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.
This photo collection contains pictures of Adolf Hitler eagerly devouring daily news reports along his unchallenged ascent to power. Whether tuning into a radio broadcast, waiting anxiously by the telephone, or grabbing the morning newspaper, it seems all news was good news for Hitler. After all, by 9 March 1933, he had officially banned the last of any Nazi opposition newspapers that were still being published in Germany. Shortly after, another decree was passed on 30 June 1933 that forced all regional broadcasting corporations to be incorporated into the Reich Broadcasting Corporation under the control of the Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. The Propaganda Ministry gained further control of news content with detailed guidelines stating exactly what stories could be reported and how to report them.
Adolf Hitler listens to a radio broadcast of the results of the German parliamentary elections on 5 March 1933. The results were extremely disappointing for the Nazi Party, they had only claimed 288 Reichstag seats: or 43.9% of the 39 million votes cast. Hitler was greatly dismayed at the results, and 2 weeks later passed the Enabling Act which suspended further elections and allowed Hitler to enact laws without the approval of either parliament or Reich President von Hindenburg.Adolf Hitler and Ernst ‘Putzi’ Hanfstaegl read a newspaper in the beer garden of Cafe Heck, in the Hofgarten off the Odeonsplatz in Munich, 1932. Putzi was quite close to Hitler for 11 years, but Hanfstaengl fell completely out of Hitler’s favor after he was denounced by the love-struck for Hitler British socialite Unity Mitford, and he fled Germany in 1936 to Switzerland.Ernst Hanfstaengl was a talented pianist who composed a number of Harvard football fight songs before he graduated in 1909. He eventually took those talents to Germany where he created both Brownshirt and Hitler Youth marches based off of Harvard football songs. He also claimed to be the man behind the “Sieg Heil” chant.
According to the CIA’s ‘Biographical Sketch of Adolf Hitler’ from 1943, Henry Field summarized that “Hitler has a consuming passion to learn the latest news. If someone comes into the room with a handful of newspapers, he will stop abruptly the most important conversation and snatch the papers to find out the latest news. He has realized for many years that almost all information, no matter how varied or how apparently unimportant, can serve his own purposes at some particular moment. When he goes to bed he always takes an armful of illustrated periodicals, including American magazines and quantities of magazines on Naval and Military matters.”
Adolf Hitler reading positive news in a Munich newspaper with his sister Angela around the time of the Presidential elections in 1932. (Also take notice of how crudely this photograph is doctored with a black pen in order to make a Hitler’s sister look more slender).Kurt Lüdecke reads a newspaper with Adolf Hitler during a picnic on their way to the first Reichsjugendtag der NSDAP (day of the Hitler Youth) in Potsdam on 1 October 1932. From Lüdecke‘s book “I Knew Hitler” published in 1938.
The following three photographs show Hitler listening to the initial progress of the Saar Referendum that took place on 13 January 1935 while in route on his train from Berlin to Berchtesgaden. The Führer’s personal coach was equipped with a drawing room about the size of three regular compartments, a large sleeping berth and a luxurious marble bathroom. The drawing room of Hitler’s personal car contained a large conference table that could seat eight people and a radio that could operate when stopped at a station.
A referendum on territorial status was held in the Territory of the Saar Basin – over 90% of voters opted for reunification with Germany.
Adolf Wagner, Joseph Goebbels, Adolf Hitler, and Otto Dietrich, chief press officer of the German Reich, gather in front of the radio in the drawing room of Hitler’s train for the announcement of the interim results of the Saarland plebiscite being held on 13 January 1935.Hitler, Goebbels and Wagner listen to the radio during the Saarland vote in 1935. picture from left to right: Gauleiter of Munich-Upper Bavaria, Adolf Wagner, Reich Propaganda Minister Dr. Joseph Goebbels, Hitler and the Reich Press Chief Otto Dietrich in front of the radio on Hitler’s train during the announcement of interim results of the Saarland vote on 13 January 1935. Adolf Hitler receiving the final results of the Saar plebiscite through a loud speaker on 15 January 1935 in the Berchtesgaden post office. Music was also played in celebration of the overwhelming victory in the Saar. Hitler then gave a speech over the radio, broadcasted from the Postamt in Berchtesgaden, about the overwhelming victory of the Saarabstimmung.Die Schicksalsstunde der deutschen Sarr! Der Fuhrer hort das Resultat der Saarabstimmung,,, und nimmt den Bericht des Saarbevollmächtigten Bürckel entgegen (The fateful hour of the German Sarr! The Fuhrer hears the result of the Saar vote… and accepts the report from Saar Plenipotentiary Bürckel). Page spread from Heinrich Hoffmann’s book “Hitler in his Mountains”.Adolf Hitler speaking with Gauleiter Burckel, after the plebiscite for the incorporation of the Saar region into Germany, January 15, 1935. Postcard reads “Der Fuhrer nimmt auf Obersalzburg die Abstimmungserbgemnisse entgegen” (The Fuhrer receives voting results in Obersalzberg) Adolf Hitler smiling after receiving news of the incorporation of the Saar region into Germany.Adolf Hitler reads a newspaper with further reporting on the Saar plebiscite results in Haus Wachenfeld on the evening of 16 January 1935.
