Hitler Was My Friend: The Memoirs of Hitler's Photographer

by Heinrich Hoffmann, Roger Moorhouse (Introduction)

Heinrich Hoffman was a key part in the making of the Hitler legend, the photographer who carefully crafted the image of the Führer as a godlike figure. Hoffmann published his first book of photographs in 1919, following his work as an official photographer for the German army. In 1920 he joined the Nazi Party, and his association with Hitler began.

He became Hitler's official photographer and traveled with him extensively. He took over two million photographs of Hitler, and they were distributed widely, including on postage stamps, an enterprise that proved very profitable for both men. Hoffmann published several books on Hitler in the 1930s, including The Hitler Nobody Knows (1933). Hoffmann and Hitler were very close, and he acted not only as a personal confidante - his memoirs include rare details of the Führer - but also as a matchmaker – it is Hoffmann who introduced Eva Braun, his studio assistant, to Hitler.

At the end of the war, Hoffmann was arrested by the US military, who also seized his photographic archive, and was sentenced to imprisonment for Nazi profiteering.

This edition of a classic book includes photographs by Hoffmann and a new introduction by Roger Moorhouse.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Biography, World War II, Memoir, Germany, Photography

256 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1955

About the author

Heinrich Hoffmann (12 September 1885 – 15 December 1957) was a German photographer, art dealer, art collector, and magazine publisher who was for many years Adolf Hitler's official photographer and a part of his intimate circle. Historian Alan Bullock succinctly described Hoffmann as an "earthy Bavarian with a weakness for drinking parties and hearty jokes" who "enjoyed the license of a court jester" with Hitler.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinric...

Reviews

[Recato · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an exceptional book with unknown history unearthed to me. Very good photo's as well. But Herr Hoffmann's denial that politically he was not involved in the dastardly deeds committed by the Third Reich forced me to mark this book down. When Herr Hoffmann was sent to mingle with Stalin he became politically involved.

[Breathing · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book serves as further reinforcement of the view that Hitler, while fuelling the foundations of the atrocities that would happen during and shortly before the war, was not the all-powerful architect of his Reich; but a troubled and brilliant soul whose actions and outcomes were heavily dependent on the people he surrounded himself with. The prevalent sentiment in this book rests on Hitler's unfortunate lack of female warmth and guidance, with Eva Braun only thinly providing this when it was already too late.

[Vic Fuentes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hitler Was My Friend was very interesting. It really shows another side of Adolf Hitler, but this memoir ended up being very political. The timeline of this book was a little bit on the confusing side, considering that the Heinrich skipped several years at a time, not mentioning what was happening in the meantime. Overall, Hitler Was My Friend was quite an interesting book, and truly showed that Adolf Hitler had a complete other side that no one really knew about.

[Toranaga Yoshi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ciekawe, aczkolwiek autor wyraźnie odcina się od winy i polityki.

[Rafael Yaocoyotl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Es una muy buena fuente, de primera mano, acerca de la vida personal de Hitler; más allá de los grandes acontecimientos históricos inherentes al personaje, el valor radica en la reacciones del Führer ante éstos, lo que brinda una pálida, pero, más cercana idea de sus intenciones. Cuando se leen textos de esta naturaleza, se deben tomar en cuenta la propia intención del autor, aunque seguramente es en parte apologético, no parece ser fruto de la imaginación o de la exageración -como la mayoría de los libros acerca del holocausto escrito por "sobrevivientes"-. Lo anterior se basa en que el autor describe, tanto momentos de magnanimidad -condonar penas de muertes, ayuda a artistas, leyes ecológicas y contra el maltrato animal-, como de crueldad de Hitler, que pueden considerarse como el cumplimiento irrestricto de la ley.
Otra cosas de notarse, es que el libro presenta a Hitler como un ser humano completo, con virtudes y defectos, que actúa según su conciencia, de lo que se deriva que la visión de este personaje como la encarnación de la maldad y la crueldad sea sólo propaganda, o una construcción pseudohistórica realizada por los ganadores, en el mejor de los casos que nunca tuvo correspondencia con la realidad.

