Hitler at Home

by Despina Stratigakos

A look at Adolf Hitler’s residences and their role in constructing and promoting the dictator’s private persona both within Germany and abroad. Adolf Hitler’s makeover from rabble-rouser to statesman coincided with a series of dramatic home renovations he undertook during the mid-1930s. This provocative book exposes the dictator’s preoccupation with his private persona, which was shaped by the aesthetic and ideological management of his domestic architecture. Hitler’s bachelor life stirred rumors, and the Nazi regime relied on the dictator’s three dwellings—the Old Chancellery in Berlin, his apartment in Munich, and the Berghof, his mountain home on the Obersalzberg—to foster the myth of the Führer as a morally upstanding and refined man. Author Despina Stratigakos also reveals the previously untold story of Hitler’s interior designer, Gerdy Troost, through newly discovered archival sources.   At the height of the Third Reich, media outlets around the world showcased Hitler’s homes to audiences eager for behind-the-scenes stories. After the war, fascination with Hitler’s domestic life continued as soldiers and journalists searched his dwellings for insights into his psychology. The book’s rich illustrations, many previously unpublished, offer readers a rare glimpse into the decisions involved in the making of Hitler’s homes and into the sheer power of the propaganda that influenced how the world saw him.

“Inarguably the powder-keg title of the year.”—Mitchell Owen, Architectural Digest

“A fascinating read, which reminds us that in Nazi Germany the architectural and the political can never be disentangled. Like his own confected image, Hitler’s buildings cannot be divorced from their odious political hinterland.”—Roger Moorhouse, Times

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Architecture, War, Holocaust, Biography, World War II

385 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2015

About the author

Despina Stratigakos is a Canadian-born architectural historian, professor, and writer. She taught at Harvard University and the University of Michigan before joining the School of Architecture and Planning at the University at Buffalo.

From 2018-22, Stratigakos served as the University at Buffalo's Vice Provost of Inclusive Excellence. She previously served as a Director of the Society of Architectural Historians, an Advisor of the International Archive of Women in Architecture at Virginia Tech, a Trustee of the Beverly Willis Architecture Foundation, and Deputy Director of the Gender Institute at the University at Buffalo.

Reviews

[Debbie · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 Stars!
I was really disappointed in this book. First of all, I will say I only read half. It was titled Hitler at Home. The first half of the book I read dealt mostly with his interior designer, Troost. That is not why I wanted to read this book. I have not heard of her and had no idea who she was. I learned a lot about her, her mood swings, her ideas, how she might be a lesbian, etc., but nothing about Hitler. Other than the fact that she had open access to him, any time of the day. Whoopee! Oh and that even she seemed to be one of his number one people, during the trials, she was given a lesser sentence. Good for her. Oh and that she spent millions of dollars on a house that Mussolini would be staying at for a couple of days. I guess, that does tell me that Hitler had a policy of there was no limit on the spending to impress his guests. But I think that could have been said in a lot less than a quarter of the book.

I wanted to know about Hitler the man behind the scenes with his shoes kicked off and feet on the cocktail table. Not the propaganda that was made up and shown to the public. Maybe there is nothing in existence that tells us this.
We know the propaganda was not correct. Come on, lover of animals and children - the propaganda that was fed to us. That's the part of the book where I seriously almost threw up and had to put the book down.

Also, it seemed as there was no chronological order going on in the book. And I felt there was a lot of duplication going on. I forget the examples, but I know I read about certain things several times. And the way it was written was just down right boring.

I have never given a one star, I know the author put a lot of time into this, however, I feel the title was misleading, the writing was boring, tedious and repetitive and the only thing that was close to showing me Hitler at Home was the pictures. With just the pictures, I think I would have given the book 3 stars.

I do have to admit the pictures were interesting.

Thanks Yale University and Net Galley for providing me this free e-galley in exchange for my honest review.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating reading. An intriguing look at Hitler on the microscale. Made me realize how much the public image of the domestic Hitler was a propaganda fabrication; for instance, I now very much doubt that the biographical commonplace-- still accepted almost without question to this day-- of his being a tea-totaling vegetarian is at all true. Hitler was a monster, of course, but I was still astounded at what a rat he was-- even as a next-door neighbour! The chapter about his decorator and intimate in all things artistic, Gerdy von Troost, and the last chapter on the fate of the Obersalzberg as a Nazi pilgrimage site were also very interesting to me personally, especially the latter, as I had visited and stayed in Berchtesgaden as a 13-year-old army brat. I found the town one of the most beautiful I have seen and even forty-nine years later, after a lifetime of travels, still feel so. But Stratigakos is careful not to let us lose sight of what went on there, which is why I consider this such an important and well-written book. I highly recommend it.

