The Führer's Battle in France: France the Greatest Campaign of all Times from June 5 to 25, 1940 Miniature "button book" issued for charitable contributions by the Winter-hilfswerk des Deutschen Volkes
Extent and Medium
overall: Height: 2.000 inches (5.08 cm) | Width: 1.500 inches (3.81 cm)
Creator(s)
- Heinrich Hoffmann (Author)
- Presse-Hoffmann (Publisher)
- Winter-Hilfswerk des Deutschen Volkes (Issuer)
Biographical History
Heinrich Hoffmann (1885-1957) was a German photographer and Nazi propagandist. The son and nephew of photographers, he worked in the Hoppé studio in London before setting up in Munich as a portraitist and photojournalist. His photograph of cheering crowds on 2 August 1914 unwittingly captured the young Adolf Hitler, an event which would later benefit Hoffmann's career. Drifting to the far right after the First World War and revolutionary events in Bavaria, he joined the Nazi Party in 1920 and convinced an initially camera-shy Hitler of photography's political value. Hoffman’s assistant, Eva Braun, became Hitler’s mistress in 1930. After 1933, his virtual monopoly of Hitler photographs, as ‘the man who sees the Führer for us’, made him one of the Third Reich's major profiteers. His scenes of carefully constructed intimacy, presenting his master, especially in the regime's early years, as a clean-living, nature-loving man of the people, were massively disseminated. After 1945, though claiming to have been a mere chronicler of events, he was fined and imprisoned. His extensive photo archive survives, including photographs of German political and religious figures, as well as actors, painters, and musicians.
Archival History
The miniature book was donated to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in 1992 by Zelda Coren.
Acquisition
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, Gift of Zelda Coren
Scope and Content
Miniature "button book" printed by the Nazi German government and given as a token gift to those who had donated to the Winter-hilfswerk des Deutschen Volkes. The booklet could be worn on coat buttons as a sign that the wearer had donated to the charity.
Conditions Governing Access
No restrictions on access
Physical Characteristics and Technical Requirements
36 page miniature propaganda booklet with photographs by Heinrich Hoffmann and descriptions of the images.
in English, inside cover: "German propaganda for the people."
People
- Hitler, Adolf, 1889-1945.
Subjects
- National socialism--Germany.
- Nazi propaganda.
- World War, 1939-1945--Campaigns--France.
Genre
- Miniature books.
- Books and Published Materials
- Object