Hitlers Last Appearance for the cameras

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Mark Costa
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#61

Post by Mark Costa » 28 Nov 2002, 04:49

And Some More of MARCH 20, 1945 !!!!

AH7 shows another shot of Hitler with hand on Alfred Czech's shoulder. Note the caption of photo that states March 20 !!!

AH6 Group photo shows Hitler leaving the HJ ceremony heading to the Dinnig Hall where the final three photos will be taken. Left to Right:
Lorenz, Axmann, Fegelein, Schaub, AH, Guensche, Burgdorf, and Heinz Linge.
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Mark Costa
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#62

Post by Mark Costa » 28 Nov 2002, 05:07

And the last scans here are from the newsreel showing the interviewing of the boys after the ceremony.

Note the scan of Willi Hubner being interviewed.

By the way, this April 8th newsreel ( shown to the public 12 days BEFORE Hitler's birthday) can be bought from a company called (not sure if I have this right) Historic Films International. This newsreel shows most of he ceremony and includes interviews with the boys and especially Willi Hubner. This is the original German Propaganda newsreel with the original narration. Price is about $20-30

Hope this clears up all the controversary about when the LAST photos were taken.

Mark Costa
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Redentor
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#63

Post by Redentor » 28 Nov 2002, 08:20

Excellent job, Marc. Üerhaps you can bring us the likely last picture of Hitler (standing with Bormann and Schaub). I did never see it :-(

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#64

Post by Phaethon » 28 Nov 2002, 08:26

Mark Costa wrote:Thanks to Mr. Schneider for posting his photo --unfortunatley this photos was NOT taken in the bunker nor was it taken in 1945.
Well done Mark! :)

K.

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Matt Gibbs
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March 20th 1945

#65

Post by Matt Gibbs » 28 Nov 2002, 10:20

Thanks for the scans, I doubt if this subject has been so well covered on any forum before :D
I especially like the one showing Hoffmann's assistant taking stills. I assume Herr Holztrager [former HJ member] simply meant in his book they were credited to Hoffmann Photographic as a company than to Hoffmann himself.
Has it been documented that no photographers were permitted in the bunker after the 20th March 1945..? I only ask this because it appears from previous posts that this is so, otherwise I would appreciate knowing where the facts have come from because I have never read this.

In the surviving copies of newspapers from the rest of March and into April there are still quite a number of reported award ceremonies with the Fuhrer presenting awards and due to the prolific nature of such scenes being photographed beofre this I wonder what brought about the change, apart from the scarcity of film etc. A shame non of the bunker staff were budding amateur photographers such as the Goebbels children or the adjutants ! I am not speculating that there were photographers permitted, if there were surviving pictures I am sure we would have found out by now, but I just wonder if there was an official order.
Regards
Matt Gibbs

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#66

Post by Mark Costa » 28 Nov 2002, 18:07

Matt:

I appreciate the comments by all here. I have been researching this issue for many years.

To answer your question, there is no order stating that no photographer was allowed in the bunker however, Hofmann controlled all official photographers and he stated that after March 20th none of his assistants remained at Fuhrer HQ. Thats not to say that someone on Hitler's staff couldn't have taken some, but they have never materialized. And to be honest I doubt anyone in the bunker was thinking about taking pictures. If they did, those photos would have certainly have shown up by now as they would be worth a fortune. And when the staff tried to break out of Berlin 90% were captured by the Russians. I just don't see these people lugging photos around in the streets of Berlin during the breakout.

But there is a very good possibility that we may see one soon !!!!!

Walter Frentz was Hitler's movie cameraman. Most of the movies taken at Hitler's HQ's were taken by him -- especially the one were Hitler dances his jig after the fall of France. Frentz was assigned as Hitler's private movie cameraman in 1939 and served throught the entire war. He was in Berlin in April 1945 but I am not sure if he was still there on Hitler's Birthday. If he was, he certainly left with most of the staff for the Obersalzberg on April 22nd along with Schaub. In any case, his movies were captured by the US army and most can be seen on the History Channel almost every night.

But Frentz also had a hobby --- He was Hitler's COLOR photo man !!! And he snapped around 30000 of these during the war. They are absolutely brilliant and came be seen in such books as "Hitler's Berghof" and "Wolfschanze" published recently by Arndt. Before the war ended he hide all of these photos and only in the early 1990's did he finally allow them to given to researchers --most notably David Irving. He guarded them very closely and did not allow alot of people to get their hands on them -- although many got out to RK collectors. Now here's the story ---

Legend has it -- that he took photos in the Bunker !!! But Frentz died last year and of course rarely spoke of his photos. Next month Arndt is publishing another volume called "Hitler's New Reichschancellery" and it is possible that indeed there may be a photo taken after March 20th. We will just have to wait and see !!!!!! The book should be just as fantastic as the other two.