[Ionia · Rating 5 out of 5]

For all of those who have only seen the one side of Hitler, represented in popular media, this book will be a real eye-opener.

I was greatly impressed with this book. The author could have chosen to go a lot of different ways with this, and I have great respect for the route she chose. I felt, whilst reading this, that she chose to remain as impartial as possible. Rather than trying to make the audience see the softer side of this man, or try to paint him in an overall different light, she let the facts and historical documentation speak for itself. Neither making him look bad, nor good, just--human.

I was surprised to read much of this book, as I had not realised before what an important role his homes had played in his life. Nor had I realised what a big part of his life Gerdy Troost was. I found the chapter on what happened to her after the fall of the Reich fascinating.

This book allows the reader inside a private world of long ago, and offers them the chance to see first hand the insecurities, nuances and personality quirks of one of history's most infamous men.

There are many photos that I have not seen elsewhere, and a lot of information that was more than just a simple repeat. If this is a subject that interests you, you can't go wrong with this book.

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher and provided through Netgalley.

[Patricia Roberts-Miller · Rating 4 out of 5]

A disturbing book, but persuasive as to how the Nazi press strategically normalized Hitler, and the non-German press played along. The chapter on Troost (his designer and architect) was also disturbingly persuasive in its portrayal of someone refusing to admit her part in promoting Nazism, or even her poor judgment about Hitler.

[Theediscerning · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Please do not make Hitler look good." Words to live by that the author of this volume received from her mother, a Kefalonian who knew Nazi abuse when she saw it. Rest assured that the book does not do that, but it certainly provides a much fresher, more eloquent and interesting look at certain aspects of his life, and introduces us to someone else from the Nazi times – Gerdy Troost, who might as well be summarised as Hitler's interior designer. In picking apart the entire life of Troost, the nature of her work and how the buildings and décor she surrounded Hitler in became a part of his propaganda, we get a refreshingly new yet authoritative book, that for those with an interest in this side of our recent history will easily be considered one of, if not the, best book of the year. The person who does come out with the laurels worn highest is our author.

The full review is at http://www.thebookbag.co.uk/reviews/i...

[Patrick Cabeza · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fresh perspective in what was a stagnant genre. I've read several of the seminal works on Hitler and the third Reich but none with the originality of Hitler at Home.

[False · Rating 4 out of 5]

You can't exactly love a book entitled Hitler at Home, but in the respect and interest categories this is indeed a five star production. I've looked into Ian Kershaw, Hitler, 1889-1936 Hubris, and there's no Gerdy Troost. I've looked into Ron Rosenbaum's Explaining Hitler, and there's no Gerdy Troost. We know the stories of Hitler's major architects, Paul Troost, Albert Speer, Leonhard Gall, we've seen the pillars and the steps, but what about Hitler's interior designers, those who stood or sat next to him looking at floor plans, discussing colors? Gerdy Troost, wife and widow of Paul Troost, herself an architect, also an interior designer, film maker, business woman, artist, eventually gay, was Hitler's soulmate in the construction of his domestic life.

Biography talks about Geli Raubal, Hitler's niece, a suicide, and about Eva Braun, his Bavarian beauty, and generally overlooks Gerdy Troost, who had an intimacy with the Fuhrer no other woman, not even Winifred Wagner, attained. The Fuhrer and Gerdy poring over swaths, choosing flatware, talking about linen. Hitler is at home in Gerdy Troost's rooms. She's in official state photographs, on the famous Berghof porch with Goebbels and Ribbentrop or in the exhibition hall Hitler's curator. Stratigakos Hitler at Home is effectively a curatorial reading of Troost's design, certain rooms in certan places still existing. She engages other architects and designers, but it is Gerdy Troost's rugs and chairs that are before us beginning middle and end. It should quickly be said that Hitler at Home sustains an ongoing recognition of the other architecture and interior design in the Third Reich, festung und lager.