[Bobby Daugherty · Rating 5 out of 5]

A loyal friend who did nothing more than take photographs and try to encourage Hitler to be more lenient. Railroaded by the Bavarian authorities after the war and viewed with constant suspicion for having been so close to so many high profile people. A good look into one angle of the inner circle.

[Ziemniaki_z_Maslanka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Czytałam to w pracy, więc wzrok ludzi widzących okładkę był nie do opisania XDDD

[Julie Gayler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m aware this just might be the most controversially titled book I’ve ever read. And this is a dear diary of a review, so bear with me.

As a World War II history buff, it already had my curiosity. As a photographer, it sealed the deal.

Estimates of the number of images Hoffmann personally took of Hitler range up to TWO MILLION. It was certainly the most complete visual record of any influential leader at that time...and absolutely still a staggering number of any person, let alone taken by one photographer. His work comprises most of what we know of Hitler behind the scenes, and is a vital and important body of work—any moral concerns aside.

So I was so curious about this man, their relationship, and the history behind such an incredible feat and relationship. He did in fact have an eye closer to him than almost anyone. So what did he see?

The elephant in the room, is of course—where does the line between an artist and his work begin and end? I wanted to hear from Hoffmann about this.

Pull up a chair, a glass of whiskey and a cigar…because that’s the tone of the book.

The title is really setting the stage. It is not purely for sensationalism. It is a bold statement able to stand on its own merit from many perspectives. Quite simply: Hoffmann was indeed a friend of Hitler, and Hitler held him in the highest esteem. The memoir is not ashamed to say it, or expand on that.

Hoffmann is absolutely unapologetic in his memoir, of not only his own self esteem and pride…but, toward his friend, and how he saw him as a person.

He doesn’t really explain away, justify, or delve into any concerns of the times and horrors of the regime. He speaks plainly and directly of many of the personal moments and interactions with Hitler. There is no real emotional overlay, no remorse or consideration toward any of his political dealings at all, except in the briefest moments that he is happy to brush away as quickly as possible.

His goal of the memoir is clearly to give a human perspective, a friend’s perspective, of the man and his personal life—and he succeeds with that. There’s many facts in the book I never knew of Hitler. I never considered (quite frankly never cared about) his personal life or how he was as a person at all. Now you have a glimpse behind the curtain.

At times, the book is heavy in wording. It’s not written in a modern style, and many of the references were beyond me. I spent a lot of time googling art work, people and places mentioned that are clearly assumed to be known by the author. I would definitely say it’s not written for a casual reader, and familiarity with that time period will really be an advantage to making it through in detail, if you want to fully understand what you’re reading.

There are some interesting bits on photography; Hoffman was a very successful photographer prior to Hitler and has many other interesting stories. But the bulk of the book is absolutely centered on his friendship and interactions with Hitler—clearly a huge and important part of his life.

Does the book add any helpful context? I don’t think there’s a great answer for that. On a certain level, we already know anything we need to know about Hitler. There’s not really any “understanding” him, is there?

And what of the artist? I did not walk away with any additional helpful insights or feelings from the book from him either. I have more questions, more frustrations, and more emotions than when I began.

Yes, I definitely have questions for Hoffmann. And I don’t think he’d ever answer them, even if asked to his face. He had his chance in the book, and avoided them.

The tone of his book is self inflated and self important. He speaks of himself as cultured and sophisticated and among the most privileged of humans during this exciting time in history. Certainly, it makes sense he would be a friend of Hitler.

But what did I actually expect? Some sort of understanding or closure for all that happened? I’m biased, of course. The book couldn’t challenge or push me beyond that bias.

Over and over again, I had to remind myself that wasn’t exactly why I was reading it. I couldn’t actually solve any puzzles here or make any of it make sense. It’s simply vitally important historical record of a personal nature of one of the world’s most evil men from his personal photographer. It has been one of the sources of what is shared in history books about it. I was just taking a moment for revisiting that primary source.

For all the complications on the topic, it is well written for its time. It is interesting. It is full of factoids, tidbits and historical record. I won’t give it five stars, purely out of spite, but for historians, I guess I would assume it could be considered a classic in this time period.

