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 cavernous and cramped beer halls of Bavaria were an integral part of Hitler’s life and early career. During the formative years of the Nazi Party the Bürgerbräukeller in Munich was one of the main gathering places of the NSDAP. It was there on 8 November 1923 that Adolf Hitler launched the Beer Hall Putsch and where he also announced the re-establishment of the Nazi Party in February 1925 shortly after his release from Landsberg Prison. After Hitler seized power in 1933, he would annually commemorate the Putsch anniversary every November with an address to the Alte Kämpfer (Old Fighters) in the great hall of the Bürgerbräukeller. The following photographs document this annual event as well as many other early speeches that Hitler delivered in Munich’s beer halls.
Adolf Hitler and Franz Ritter von Epp (right) at a meeting in the Munich Beer Hall Bürgerbräukeller on 8 August 1925. Ritter von Epp was an esteemed German general and politician who started his military career in the Bavarian Army. He also served as a mentor to Ernst Roehm and provided considerable support to the early Nazi party. In the center of the photo barely visible behind Hitler is Dr. Rudolf Buttmann, Reichsredner (State Speaker) for the NSDAP. Far left is party treasurer Franz Xaver Schwarz, and next to him the editor of the “Völkischer Beobachter” Hermann Esser,Adolf Hitler with early followers, among them Gregor Strasser (left of Hitler) and Ulrich Graf (right), at the Hofbraeuhaus in Munich on 24 February 1929, commemorating the 9th anniversary of his 24 February 1920 speech that took place in the Hofbräuhaus in which he laid out the goals of the new Nazi Party. Graf was selected by Hitler to be his personal bodyguard, and he saved his life by throwing himself on top of Hitler and taking five bullets during the Beer Hall Putsch. Gregor Strasser was murdered during the Night of the Long Knives on 30 June 1934.Adolf Hitler holding a speech in early 1925 in Munich. On 9 March 1925 Hitler was banned from public speaking by the Bavarian government. Most other German states quickly followed suIt.Adolf Hitler on 6 March 1927 at his appearance in the Vilsbiburg Volksfesthalle, with the then member of the state parliament Dr. Rudolf Buttmann (6th from left) and Gregor Strasser (later removed from the picture quite amateurishly) and Heinrich Himmler (far left, with glasses). He spoke at 15.00 regarding “Zukunft oder Untergang” (future or doom) to a hall that was one-third empty and made up mostly of party members and SA men. This was Hitler’s first public speech after the 2 year ban was lifted by the Bavarian government.11 November 1930: Goering and Goebbels applauding in the front row during a speech by Adolf Hitler in Munich’s Löwenbräukeller on the anniversary of the German ‘shame’ of 11 November 1918, their defeat and surrender at the end of the First World War.Adolf Hitler makes a speech to party members in Munich’s Bürgerbräukeller for the 10th anniversary of the Putsch attempt on 8 November 1933. Earlier that day Hitler had officially opened the Party museum in the Sterneckerbraeuhaus.Adolf Hitler in Munich’s Bürgerbräukeller for the 10th anniversary commemoration of the Putsch attempt on 8 November 1933. Earlier that day Hitler had officially opened the NSDAP Party museum in the Sterneckerbraeuhaus.Adolf Hitler in Munich’s Bürgerbräukeller for the 10th anniversary commemoration of the Putsch attempt on 8 November 1933.Adolf Hitler addresses leaders and members of the Nazi party in Munich, Germany on 8 November 1934. They are gathered in the Munich restaurant, the Bürgerbräukeller, where Hitler staged the unsuccessful Beer Hall Putsch on 8 November 1923.On the 11th Anniversary of the Beer Hall Putsch, Adolf Hitler is greeted by ‘old companions’ at his arrival at the Buergerbraeukeller on 8 November 1934.Adolf Hitler with Christian Weber in the Buergerbraeukeller on 8 November 1935 at the commemoration of the National Socialist victims killed in the Beer Hall Putsch in 1923. Along with Ernst Röhm, Julius Streicher, Hermann Esser and Dietrich Eckart, Weber was one of only five of Hitler’s followers who were allowed to address him on a first-name basis.Adolf Hitler delivers his annual commemoration speech at the Bürgerbräukeller on the 13th anniversary of the Putsch 8 November 1936.Meeting of the Putsch participants at ‘Bürgerbräukeller’ in Munich: Adolf Hitler in conversation with Christian Weber; behind him: Hitler’s Adjutant Julius Schaub and Joseph Goebbels, next to Goebbels to right: Gauleiter Josef Wagner and Karl Fiehler; behind Hitler to right: Ulrich Graf, Reichsstatthalter Franz Ritter von Epp, Alfred Rosenberg, Rudolf Hess on 8 November 1936.Adolf Hitler with the ‘old fighters’ on Christmas Eve in the Loewenbraeukeller in Munich on 24 December 1936.‘Hitler spricht zu ‘Alten Kämpfern’ im Bürgerbräu’ Celebrating the Hitler putsch – Hitler speaks to ‘old fighters’ in the putsch in the Bürgerbräukeller in Munich; in front of the lectern in the first row from the right: Franz Ritter von Epp, Rudolf Hess, Hermann Göring, Robert Ley, Ulrich Graf on 8 November 1937.Anniversary of the Beer Hall Putsch. Franz von Epp, Rudolf Hess, Adolf Hitler, Hermann Göring, and Max Amann celebrating the anniversary of the Beer Hall Putsch in 1937, in the Bürgerbräukeller beer hall in Munich.Adolf Hitler during the traditional meeting in the Munich Buergerbraeukeller to commemorate the 1923 coup attempt on 8 November 1937. Sitting from left: Adolf Hitler, Hermann Goering, Julius Schaub, Max Amann. Behind Goering stands Hitler’s photographer Heinrich Hoffmann.