Hitler at Home is magisterial, probably the definitive scholarly work on this subject, and it has Hollywood drama, a protagonist whose name is not Hitler, Gerdy Troost, who has just died in her nineties, a defiant Nazi to the end. Lowlife scoundrels and idiot ideologues mount the stage
in Hitler at Home. The ironies that attend and involve the final demolition of Hitler's home in the Obersalzburg are brilliantly set forth. These episodes have a cinematic visuality and flow. We follow the American World War Two woman photographer, Lee Miller, as she and another photographer get into Hitler's Munich apartment. Turn the page. There she is, naked in Hitler's bathtub, showing us her bare shoulder. It is in some sense an epitome of certain sets of meaning in this complex study.

A must read for students of the Third Reich and World War II, the European Theater. Hitler hated brown in his interiors. The brown shirts? He got them as WWI surplus and at a discount.

[Adrianna (Erato Czyta) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Na rynku literackim znajdziemy bardzo dużo publikacji poświęconych Adolfowi Hitlerowi. Przeczytamy o jego kochankach, możemy znaleźć próbę analizy jego psychiki, a nawet dowiemy się co najchętniej jadł na obiad. Jednak książka „Dom Hitlera” dotyka całkowicie innej, ale również prywatnej sfery życia dyktatora – jego domów, miejsc zamieszkania, siedzib gdzie najczęściej przebywał i gdzie w jakimś stopniu kształtowała się historia świata.

Ta ponad 400-stronicowa lektura oprawiona w solidną, ładną choć minimalistyczną okładkę, z grubym papierem w środku – dopracowana w każdym calu – jest rzetelną analizą architektury oraz wystrojów wnętrz w takich miejscach jak: Stara Kancelaria Rzeszy w Berlinie, mieszkanie przy Prinzregentenplatz 16, a także górskiego domu w Obersalzbergu. Tego jak wyglądały te miejsca, co kazał w nich zmienić dyktator i jaki miał gust jeśli chodzi o wystrój dowiemy się w pierwszej części książki. Dowiemy się z niej również kim była Gerda Troost i jak duży wpływ miała na wygląd domów / siedzib, ale również i samego Hitlera. Prócz tego przeczytamy w jaki sposób to wszystko rzutowało na wizerunek Adolfa Hitlera.
Natomiast druga część dotyka tematu propagandy poświęconej jego domom, zainteresowaniu pism jego życiem prywatnym i budowaniu poprzez niemieckie i zagraniczne media jego wizerunku. Dowiemy się również jak wizerunek Hitlera zmieniał się w anglojęzycznych gazetach oraz co dzieje się z tymi trzema miejscami aktualnie.

Na dużą uwagę zasługują fotografie, które znajdziemy we wnętrzu tej pozycji. Wiele z tych zdjęć, właśnie w tej książce, po raz pierwszy ujrzały światło dzienne, co jest dodatkowym plusem i smaczkiem dla koneserów tematu.

„Dom Hitlera” – chociaż piszę to z ciężkim sercem – nie jest pozycją dla wszystkich. Jeśli ktoś nie interesuje się chociaż trochę architekturą, wystrojem wnętrz, życiem Hitlera, II Wojną Światową i wszystkim co z nią związane może momentami, przy dokładniejszych opisach, odczuwać znużenie. Autorka naprawdę opisała wszystko bardzo dokładnie i włożyła w tę książkę wiele pracy o czym może świadczyć 100 ostatnich stron z przypisami, indeksami i biografią.
Jednak Ci, którzy tak jak ja, pragną zagłębić się we wszystkie tematy, które związane są z tamtym okresem, z ludźmi, którzy nakreślili naszą historię (nie ważne w jaki sposób) to będzie to bardzo interesująca lektura.

Na sam koniec muszę wrócić do tematu wydania tej pozycji i pogratulować wydawnictwu. Książka prezentuje się cudownie i jest solidna – to pozycja z najwyższej półki.

[Mike Futcher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dense, academic tome made readable by its surprisingly new angle on what is perhaps the most analysed subject matter of modern times. Despina Stratigakos, a Canadian professor of architecture, looks at how Hitler's homes – both in interior design and in exterior architecture – were carefully cultivated by propagandists and the man himself to present a self-image that would see the Nazis strengthen their grip over Germany, with apocalyptic consequences for Europe and the world. As a PR exercise, Hitler's method is disquietingly contemporary, and Stratigakos' content is much fresher than your typical Hitler book.