There are two separate introductions to the book. Please read both, even if you do not usually read them. They’re important context and set you in the frame of mind.

I will leave you with one spoiler, if you could call it that.

The last sentence of the book is self praise for the fact he had the honor of documenting history. He names himself one last time, just in case you want to forget.

Imagine being so close to evil, taking millions of photos of it, and calling it your friend. Hoffmann did.

[Lisioł Czyta · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mój przyjaciel Hitler.
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Był rok 1897. Lisioł obsługiwał studio fotograficzne jako pomocnik, gdy do wnętrza wparował jakiś dziwny człowiek. Ordynarnie zażądał zrobienia mu zdjęcia – teraz, już, natychmiast! Cóż robić? Lisioł wziął aparat i postanowił wykorzystać całą mądrość swojej praktyki, aby zrobić to zdjęcie. Pan postawił walizkę, wyjął garnitur i zapozował, po czym wyszedł, zostawiając rzeczoną walizkę. Miał ją odebrać razem ze zdjęciami. Brzmi jak prosta historia? To teraz wyobraźcie sobie minę Lisioła, gdy okazało się, że to był morderca, a walizka należała do ofiary. Zdjęcia odebrała policja. Właśnie takie historie możecie spotkać w książce „Mój przyjaciel Hitler. Wspomnienia fotografa Hitlera” autorstwa samego fotografa – Heinricha Hoffmanna.
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Każdy z was widział w swoim życiu zdjęcia niezbyt utalentowanego akwarelisty. Trudno ominąć tę wątpliwą przyjemność, przez co każdy z nas spotkał się również z pracą Hoffmana. Fotografa, który swoją sławę zdobył na długo przed narodzinami Trzeciej Rzeszy, dokumentując najważniejsze wydarzenia początku XX wieku. W książce można zatem znaleźć wiele ciekawostek z życia arystokracji okresu międzywojennego. Potem skupienie przenosi się na Hitlera i nazistów, ale nie spodziewajcie się wynurzeń politycznych. Książka skupia się na segmencie fotograficznym – jakby autor wyciął swoje życie z okresu wojny. Nawet widok bitewnych pól nie wzbudził u niego aktywnego sprzeciwu, jedynie falę wątpliwości, która zniknęła równie szybko jak się pojawiła. Zważywszy na poglądy Hoffmana oraz jego powojenny wyrok, rzecz łatwa do wytłumaczenia.
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Co zatem znajdziemy w książce? Sławnych ludzi w tym oczywiście Hitlera, Stalina, Göringa, itp. ukazanych w normalnych sytuacjach oraz momentach historycznych. Znajdziemy ludzi, a także sytuacje, które nas zaskoczą np. przekonanie o tym, że Wielka Brytania nie wypowie Niemcom wojny. Dowiecie się też jaką kawiarnię lubił Hitler. Jednym słowem zobaczymy tych ludzi od strony codzienności. Trzeba być przygotowanym na to zderzenie z czymś „zwykłym”.
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Samą książkę czyta się szybko, aczkolwiek boli zawarcie wojny w Polsce i Francji na kilku stronach, ale widać tak to widział fotograf. Bum i już.

[JW · Rating 4 out of 5]

The photographer Heinrich Hoffmann had already established a successful business before he ever met Hitler. He describes his start and early success as a photographer in pre-WWI Germany and Britain, and then as a freelance press photographer during the Bavarian Soviet Republic. Unlike others in the inner circle who wrote their memoirs, Hoffmann didn’t owe his career to Hitler. Of course, being Hitler’s semi-official photographer was a great boon for him, but this connection did result in the confiscation of his wealth during post-war denazification. It seems that Hoffmann’s role was akin to that of being a court jester – someone who took Hitler’s mind off politics and war.

[neri · Rating 2 out of 5]

took me a very while to finish this, but i just did! it was a pretty interesting book, with a lot of details that i enjoyed and felt some sort of special to know. but sadly is not my kind of lecture, it was slow and like i said, too many details that might bore just a little. still, its a book where you learn new things about the war in another perspective, in an untold one. i started to read this book to have extra information bout the war so i can write a story bout it, but i realized that while reading this, all these stories might work as a movie. i would definitely watch it.

