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.
More often than not, Adolf Hitler was photographed wearing his brown SA uniform or field gray uniform jacket 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), but this is my growing photo collection of him wearing gray or light colored suits that are also extremely flattering. Color photographs of Hitler are of course very rare and hard to come by, but it is well documented that his civilian clothes included an incredible array of suits in colors ranging from tan, yellow, light brown, dark gray, bright blue and even powder blue. He also had an affinity for brightly colored ties, especially bold and flashy ones with vibrant stripes and polka-dots, and these would often clash with his suits, always much to the chagrin of Eva Braun and his valet Karl Wilhelm Krause.
Der Führer auf der Terrasse im Kaffee Besler Langenwang bei Oberstdorf (The Führer on the terrace of the Besler coffee shop in Langenwang near Oberstdorf) in August 1934 overlooking the Nebelhorn mountain in the German Alps.
Apparently Hitler was an out of control spender who had a great love of fine clothes in addition to his penchant for fast cars and luxurious hotels. Yet his favorite suits would end up getting extremely ragged and worn out, as he would get very attached to certain ones and always hated any kind of change. He would then have to be convinced and greatly pressured by Magda Goebbels to have new suits ordered, which he insisted had to be double-breasted and loose-fitting. Hitler would only pair his suits with black loafers, despite other color choices being available, or even laid out for him by his valet.
ADOLF HITLER. Collective photo No., 15 Group 62, Image No. 128. Adolf Hitler leaving Gut Neudeck after his last visit with President Hindenburg in July 1934, shortly before his death on 2 August. Collectible cigarette cards were an excellent source of propaganda for the Nazis. Hitler despised smoking but tolerated cigarette sales for 9 years until 1942 when he finally banned cigarettes altogether.Collectible Photo No. 312 (2) “Der Kanzler am Hintersee bei Berchtesgaden”. Adolf Hitler stands on the terrace of the Gasthaus Seeklause Hotel on the Hintersee.Collection picture No. 195 from ‘Germany Awakes’, Adolf Hitler in the mountains, Obersalzberg.Accompanied by attorney Hans Frank, Adolf Hitler leaves the courthouse in Schweidnitz on 10 June 1930, where he had to testify as a witness in an appeal hearing against SA members. The SA men were accused of attacking a Social Democratic meeting in September 1929.Postcard: “Adolf Hitler als Zeuge beim Riesenprozess gegen die Nationalsozialisten in Schweidnitz,12.06.1930”. (Adolf Hitler as a witness at the huge trial against the National Socialists in Schweidnitz, June 12, 1930).Portrait of Adolf Hitler, 1936. Chancellor of Nazi Germany Adolf Hitler in civilian clothes before his home Berghof in the Obersalzberg of the Bavarian Alps near Berchtesgaden, Bavaria, Germany. Adolf Hitler looking unusually stern at a meet and greet with the German public at Haus Wachenfeld in 1935.Postcard “Der Führer Adolf Hitler am Hintersee bei Berchtesgaden”. Photo – Hoffmann no. 659. Fotokort.Picture postcard from 1936 featuring Adolf Hitler with a young boy in the wooded Hintersee region in the Bavarian Alps, not far from the Berghof, which served as Adolf Hitler’s home in the Obersalzberg near Berchtesgaden. Hitler spent more time at the Berghof than anywhere else during the war. This widely distributed propaganda image was taken by Heinrich Hoffmann, Hitler’s official photographer, and served to depict Hitler as a trusted leader and guardian of German youth. With his blue eyes, fair hair and Aryan features, four year old Gerhard Bartels was the perfect Nazi poster child. His uncle was a friend of Adolf Hitler, and being photographed with the dictator became an annual event for the youngster. In the years before the outbreak of the Second World War his face appeared on postcards, books and campaigns for the regime. Adolf Hitler chats with two local children while visiting the Hintersee, not far from Berchtesgaden, in 1936. Unser FÜHRER mit Generalinspekteur Dr. Todt im Hotel Post am Hintersee / Our FÜHRER with Inspector General Dr. Todt in the Hotel Post at Hintersee in 1935.Photograph featured in the publication “Adolf Hitler, ein Mann und sein Volk” from 1936. (Adolf Hitler – A Man and His Nation) “Deutschlands Führer und Deutschlands Zukunft. Besuch auf Haus Wachenfeld am Oberfalsberg in Berchtesgaden wo die Kleinsten der Kleinen immer auf.” (Germany’s Leader and Germany’s Future. Visit to Haus Wachenfeld on the Oberfalsberg in Berchtesgaden where the smallest of the little ones are always on the mountain).Thousands of people made a pilgrimage to the Berghof in the 1930’s hoping to just catch a glimpse of the Fuhrer. Children were often selected out of the crowd for photo opportunities with Hitler for Hoffmann’s publications.Thousands of people made a pilgrimage to the Berghof in the 1930’s hoping to just catch a glimpse of the Fuhrer. Children were often selected out of the crowd for photo opportunities with Hitler for Hoffmann’s publications.Adolf Hitler with young German women visiting the Berghof in 1936.Adolf Hitler out on the terrace of the Berghof, Berchtesgaden, Germany on 13 June 1937.Adolf Hitler signing autographs on 19 April 1937.Adolf Hitler and the Hitler Youth. In the early 1920s, the Nazi party had established a youth movement led by Kurt Gruber, with the aim of attracting young men who could be trained to become members of the SA (Storm troopers). On 4 July 1926 the group was renamed the Hitler Youth from the League of German Worker Youth and became attached to and run by the SA. The Hitler Youth (Hitler Jugend) wore uniforms and attended meetings and rallies where they were indoctrinated with Nazi views. On 1 September 1939, Hitler’s armies invaded Poland. Six years of war would follow with the full participation of the Hitler Youth eventually down to the youngest child.Very few people knew that Hitler wore glasses. This perceived ‘genetic weakness’ was kept secret from the German people and very few photographs exist of him wearing or holding his spectacles. Adolf Hitler is pictured here using reading glasses at the breakfast table when he would review the morning news. To compensate for not having to use glasses as a result of his worsening presbyopia, from 1933 onwards he had all his speeches and official documents written on a special typewriter with large print and huge line spaces. Hitler wanted to appear as much the omnipotent saviour as he claimed to be to the public. This prompted him to ban Hoffmann from ever publishing photos of him while wearing glasses.Adolf Hitler at the Berghof in 1939. (From Eva Braun’s albums).
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.
Wow! Just stumbled across your site. You have the most amazing collection of photos! Thank you for showing us! I also am fascinated by this era and like to study and find all I can about it. Been to the other photo sites like Hitler-Archive but there are so many pictures here I’ve never seen before I also love the section on Architecture!
I’m so very delighted you are enjoying my ever growing photo collection 😊 I continue to find more and more each day and lately I have had a lot of luck finding some really rare photos on Pinterest. Also most other websites I find tend to post each photo separately, or simply group photographs by year, and I personally enjoy seeing them gathered together by theme. I’ve learned so much more through that process, my personal favorites are also the architecture album as well as all of the travel albums on planes, trains, automobiles and the latest one on boats and ships!
¡Amo las fotografías de tu blog! 🤩 y viéndo estas últimas, me percaté de que cuando está con niños, los rasgos faciales de AH se suavizan y relajan muchísimo! 😯
Heinrich Hoffmann Photo Gallery 