s. Unfortunately I can’t time travel back to this era, so I live vicariously through books, movies and photos.
[…] with black trousers. When he was wearing civilian clothes, he usually donned a simple black or dark blue suit (and I must admit I’ve always been quite biased towards Hitler in dark colored suits), […]
Comparto tu emoción por las fotografías inéditas que encontraste ¡son absolutamente preciosas! 🤩 Y, coincido en que AH se ve genial con ropa de colores oscuros.
This photo is definitely from 1931, I have the IB copy where it was first published. Not March, 1933, he was heavier by then and hair different. One of my top photos too. Beyond gorgeous!
Please let me know what exact issue from 1931, I flipped through all the 1931 editions of IB on Internet Archive and couldn’t find it, I’d love to have the correct date and location, this is one of my all time favorite pics, thanks so much!!
Heinrich Hoffmann Photo Gallery 