[Amy Sawyer · Rating 3 out of 5]

While interesting, I don’t feel as though the reader gets a more personal view of Hitler. For someone so presumably close to Hitler, there were not a lot of personal stories between the author and Hitler. There are a few, but you don’t get a real sense of Hitler’s personality. However, you do get a sense Hitler was far more intelligent than what modern perceptions try to portray him as. When you consider his intelligence, it makes his persecution and murder of millions that much more diabolical.

[Pedro Manuel Pastor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesante relato sobre la vida de Hitler contado por su fotógrafo personal y amigo Hoffmann. Un punto de vista único y heteróclito sobre el dictador, objeto de miles de párrafos por historiadores, pero de un calado más personal y profundo en esta obra que también es autobiográfica sobre un fotógrafo cuyas instantáneas dieron la vuelta al mundo. Indispensable para todo lector interesado en este personaje del siglo XX.

[Hunger Artist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ever since I read "Hitler's War" by David Irving, my interest in Hitler and his life grew more and more with each passing day. I started reading books and memoirs written by Hitler's inner circle.
Heinrich Hoffmann shades light on the unknown side of Hitler. He was the man with spine to do what he thought was right for his nation.
While Hitler is portrayed monster by the Allies ,Churchill as saviour though he directly and indirectly killed no lesser people than Hitler is accused of killing.

[Dessy · Rating 4 out of 5]

С известна доза затваряне на очите за безспорното лицемерие в постънките на автора в множество от описаните случки, може да се каже, че това е една от малкото книги, които надникват в ежедневието на Хитлер през погледа на човек от най-близкото му обкръжение.

Научих неща, за които изобщо не съм подозирала, включително и за начина, по който прословутият пакт Рибентроп – Молотов е бил сключен (макар че книгата се опитва да страни от политически вълнения, и особено от еврейския въпрос).

[Bogdan Badea · Rating 3 out of 5]

O carte ușor de citit. Autorul nu are abilități de povestitor dezvoltate, dar prezintă crâmpeie din viața din jurul lui Hitler. Aproape ai senzația că Hitler este uman și că deciziile lui au fost mai degrabă luate din cauza contextului istoric. Acest lucru este cel mai interesant, faptul că personajele negative din istorie au avut prieteni, familie și o viața personală.

[Kamil Suchodoła · Rating 5 out of 5]

Offers a fascinating and unique perspective on a man who is justifiably and universally reviled, portraying him through the lens of his photographer. While Hitler is rightly seen as a delusional and monstrous figure, the book provides insights into how those close to him perceived him, making it a compelling read.

[Jurga · Rating 4 out of 5]

As I've mentioned in a short review of the previous read book, written by interpreter from very close Stalin's circle, I can say one thing the same about this book too - it's truly hard to mark the book such as this and give certain amount of stars.
It is interesting read both historically and as photographer. As these are memoirs they obviously are subjective but one cannot deny a certain element of truth and different side/angle of the story.

[Wiktoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very well written, very interesting

[John Schilling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good read

He came across as honest and interesting. It's well worth reading. It's quite obvious that he married a good woman who stood by him.

[Sonia Fletcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting read. Would most definitely recommend to anyone interested in learning about Hitler or the Third Reich. Also, this book includes some very interesting photos taken by Hoffmann.

[Eddie Lees · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insights for the curious

Curiosity about those who dominated WWII is never ending and this narrative serves up a smorgasbord of detail on Adolf H. The author had, quite literally, a ringside seat and informs us of tantalising details in an informal style that is easy to digest. Notwithstanding the subject matter, this is a book for those with an ear and an eye for interesting material on a time long past but with eternal fascination.