Before Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933, Germany produced more newspapers than any other European nation, with Berlin alone supporting over 140 daily newspapers. Within months of Hitler becoming chancellor, his regime eliminated the country’s free press. Hundreds of opposition newspapers where shut down, or forced to sell out, with the propaganda ministry giving strict oversight to exactly what could be published and dictating who could work in the newspaper industry.
Adolf Hitler reads a newspaper while staying at Haus Wachenfeld on the Obersalzberg in Berchtesgaden 1935. After the rise of the Nazi’s into power, the Völkischer Beobachter became the Party’s official newspaper. Here, Adolf Hitler smiles as he reads positive news in the Beobachter, his favorite newspaper.Before a speech in Detmold on 15 January 1936 to commemorate the success of the NSDAP in the Lippe State Elelctions of 1933, Adolf Hitler had spent the night here at Schloss Grevenburg, the residence of Baron von Oeynhausen. In the morning he was greeted with a headline about his visit to Lipperland in the VölkischerBeobachter. During the tenure of the Third Reich, the Völkischer Beobachter (“VB — The Peoples’ Observer”) was Germany’s largest daily newspaper, reaching a circulation of 1.7 million copies per day. Printed in three editions (Berlin, Munich, and Vienna), it completely dominated Germany’s news reporting and consumer advertising.Abendliche Studien im Haus Wachenfeld (Evening studies in the Wachenfeld home)Adolf Hitler reading a newspaper on a sunny day at the Hochlenzer Gasthaus in the Bavarian Alps. This is a picnic area and garden at an inn close to his mountain retreat near Berchtesgaden where he took frequent walks..Adolf Hitler receives good news during a phone call in his private room at the Old Reich Chancellery in Berlin. Hitler had voted earlier this day at the Potsdamer Station polling station. The official result of the election: the NSDAP wins 99% of the votes. 29 March 1936.Max Schmeling with Adolf Hitler in late June 1936 in Berlin. After his victory over Joe Louis on 19 June, the boxer Max Schmeling is received by Adolf Hitler, who is reading about Schmeling’s success in the newspaper.. Despite Schmeling’s distancing from the Nazis, he could not avoid being misused by them for advertising and propaganda purposes, especially during the 1936 Olympic Games.Another photo from Max Schmeling’s visit with Adolf Hitler, who is reading about the boxer’s success in the newspaper in June 1936.Nazi leader and German chancellor Adolf Hitler reading the ‘Berchtesgadener Anzeiger’ newspaper during his quiet hours at his holiday home in Bavaria.Adolf Hitler reads a newspaper while on a flight in his personal airplane a Junkers Ju52/3m D-2600, the ‘Immelmann II’.Adolf Hitler reads through the headlines of his morning newspapers while traveling on his special train the Führersonderzug.In this photograph Adolf Hitler reads his favorite newspaper while in flight on his private airplane.Adolf Hitler reads a newspaper on the waterfront promenade in Luitpold Park on Lake Constance (Bodensee) in Lindau on 30 July 1932. He had stayed in the Hotel Bayerischer Hof at the train station while in route to deliver a speech in Kempten.Adolf Hitler and his entourage standing beside his Mercedes while reading newspapers in the woods, Germany, early 1930’s. This photograph was also featured in Hoffmann’s book “Adolf Hitler: Bilder Aus Dem Leben Des Führers”Photo taken on 25 February 1932 and published in ‘Deutschland Erwache’ with the caption “Naturalised! The Führer, in his study in the Kaiserhof Hotel, receives the news that he has been appointed a Brunswick councillor. An injustice of many years standing has been put right: the German soldier, Hitler, is now finally a German citizen.”Adolf Hitler reading a newspaper in the Hotel Kaiserhof around the time of becoming Chancellor in 1933.
In January 1935 Heinz Linge became a valet for Hitler, working in the Reich Chancellery in Berlin and at Hitler’s residence near Berchtesgaden. Later he continued on in this position at the Wolfsschanze in Rastenburg. Linge’s daily routine was to wake Hitler up at 11:00 AM and provide morning newspapers and messages. Linge would then keep him stocked with writing materials and spectacles for his morning reading session. Every morning, he would dedicate at least two hours to reading newspaper copies provided by the Propaganda Ministry and his own press officer. Hitler would also read daily briefings on the international press prepared for him overnight, but he broke this habit later on in the war once the situation deteriorated.
Adolf Hitler reviewing news briefings over tea at the Teehaus am Mooslahnerkopf.Adolf Hitler reading his morning newspaper out on the terrace of the Berghof.
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.
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Heinrich Hoffmann Photo Gallery 