Description

Illustrierter Beobachter
22 March 1945 | Issue 12 | Final Edition (Schlussfolge)
Publisher: Verlag Franz Eher Nachf., Munich 22
Pages scanned: 12

Cover Page
Headline: Deutsche Polizeistation am Polarkreis (German Police Station at the Arctic Circle). Shows two German Shepherd dogs on leash with soldiers in a snowy northern landscape. Photo credit: War correspondent Maltry-Wb.

Major Headlines & Content
1. Brückenkopf Frankfurt a.d. Oder
Coverage of German artillery operations against Soviet forces at the Oder River. Images depict large guns firing deep into Soviet rear positions, troops in the flooded Oder valley, and a recaptured bridgehead near Frankfurt an der Oder. Soviet forces were reportedly repelled at high cost.
2. In der Festung Küstrin
Photo spread on the besieged fortress city of Küstrin. Images include: old cannons repurposed as street barriers, shell-damaged buildings, a Hitler Youth boy directing traffic and giving a farmer information on front lines, and the town’s main square described as still active. The city is compared to other embattled strongholds including Breslau and Königsberg. Commander of the fortress: SS-Gruppenführer and General of Police Reinefarth, photographed exiting a historic casemate.
3. Die höchste deutsche Auszeichnung für Konstantin Hierl
Adolf Hitler awards the Golden Cross of the German Order with Oak Leaves and Swords to Konstantin Hierl, Reichsarbeitsführer and Reichsminister, on his 70th birthday. Described as the highest German decoration, awarded here for the first time. The occasion also marked the 25th anniversary of the proclamation of the NSDAP party program. Hitler received Reichsleiters, Gauleiters, and association leaders at his headquarters. Photos by: Heinrich Hoffmann; SS war correspondent Kramer.
4. Der photographierte Mord (The Photographed Murder)
Anti-Allied propaganda piece based on photographs published in the American magazine Life. Depicts the lynching of Italian police chief Pietro Caruso in Rome by a communist mob. Caruso was thrown into the Tiber River. The article frames Allied-liberated Italy as descending into hunger, chaos, and street violence.
5. Adolf Hitler an der Front im Osten
Back page spread showing Hitler visiting a divisional command post at the Oder Front. One photo shows him receiving Nazi salutes from officers in a wooded area; another shows him at a briefing table with army corps staff. Photos by: Heinrich Hoffmann.

Other Content
Fiction serial: “Die Gräfin Sponheim” by M. Coray — a historical adventure story set in and around Trier and along the Mosel, Nahe, and Rhine rivers. Features Archbishop Baldwin of Trier as antagonist.
Short story: “Das Verborgene” — a romantic story set in Vienna involving a dancer and performers from the theater world. By Walter Persich.
Feature: “Krieger und Amazone” — a Viennese soldier-artist on convalescent leave paints his sister (a former opera ballet dancer) as an Amazon warrior. Photos by Bruno Völkel.
Feature: “1 Strohsack — 2 Stühle” — photos of Hitler Youth girls doing gymnastics with improvised equipment. Photos by Els Lehmann.
Puzzles & games: Crossword, syllable puzzle, magic square, cryptogram, and chess problem (Schach-Beobachter) by Gefr. Erich Wolkenau of Munich.

Editorial Note
This is the final edition (Schlussfolge) of the Illustrierter Beobachter, the illustrated weekly of the NSDAP. Chief editor: Dietrich Loder. Deputy: Dr. Hans Diebow. Published by the Central Publishing House of the NSDAP, Franz Eher Nachf. GmbH, Munich 22. Printed by Buchgewerbehaus M. Müller & Sohn, Munich. This document is a historical artifact for research purposes.