Jugend um Hitler by Heinrich Hoffmann – Original German Photographic Book, Foreword by Baldur von Schirach

Description

Jugend um Hitler is one of the best-known photographic books produced by Heinrich Hoffmann, Hitler’s personal photographer. Subtitled 120 Bilddokumente aus der Umgebung des Führers, it was designed to show Hitler surrounded by children and young people, and it remains a key source for anyone studying how his public image was constructed. This copy carries the imprint of the “Zeitgeschichte” Verlag und Vertriebs-Gesellschaft m.b.H., Berlin W 35, with a foreword (Geleitwort) by Baldur von Schirach.

What Does the Title Page of Jugend um Hitler Say?

Jugend um Hitler – 120 Bilddokumente aus der Umgebung des Führers. Aufgenommen, zusammengestellt und herausgegeben von Heinrich Hoffmann, Reichsbildberichterstatter der N.S.D.A.P. Geleitwort: Baldur von Schirach, Jugendführer des Deutschen Reiches. „Zeitgeschichte“ Verlag und Vertriebs-Gesellschaft m.b.H., Berlin W 35.

The title page therefore credits Hoffmann with taking, selecting and publishing the photographs, and Schirach, then Youth Leader of the German Reich, with the introduction.

Why Was Jugend um Hitler Published?

According to the Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds in Nuremberg, Jugend um Hitler was Hoffmann’s first book after the Nazi seizure of power, and its purpose was to show Hitler’s supposed closeness to the German people through his affection for children. Because Hitler had no family of his own, images of him with children and young people helped present him as approachable and paternal. Unusually for Nazi propaganda, girls appear as often as boys.

The museum also records that one photograph, of a girl known as “Bernile”, caused problems when it emerged that she had a Jewish grandmother, and that later printings replaced her picture with other girls. This makes the contents of individual copies worth comparing.

What Photographs Does This Copy Show?

The book is made up almost entirely of large black-and-white photographs, many of them full-page. The pages photographed here show Hitler greeting children and girls with flowers, crowds of young people, a group of BDM girls under the caption “BDM. beim Führer”, young musicians, and youth groups in uniform. The images are carefully selected and staged to suggest spontaneity and affection. Today they are better read as evidence of how the regime wanted to be seen than of how it actually was.

Collector’s Note

From a collector’s point of view, Jugend um Hitler sits at the meeting point of several fields: Heinrich Hoffmann’s photography, Hitler Youth and BDM history, and German propaganda publishing. Copies are not rare, so condition and completeness matter. This example has a plain card cover and no dust jacket is present. It pairs well with other youth material on the site, such as our Third Reich publications lot. For background, see my guide to WW2 German documents.

Condition

• Plain card cover with light soiling and edge wear. No dust jacket.
• Foxing and browning along the inner margins and title page edges.
• Wear to the hinges and spine area.
• A handwritten inscription is visible on the front pastedown.
• Photographic plates remain clear with good contrast.
• The book has not been collated page by page.

Please study all nine photographs of this copy of Jugend um Hitler, which form an essential part of this condition description. Sold exactly as shown.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who made Jugend um Hitler?

The photographs were taken, selected and published by Heinrich Hoffmann, Reichsbildberichterstatter of the NSDAP, with a foreword by Baldur von Schirach.

When was it published?

The book first appeared in 1934 and was reprinted. The edition of this copy has not been determined from the photographs.

Is the dust jacket included?

No. The book is offered in its plain card cover.

Historical Responsibility Notice

This copy of Jugend um Hitler is offered as a historical artefact for collecting, preservation, education and research. Its photographs and captions are propaganda and are retained because they are an original part of the book. Autographs & Militaria does not endorse or glorify National Socialist ideology. For our approach to this material, see collecting Third Reich material responsibly.

References & Further Reading

• Documentation Center Nazi Party Rally Grounds, Museen der Stadt Nürnberg, Photograph of Hitler with a young girl.
• Autographs & Militaria, WW2 German documents.