Regards,

Mark

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Cheers

#67

Post by Matt Gibbs » 29 Nov 2002, 02:46

Thanks for the comprehensive reply Mark! Nice of you to take the trouble - I am also interested in the last weeks of Berlin. I have the Berghof book and agree there is some exceptionally good wartime colour photography in there, until I saw that book I did not appreciate that someone had had such close access to the circle around Hitler, I was particularly suprised by the candid nature of the shots. I am now looking forward to that other book! Arndt have certainly gott quite a good coup there with the colour film pictures, i assume they must have approached Frentz as a fairly famous cameraman and persuaded him to unlock the gems of his collection, 30000 photos though! Thats a pretty huge number - I look forward to more books in the future.
Just out of interest have you seen the books on Heydrich which came out recently with interesting pictures etc..? I have not but I wonder if they are any good..?

Regards

Matt Gibbs

Mark Costa
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#68

Post by Mark Costa » 29 Nov 2002, 04:45

Matt:

Frentz was always very careful as to who he lent his photos to. And he sued people who managed to get copies of some of them. His son still tries to prosecute those that violate copyright laws. So collectors have to be very careful not to post any of Frentz' photos on this site. His son will go after violators.

Arndt Publishing has sole rights to the photos and Frentz' son is going to cash in big time as they say. Do yourself a favor and get the "Wolfschanze" book. I consider that even better than the "Berghof" one. As I said the next one coming out very shortly is the "Reichschancellery" book in the next couple of weeks. Hopefully there will be some bunker shots as have been hinted to over the years. Also in December there will be two more ---

"Hitler's Military Elite" -- all color of Third Reich Generals and Aces etc.
"Military Parades of the Third Reich" --- All the great parades in Color.

In January Arndt starts a 4 volume set called "The War in Russia". All of Frentz' photos at the front in Russia.

Your will not want to miss any of them.

In regards to the Bormann, Schaub Hitler photo in March 20 1945. I hav eonly seen it twice and that was many years ago. It was in a German Language published book in the early 1970's. It was in the days before scanners and I missed making a photocopy of it. Hopefully someone will remember it and post it here.

Regards,

Mark

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#69

Post by Redentor » 29 Nov 2002, 11:54

Do you have any information about the german book, you've mentioned? I would perhaps be able to obtain a copy, but i have to know the exact title.

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Matt Gibbs
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Great

#70

Post by Matt Gibbs » 29 Nov 2002, 16:23

Thanksf or the info MArk, looks like I could be a heavy hitted and overdose on the Arndt publications in the next few months!

Regards

Matt Gibbs

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#71

Post by Indrid » 30 Nov 2002, 19:53

In regards to the Bormann, Schaub Hitler photo in March 20 1945. I hav eonly seen it twice and that was many years ago. It was in a German Language published book in the early 1970's. It was in the days before scanners and I missed making a photocopy of it. Hopefully someone will remember it and post it here.
It might be helpful, if you could give us any further information about the book, you have mentioned. Interesting topic, thank you for the detailed postings.

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#72

Post by Mark Costa » 01 Dec 2002, 06:13

Ingrid:

Unfortunately, I can't rememer the book -- it was over 15 years ago that I last saw it. I want to say that the title was something like "Das Ende in Deautschland 1945" or Das Ende 1945". But I can't be sure.

Sorry.

Mark

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#73

Post by Indrid » 01 Dec 2002, 12:53

Mark Costa wrote:Ingrid:

Unfortunately, I can't rememer the book -- it was over 15 years ago that I last saw it. I want to say that the title was something like "Das Ende in Deautschland 1945" or Das Ende 1945". But I can't be sure.

Sorry.

Mark
I have taken a closer look at our central archive of books, but found too many hits. I need the name of the author, that would be the only reliable information.

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#74

Post by Indrid » 13 Dec 2002, 14:17

I'm still waiting for some further information :(. Let's bring this research to success.

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Christian Ankerstjerne
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#75

Post by Christian Ankerstjerne » 13 Dec 2002, 21:24

It would be very interresting to know what Hitler an dthat other guy are discussing in those two final photos...

Christian

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