[liking · Rating 2 out of 5]

Гофман – фотограф, который так и не вступил в партию – это к тому, что непосредственно о Третьем Рейхе и о войсках СС информации вы не получите. Но он и не писатель, отчего слог его не отличается высокой художественностью. Тем не менее, он излагает добрую часть своих личных воспоминаний, подкрепляя сказанное фотографиями. Прочитав книгу, вы сможете блеснуть в компании знаниями о привычках Гитлера – как то, что он был отъявленным трезвенником, не признавал мяса, много внимания уделял своему внешнему виду, репетировал каждый жест перед выступлением, а в компаниях с присутствием женского пола был тишайшим и скромнейшим из всех своих соратников, чем и привлекал дам. Теме любви посвящена целая глава, где вы знакомитесь с Гели, Юнити и Евой Браун. Узнаете о его отношении к религии и звездам – фюрер был очень мнительным, хоть и не признавал этого, с интересом вчитывался в гороскопы и уважал церковь. Назвать его воистину верующим язык не поворачивается, но тот факт, что на небесах что-то есть и это что-то могущественное, он не оспаривал. Не обходит Гофман стороной и тему искусства. Вследствие того, что у Гитлера были неплохие задатки в рисовании, он через всю жизнь пронес это увлечение миром богемы и старался проводить много времени в окружении творческих личностей.
В общем и целом, довольно познавательное чтиво, о котором вспоминаешь в любую свободную минуту. Но лично у меня от неподготовленности быстро приходило состояние усталости, поэтому изучение заняло пару недель, хотя объем книжки составляет порядка 250 страниц. Главное здесь - послевкусие, оно есть! Как и желание глубже копнуть этот вопрос. Мемуарная серия "За линией фронта" меня ждет.

[Razvan Zamfirescu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pentru ca m-am decis ca imi place aceasta colectie de la Editura Corint, iaca vin si cu o recenzie la mini-memoriile fotografului Heinrich Hoffman.
Din cate am vazut pe internet, aceasta cartulie nu prea este recenzata, probabil ca nici nu pare a fi citita. Trebuie sa recunosc ca nu ma prea mira acest lucru.
Unul dintre motive ar fi ca Heinrich Hoffman nu prea este cunoscut publicului, in general. Al doilea este ca volumul are un pret cam piperat pentru 250 de pagini. Iar al treilea motiv este ca aceste amintiri ale lui Hoffman nu prea sunt bine vazute in general si nu prea a vandut tare multe exemplare.
Lucru perfect justificabil avand in vedere calitatea spuselor si a detaliilor pe care Hoffman le reda despre viata lui Hitler.
Jurnalul parca ar fi menit sa fie un foileton din Can-Can sau Libertatea. Aventurile amoroase ale lui Hitler cu Eva Braun si Geli Raubal, tot felul de detalii care mai de care mai picante despre comportamentul excentric al viitorului Fuhrer, ce sa mai, o serie de episoade interesante ca si barfe, dar nimic mai mult.
O cartulie care poate fi citita in cateva ore, fara valoare istorica, si care poate participa extrem de activ la crearea mitului de personaj de vodevil pe care atat de multi fosti adoratori ai sai s-au chinuit sa-l faca dupa infrangerea si moartea dictatorului. De parca aceste actiuni le-ar taia din vina...
Desi cartulia este slabuta, colectia este bunicica iar cartile care au aparut in ultimul timp la editura Corint, fie ca sunt memorii, fie ca sunt lucrari istorice, sunt de luat in seama si chiar de pastrat.
Eu unul incep sa devin incet-incet, un fan al colectiei si noilor aparitii pe acest palier din partea acestei edituri, chiar daca, uneori, volumele pe care le citesc nu-mi sunt pe plac.

[Catrina Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mi-a plăcut foarte mult această carte. Am aflat detalii noi despre viata Führerului și a celorlalți naziști. Hoffman reușește să spulbere toate ideile preconcepute despre nazism și Hitler. M-a făcut să îmi pun și mai multe întrebări legate de această perioadă istorică și despre război. Momentan nu îmi pot pune gândurile și ideile în ordine pentru a-i face o recenzie cum se cuvine. Cred că îi voi face recenzie altă dată, până atunci aceasta rămâne cartea mea istorică preferată. Sper să o mai recitesc când o să știu mai multe despre nazism.

[Tomas Kubin · Rating 1 out of 5]

A terrifying journey into the mind of a typical German during the Nazi regime, who saw nothing wrong with the Nazi reign of terror and who shamelessly profited millions from the crimes of Hitler and his gang of cruel criminals.
A despicable creature comparable to Goebbels.