This incredible photograph was featured on the cover of the 18 November 1937 edition of the Illustrierte Beobachter, covering the events of the 14th anniversary of the Putsch commemoration.
Adolf Hitler during his traditional speech on 8 November 1938 in the Bürgerbräukeller. Based on Hitler’s speaking habits on this anniversary, the resistance fighter Georg Elser calculated the time the following year when a bomb he had placed on the column behind Hitler was to bring it down on him. Because Hitler spoke for a shorter time than usual in 1939, the attack failed. In the middle behind Hitler stands the bearer of the blood flag, Jakob Grimminger. Postcard from the 15th anniversary of the Beer Hall Putsch commemoration on 8 November 1938 in Munich showing Franz von Epp, Rudolf Hess, Christian Weber, Hermann Esser and Adolf Hitler.Asolf Hitler im Bürgerbräukeller mit dem Alten Kämpfern: Minister Lammers, Stabschef Lutze, Goebbels, Wilhelm Brückner, Ulrich Graf, Hitler, Heß. Adolf Hitler at Munich’s Burgerbräukeller for the anniversary of the Putsch on 8 November 1938.Hitler im Bürgebräukeller, neben ihm Ulrich Graf und Wilhelm Brückner. (Hitler in the Bürgebräukeller, next to him Ulrich Graf and Wilhelm Brückner.) Adolf Hitler in Munich’s Burgerbräukeller for the anniversary of the Putsch on 8 November 1938, looking at the hole in the ceiling from the shot he made in 1923.Vor dem Erinnerungsmarsch der Alten Garde zum Mahnmal an der Feldherrenhalle: Adolf Hitler im Gespräch mit Göring, links Rosenberg, ganz rechts hinten Frick. Before the memorial march of the Old Guard to the memorial at the Feldherrenhalle: (Adolf Hitler in conversation with Göring, Rosenberg on the left, Frick on the far right in the background). Adolf Hitler and Hermann Göring in front of the Bürgerbräukeller on 9 November 1938.This is an extremely rare photograph of Adolf Hitler giving his annual speech to celebrate the founding anniversary of the NSDAP on February 24 at the Hofbräuhaus in Munich. This is from the 19th annual commemoration ceremony held in 1939, and I hope to eventually find a better copy because he looks spectacular!Der schwäbische Schreiner Georg Elser wollte am 8 November 1939 den “Führer” im Münchner Bürgerbräukeller töten. Die Bombe zündete jedoch 13 Minuten zu spät. (The Swabian carpenter Georg Elser attempted to kill the “Führer” in the Munich Bürgerbräukeller on 8 November 1939. However, the bomb detonated 13 minutes late.)
The Löwenbräukeller was used as a substitute site for the anniversary commemorations of the Beer Hall Putsch after the 1939 assassination attempt on Adolf Hitler by George Elser had left the Bürgerbräukeller in ruins.
Adolf Hitler makes a speech in Munich’s Löwenbräukeller for the 18th anniversary commemoration of the Putsch on 8 November 1941.
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.
[…] 16/50 PS vehicle in the early 1920’s. It was this car that Hitler used to drive to the Burgerbraukeller in Munich shortly before launching his abortive putsch. Chancellor of Nazi Germany Adolf Hitler with his […]
Heinrich Hoffmann Photo Gallery 