A book of Nazi photographs, featuring Adolf Hitler skiing and designed apparently to be used like the Panini football sticker albums loved by school children, has emerged after 70 years
A book of Nazi photographs, featuring Adolf Hitler skiing and designed apparently to be used like the Panini football sticker albums loved by school children, has emerged after 70 years.
The pictures of Hitler were collected by his supporters and Nazi Youth who may even have swapped them in the playground.
The images from 1930s Germany portray the Nazi leader in both a powerful and caring light and were all part of Joseph Goebbels' propagandist policy.
The complete album is made up of 138 pictures in total which would have gradually been collected by Hitler fans over a period of time and stuck into the book.
It was brought back after the Second World War by a British soldier.
The album has remained in his family ever since but has now come to light after being made available for sale at auction.
Included are pictures of the smiling Fuhrer with Goebbels' young daughter Helga and other children wearing traditional German dress.
There are photographs of Hitler skiing, reading a paper, on a train, having a meal and engaging in other everyday activities. He is portrayed as a soldier, diplomat, and an "uncle" figure.
But he is also pictured with Luftwaffe chief Hermann Goring and with Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini.
Goebbels has written an introduction and supportive text accompanies the pictures that were attached to the page with glue.
The thick album has a cover inscribed with just the words "Adolph Hitler" in gothic type-face, and was one of many that were released during the 1930s.
Richard Westwood-Brookes, from Mullock's auctioneers, is selling the album at Ludlow racecourse on Thursday.
He said: "This worked in just the same way as the Panini sticker albums of footballers work.
"Keen Nazis would buy the photographs from the local shop and then glue them into their albums.
"They would look forward to filling up a page or an album, just like children enjoy completing their football albums.
"There are some stirring images and they also show the other more human side of Hitler that we often don't see.
"This was released in 1936, the year Berlin held the Olympic Games and the whole world was looking on.
"Goebbels was an evil genius and these albums meant people repeatedly opened them up to see inspiring photographs of their Fuhrer.
"There were other albums that covered the German navy, army and air force.
"It was during the year when the propaganda drive was at its peak and after Hitler had transformed the country in many ways."
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