Never-before-seen photos show Adolf Hitler on the brink of power as he assembled his maniacal Nazi henchmen in the 1920s
Hitler's personal photographer played a crucial role in endearing him to the German public
THESE rare photographs show Adolf Hitler as he rose to power, assembling a maniacal group of Nazi followers in the 1920s.
The never-before-seen images show the German leader at rallies and posing with his dog and are part of a huge collection to emerge.
These remarkable frames are some of 1,270 images that archivist Richard Schneider digitised from glass negatives created by 's personal photographer, Heinrich Hoffmann.
The negatives are part of a trove of 41,000 which are held at the U.S. National Archives.
One cracked picture shows Hitler with his Alsatian Prinz, given to him in 1921, sparking his affection for the breed.
Sat guarded by Prinz, the was apparently taken in 1923, before his arrest in November that year for his Beer Hall Putsch.
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This failed power grab in Munich that resulted in the deaths of 16 and four police officers - and saw him serve nine months of a five year jail sentence.
Hoffman's photography played a crucial role in Hitler rise to popularity among the public.
He captured the leader's love for dogs and the admiration of his followers, as well as his close inner circle, all of which giving him the image of an admirable man.
Another of the images shows Hitler posing for a group photo with members of the Third Reich, including his minister of propaganda, Joseph Goebbels.
He single-handedly shaped the personal side of Hitler's 'Fuhrer Image'
Heike B. Gortemaker
Also featured is Rudolf Hess, who was Hitler's Deputy Fuhrer until he went to Scotland in 1941 in an attempt to broker a peace deal with Britain.
He was arrested and sentenced to life imprisonment for war crimes.
German historian Heike B. Gortemaker wrote: "He single-handedly shaped the personal side of Hitler's 'Fuhrer Image'."
Schneider told : "What makes this digitisation project special is that the ensuing image has been reproduced from the original negative, rather than it being a copy or copy of a copy. This results in unmatched quality."
Anytime I came across a picture of him looking at me, it sent shivers
Richard Schneider
He added: "There were more shattered plates of [Hitler] than perhaps any other subject.
"I don't know if that was purposeful or coincidental - anytime I came across a picture of him looking at me, it sent shivers."
There are plans underway to make the photo series available online.
Many of the images are reassembled pieces of broken fragments.
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The negatives were confiscated by the Army in 1962 and sent to the National Archives.
Hoffman became wealthy and successful after the intimate access allowed him to sell his photographs.
They were sold in popular collections called 'With Hitler in Poland,' 'With Hitler in Italy,' 'Hitler Off Duty' and 'The Hitler Nobody Knows.'
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His access was reduced in 1944 after a row with Hitler's gatekeeper Martin Bormann.
The photographer was arrested after the Second World War and convicted of war profiteering.
He spend five years in several German prisons.