However, the author does not fashion out a consistent analytical narrative to chart Hitler's self-image, or the efficacy of the measures described in the book, and with her desire to include everything about the subject, she remains more cataloguer than critic. The attempt to place Hitler's home-design activities into a wider historical context is limited, and – lacking this – readers who are not design students will fail to see the importance of much of Hitler at Home's content. Stratigakos' thesis thus becomes slightly muted, even if the book cannot in any circumstances be described as a failure.

The new approach retains the reader's fascination throughout, and if Stratigakos sometimes falls short of judiciously analysing Hitler's shape-shifting, that is only testament to the enduring malevolent appeal of the subject. Hitler at Home's original approach could well be the genesis of a fruitful subset of Hitler studies, and it is remarkable that, eighty years after the invasion of Poland, new fronts are still being opened against the dictator's legacy.

[Bob Mobley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despina Stratigakos has written a interesting, well documented and fascinating history of how Adolf Hitler's public image was created by the careful, clever and thoughtful use of portraying to the world how Hitler lived at home, and what his homes looked like architecturally and in interior design.
I found this an interesting insight into the power of propaganda, its complex uses along with the power "Pictures" possess in creating perceptions in people's minds. Perceptions are realities for the individuals who own them. The skill and ability to create the perceptions you want is power! Events taking place today around the world make use of the tried and proven power of propaganda. What is alarming to me is the scope and reach social networking gives to creating an individual's image for the purpose of propaganda. It is becoming more challenging and difficult to discover the truth about individuals, events and outcomes. Stratigakos' book opens the window into the dangerous and dark side of mind control. I recommend this book for anyone who is concerned about our loss of leaders, men and women of character living their values every day, having the Moral Courage to speak up, speak out and seeing to do what is right.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Virginia Woolf wrote in a 1932 essay that “amid their possessions, one could get to know the great men of history far better than any biography” (Not that Hitler was, by any means, a great man). Propagandists attempted to recreate Hitler as a domestic, child-loving leader that was not to be feared, but was like any other man. This makes me think of a vintage version of gossip magazine sections titled “stars just like us.”

The best part of the book is the last third in which the author asks great questions such as: Can a building owned by an evil person be just as toxic? Is it better to destroy remnants of history or leave them be to remember great evils (and never repeat them)? Was it inappropriate to build a resort on Obersalzberg- even though a previous one was torn down to build Nazi officer accommodations? Should the beautiful mountainside where Hitler’s home once was never be enjoyed again since genocidal plans were formed there?

[Shrike58 · Rating 4 out of 5]

While this book is not quite as interesting as Stratigakos' work on the German plans to assimilate Norway in World War II, it's still pretty good. Besides being a study of how Hitler reinvented himself as being "safe" to hold high political office, and the PR effort that went along with that endeavor, this book also examines the life of Gerdy Troost, a woman who became part of Hitler's extended court due to her ability as an interior designer and contractor. As for the last portion of the book, dealing with the wisdom of historic preservation in the case of localities were great evil was done, that's six of one and half dozen of the other.

[Geoffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I came to this book after reading a review of S’s most recent work, which is to say I didn’t know what to expect but was intrigued given the reviewer’s high praise of the author. I wasn’t disappointed; the work is intriguing, deeply analytical, and the crisp writing matches the clarity of thought. In sum, this highly original approach to biography for a figure not lacking attention is well worth the time and consideration.

[Jenn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look at how even Hitler's so-called private life was manipulated as a form of propaganda. Uncomfortable reading, given the resurgence of fascism around the world recently, but a previously unexplored (to my knowledge) examination of the intersection of art, architecture, home, and propaganda.

[K. Malecka · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ciekawe spojrzenie na to, jak Hitler angażował się w budowanie swojego wizerunku m.in. poprzez uważną konstrukcję swojego otoczenia: architekturę, wnętrza, otaczanie się sztuką. Plus do tego opis, jak pomogły mu w tym media, chętnie pokazujące to jako ciekawostkę, przy okazji rozpowszechniając wizerunek, o który przecież Hitler tak walczył.

