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.
Heinrich Luitpold Himmler was born 124 years ago today, on 7 October 1900 in Munich. Himmler served as the 4th Reichsführer of the Schutzstaffel (Protection Squadron; SS), and became one of the most powerful men in Nazi Germany. He is primarily known for being one of the main architects behind the Holocaust. Himmler joined the Nazi Party in 1923 and two years later he joined the SS, a small paramilitary arm of the Nazi Party that served as a bodyguard unit for Adolf Hitler. Subsequently, Himmler rose steadily through the SS’s ranks to become Reichsführer-SS by 1929. Under Himmler’s leadership, the SS grew from a 290-man battalion into one of the most powerful institutions within Nazi Germany.
Adolf Hitler appoints the Reich Leader of the SS, Heinrich Himmler, as chief of the German police and awards him the certificate of appointment in the Reich Chancellery on 17 June 1936. Adolf Hitler shakes hands with Heinrich Himmler during the Putsch commemoration in Munich on 9 November 1938 in front of the Feldherrnhalle. After lunch and a reception in the Führerbau, Hitler learns of the death of the diplomat Ernst Eduard vom Rath as a result of the assassination attempt by Herschel Grynszpan and orders demonstrations to continue and to withdraw the police and the SS. During the night, about 1400 synagogues, Jewish prayer houses and shops are destroyed throughout the empire (Reichskristallnacht) with at least 91 fatalities and about 30,000 arrests and admissions to concentration camps.Heinrich Himmler is clearly amused as Adolf Hitler gives a speech to the “Alten Kämpfer” (Old Fighters) about the National Socialist revolution in Munich’s exhibition hall on 19 March 1934.Adolf Hitler and Heinrich Himmler at a rally to mark the tenth anniversary of the 1926 Nazi Party Congress in Weimar held on 4 July 1936.Heinrich Himmler attends Adolf Hitler’s birthday celebrations 20 April 1937.Adolf Hitler is presented with a painting of his hero, Frederick the Great, by Heinrich Himmler (center), the head of the SS to mark The Führer’s 50th birthday on 20 April 1939.Postcard Adolf Hitler, Heinrich Himmler, Sudetenland 1938.Adolf Hitler, surrounded by his bodyguards arrived at Saarbrucken, 1 March 1935. On the right in the foreground is Heinrich Himmler, Reich leader of the Black Guards. Anläßlich des 50. Geburtstages von Adolf Hitler sang der Chor der Leibstandarte “Adolf Hitler” im Ehrenhof der Reichskanzlei. Rechts von Hitler Göring, Großadmiral Raeder (halb verdeckt), Generaloberst von Brauchitsch und Goebbels. Links von Hitler Himmler, Ribbentrop (halb verdeckt), Frick und Keitel.Heinrich Himmler, shaking hands with Adolf Hitler. Himmler was leader of the elite Nazi troops, Schutzstaffel or SS. In October 1943, Adolf Hitler welcomes Reichsführer SS Heinrich Himmler to his Wolfsschanze headquarters in East Prussia, where he has ordered all the Gauleiters of the NSDAP to a Führer meeting after the defeat at Stalingrad and the setbacks in Africa.Heinrich Himmler, Adolf Hitler and Felix Steiner, on 20 May 1939. The SS Reich Leader Heinrich Himmler (left), Adolf Hitler and the Commander of the SS ‘Deutschland’ regiment, Felix Steiner (right) follow the exercises of a SS regiment in training., 20.05.1939Hitler and Himmler meet with Konrad Henlein Reichsstatthalter and Gauleiter of the Reichsgau Sudetenland in 1938.German dictator Adolf Hitler (1889 – 1945) and his chief of police Heinrich Himmler (1900 – 1945) inspecting the SS Guard.Heinrich Himmler stands behind Hitler during the 1938 Nazi party rally in Nuremberg.Adolf Hitler vor der Reichskanzlei an seinem Geburtstag 1937. Links: SS-Obergruppenführer Sepp Dietrich; rechts: SS-Reichsfüherr Heinrich Himmler.Hitler, Himmler, Heydrich, Max Amann, Sepp DietrichAdolf Hitler, 1889-1945, Heinrich Himmler, 1900-45, and Wilhelm Keitel, 1882-1986 discussing military maneuvers in 1939.Adolf Hitler visited Franzensbad immediately after the occupation of the Sudetenland on 3 October 1938. He drank healing mineral water with Heinrich Himmler in the Francis Spring spa pavilion before going on to Eger to give a speech.Adolf Hitler and Heinrich Himmler on Board an Italian Navy Battleship, 1937.Heinrich Himmler greets Adolf Hitler on the day of his 55th birthday, celebrated near Schloss Klessheim on 20 April 1944.Harvest Festival on the Bueckeberg, 1937. Hitler salutes party alignments on the harvest festival on Bueckeberg, 1937. At the left of Hitler Reichsfuehrer-SS Heinrich Himmler, at the right his personal photographer Heinrich Hoffmann.
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.
Heinrich Hoffmann Photo Gallery 