Description
Illustrierter Beobachter – Adolf Hitler-Sondernummer (1. Auflage), April 1933
Scanned pages: 64 | Instant PDF download
Historical German Nazi-era illustrated weekly, special issue for Hitler’s 44th birthday, digitized.
Cover
„Zwei Kämpfer des Weltkrieges – Der Marschall, Der Gefreite – Vierzehn Jahre später“: side-by-side WWI portraits of Hindenburg and Hitler, with an inset of the two shaking hands in 1933. No war correspondent credited.
Main Articles
„Hitlers Eltern – Hitlers Heimat“
A travel report following Hitler’s family roots from Braunau am Inn via Lambach, Hafeld, Leonding and the Waldviertel, with photos of his mother, father, birthplace and a school class photo.
Author: not credited. Persons named: schoolmate Kaufmann Wöß; the Zöbl couple (Lambach landlords).
„Aus Jugendtagen“
Photo feature on Hitler’s childhood homes in Passau and Leonding, with a visit to his aunt Theresia Schmidt and her family farm.
Author: not credited.
„Einer unter 12 Millionen Feldgrauen – Adolf Hitler der unbekannte Soldat des großen Krieges“
Account of Hitler’s First World War service as a dispatch runner in the Bavarian Reserve Infantry Regiment 16 (List), with officers’ sworn testimonies, trench photos and position maps of Fromelles.
Author: Max Amann. Testimonies signed by Generalmajor a. D. Engelhardt, Oberst a. D. von Baligand, Max Amann and Ernst Schmidt. Opening painting „Flandernschlacht“ by Albert Reich.
„Der Sturm auf den Bayernwald am 15. November 1914“
Excerpt describing how the runners Hitler and Bachmann shielded their regimental commander during an attack.
Source: „Vier Jahre Westfront. Die Geschichte des Regiments List.“
„Der Führer als Kriegszeichner“
Reproductions of Hitler’s wartime sketches and a watercolour from Northern France.
Artworks credited to Adolf Hitler (see Artists Mentioned).
„Als Adolf Hitler den Kampf begann“
Recollection of the NSDAP’s early Munich years, the first mass meetings and the founding of the S.A., continued on page 42.
Author: Joseph Berchtold.
„Das Kampfjahr 1923“
Photo feature on 1923, including the S.A. at Oberwiesenfeld, the Marienplatz rally and the morning of 9 November 1923 at the Bürgerbräukeller and the War Ministry.
Author: not credited. Persons identified in captions: Julius Streicher, Heinrich Himmler, Hauptmann Seidl, Ernst Röhm, Begleiter Graf.
„Adolf Hitlers Weg und Werden“
Long biographical narrative from boyhood to politics, in sections „Die erste Frage“, „Der erste Kampf“, „Nicht Maler, sondern Baumeister!“, „Die Hohe Schule“, „Das Volk und das Reich“, „Die Erweckung“ and „Der Baumeister des neuen Deutschland“.
Author: signed „H. G.“ Opens with a Nietzsche quotation.
„Erinnerungen an Hitler“
A regimental comrade’s recollection of Hitler carrying a dispatch under artillery fire at Le Barque in October 1916.
Author: signed „H.“
„Von hier ging die Bewegung aus…“
Photo feature on the small room of the Sterneckerbräu and the Bürgerbräukeller in Munich.
Author: not credited.
„Wie der Führer wohnt“
Photo report on Haus Wachenfeld on the Obersalzberg near Berchtesgaden, including interiors and Hitler’s half-sister.
Author: not credited. Person named: Angela Raubal.
„Des Führers Arbeitsräume in München“
Photos of Hitler’s private Munich flat and his offices in the Brown House.
Author: not credited. Reich’s painting „Flandernschlacht“ shown on the office wall.
„Stille Stunden“
Photo feature on Hitler’s leisure time: mountain huts, hiking, the Masurian lakes, Wachenfeld, his dogs and fawns.
Author: signed „F. B.“ Persons named: Hermann Esser, driver Schreck.
„Wofür Hitler sich interessiert“
Article on Hitler’s interests in architecture, art, music, automobiles and technology, with photos from the Berlin Motor Show, the Leipzig Gewandhaus Wagner commemoration and the Nietzsche Archive in Weimar.
Author: signed „B. L.“ Persons named: Professor Troost and Baumeister Schiedermeier.
„Was ist des Deutschen Vaterland?“ / „Der Berufung bewußt“
Two short anecdotes from comrades about Hitler’s wartime remarks.
Author: not credited.
„Adolf Hitler als Mitschüler“
A former Leonding schoolmate recalls Hitler’s drawing talent and schoolboy fights.
Author: signed „A. R., Beierfeld“. Persons named: schoolmate Puttinger, teacher Brauneis.
„Die Letzten des Regiments“
Poem on the List Regiment’s losses in Flanders.
Author: Wilhelm Scholz.
„Hitler spricht“
Eyewitness account of a Hitler rally at the Zirkus Krone in Munich in March 1925.
Author: Dr. Hans Buchner.
„Geistesgegenwart“ / „Macht auch einen ‚Jux‘“ / „Der Kamerad“ / „Der Bajuware“
Short front-line anecdotes from comrades of the List Regiment.
Author: not credited. Persons named: Brandmayer, Amann.
„Da ist die Grenze!“ / „Der Philosoph“ / „Der Baumeister“
Two further anecdotes of Hitler at the front and a short poem.
Author: not credited.
„Der ‚unbestrittene Sieger‘“
Commentary on the 21 March 1933 Day of Potsdam and foreign press reactions to Hitler’s rise.
Author: not credited.
„Hitlers E. K. I“ / „Der Laut der Heimat“ / „Das geheimnisvolle Lächeln“
Anecdotes on Hitler’s Iron Cross First Class (awarded 4 August 1918), his wounding in October 1916 and his reputation for escaping danger.
Author: not credited. Person named: Regimental commander Freiherr von Tubeuf.
„Der Führer an der Arbeit“
Article and photos on Hitler’s path to power: the Brown House office, the Kaiserhof in Berlin and the programme speech in the Reichstag.
Author: not credited.
„Tag von Potsdam – Tag des Sieges“
Photo feature on 21 March 1933: the Reich Chancellery, Hitler’s address to Hindenburg in the Garrison Church, the Reichswehr parade and the crowds.
Author: not credited.
„Dem Führer! (Zum 20. April 1933)“
Birthday poem printed beneath a crowd photo in Potsdam.
Author: signature at foot of the poem in Fraktur.
„Der Kanzler des Volkes“
Full-page back-cover portrait of Hitler; preceded by a full-page photo of Hindenburg and Hitler inspecting S.A. and S.S. ranks on Unter den Linden.
Photographer: not credited.
Artists Mentioned
- Albert Reich – painting „Flandernschlacht“ (owned by Adolf Hitler); drawing of the great mine explosion at Fromelles, signed „A. Reich“; drawings for the book „Aus Adolf Hitlers Heimat“ (advertised, with photos by Lisbeth Reich and text by Oscar Robert Achenbach).
- Adolf Hitler – sketches „Quartier in Fournes südwestlich Lille, Nordfrankreich 1915“ and „Hauptverbandplatz in Fromelles (Nordfrankreich)“.
- Rademacher – artwork for the Oberst cigarette advertisement.
- Skell – eagle artwork for the Austria cigarette advertisement.
- Koch-Gotha – illustration for the Chlorodont advertisement.
War Correspondents (Kriegsberichter) Named
None. This 1933 issue predates the wartime Kriegsberichter system, and no war correspondents are credited.