[Monika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zarówno o architekturze i sztuce w czasie gdy Rzesza rosła w siłę, jak i o tym jak wykorzystano je, w nazistowskiej propagandzie do budowania opowieści o wodzu i jego zaletach. O tym jak umiejętnie sprzedano propagandowo domy Hitlera i jego życie prywatne, nie tylko w Niemczech, ale na całym świecie. I jak część tego mitu żyje do dziś.

[William Stroock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting analysis of Hitler's aesthetic takes in home decor not only at his private residence but in the Reich Chancellery. He lived in a flop house before the war, and in a rented room till the late 20's. Afterwords he spent many thousands of marks to decorate his homes. The man had an eye for detail, and one must say a tasteful eye as well. Always he designed with an eye toward politics.

[Mary Kirby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good book

This is a good book about those who designed the house and it furnishings than the man who lived there. I wish the drawings of the rooms were darker and larger. So the reader could see them better.

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book

I found this book extremely interesting. Houses as propaganda! And as the book tells, they were so, so good at it. Even when it seems like the author is going off on a tangent, by the end it's all drawn back together. I really liked how many photos were included, too.

[Robin Case · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surprisingly interesting. I found new insights on Adolf Hitler as a person and a brand. Worthy read for history buffs.

[Wendy McBain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Great history and amazing detail especially about Gerdy Troost and her decorating ideas with Hitler. Shows how much he respected her and her artist talents.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting examination of the topic and characters.

[Sarah loves books 😻😻😻 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read, I can highly recommend to anyone who is interested in the role of architecture, interior design, the Obersalzberg and the (foreign) media in the propaganda of the Third Reich. Highly educational which lures the reader in, creating the false sense of security created by the nazi propaganda to then punching the reader in the gut, stealing your breath away, by putting it into the broader context of history! Well done!!

[Nick · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got this book as a gift, and I'm glad I did as it's the kind of thing I would never pick for myself, but ended up enjoying quite a bit. The author explores Hitler's, uh, homes, using this as a base to explore the difference between the way Hitler really lived and the image that was projected in propaganda. This is really interesting stuff, and the only complaint I have is that reading about chumps like Hitler decorating their palaces with stolen art can really get your blood boiling. (Of course, on the other hand, reading about all of his chalets and hideouts getting bombed into the ground, looted, and paved over is good for a giggle.) I'd recommend this to anyone, even people with WW2 fatigue - the subject matter is so off the beaten path I couldn't help but be interested.

My one caveat is that if you, like me, take your books out to read while you're eating, you might want to take the dust jacket off this one; fellow guests at TGI Fridays aimed a couple hard stares at me while reading this.

Grade: A- (4.5 stars)

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This wonderfully compelling and endlessly fascinating study of the domestic Hitler has been meticulously researched and is entertainingly written. Architectural historian Despina Stratigakos has explored all aspects of the homes Hitler lived in, how he decorated them, what they were meant to convey about Hitler the man. There was a concerted public relations campaign to stress this side of him as a man of the people, someone who loved animals and people, someone who lived in “ordinary” houses and Stratigakos’s contention is that we can discover much more about Hitler through this side of his life. She also goes on to describe what happened to these residences after the war. All in all this an original approach, brilliantly conceived and executed and accessible to academic, historian and general reader alike.

[John Vandike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very specialized tract. For those unfamiliar with the book itself it is principally about the public's view of the domestic life of Hitler and his interior designer Gerdy Troost. This is definitely an academic text (Yale), which may make it less suitable for a wide audience. But, the book does possess a number of interesting pictures and plates of various rooms of Hitler's residences in Munich and Bechtesgaden.

Not for everyone, but for those interested in the subject there are a number of interesting tidbits.

[Please Pass the Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

While chalk-full of well researched facts, this is a bit of a dry read. It will most likely appeal to students and professionals in the field of interior design, as its focus is predominantly on Hitler's designer Troost as opposed to Hitler himself. It is heavy on text and lean on much else, making it feel like a standard textbook.

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review, which this is.

[Margaret · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting look at the principle residences of Hitler during his reign of terror and what became of those places at the end of the war up to the present. Contains a good assortment of contemporary photographs, interior designs and architectural drawings.