Hitler in Uniform

This is a collection of especially striking photographs of Adolf Hitler wearing his uniform. Most of these are from the large abundance of propaganda postcards that were published in the mid to late 1930’s. As top dog of the Third Reich, donning a military uniform firmly reinforced his role as commander in chief of all the German forces. Hitler was usually extremely Spartan in his choice of uniforms and accoutrements, but yeah don’t even get me started when he threw on a trench coat or a cape, or broke out his summer white uniform. He generally preferred very understated uniforms, and for decorations often wore nothing more than his WWI Iron Cross and Wound badge. Before the outbreak of WWII Hitler always wore a brown uniform, the distinguishing trademark color of the NSDAP, but had permanently switched to field grey once the war began in late 1939.

Portrait of Adolf Hitler titled “The Leader and Liberator”, from the publication ‘Germany: The Olympic Year’, by Volk und Reich Verlag Berlin, 1936.

Adolf Hitler on an unofficial visit to Norway (he never went ashore) on board the Deutschland battleship just off the Norwegian coast on 11 April 1934. 

Adolf Hitler inspects the Siegfried Line and watches a military exercise on 17 May 1939. 

Adolf Hitler photo taken on the occasion of naval exercises of the Italian fleet on the Bay of Naples, during his official trip to Italy, 3-9 May 1938.

Adolf Hitler on the Obersalzberg observing a German air show from the terrace of Haus Wachenfeld. Afterward he gave a short speech to the visitors and aviators on 24 June 1934.

Adolf Hitler portrait taken on the western bank of the Obersee in Berchtesgaden on 3 June 1933.

Nice pair of portraits of Adolf Hitler taken at Haus Wachenfeld in the summer of 1933…

Adolf Hitler with Richard Walther Darré. Darré joined the National Socialist Party in 1930 at the behest of Adolf Hitler and was the Reichsminister of Agriculture from 1933 to 1942. He was recruited by Hitler because of his Blood and Soil ideology.

Adolf Hitler listens to a recital of the gigantic Walcker pipe organ in the Luitpold Congress Hall at Nuremberg. Martin Bormann commissioned the firm of E. F. Walcker & Co. of Ludwigsburg to construct the world’s largest pipe organ in time for its unveiling at the 1936 Reichsparteitag. It had 220 stops and over sixteen thousand pipes but was destroyed in Allied bombing raids during World War Two.

Adolf Hitler gives a speech at the German Lawyers’ Day in Leipzig on 4 October 1933; next to Hitler (from left), Reich Labor Minister Franz Seldte, the Bavarian Justice Minister Dr. Hans Frank, (called Frank II), State Secretary, Dr. Hans Heinrich Lammers, the Prussian Minister of Justice Hanns Kerrl.

Adolf Hitler celebrating the 1st of May at the Tempelhofer Feld in Berlin in 1935, Adolf Hitler during the manifestation.

Speech to the German Singers’ Association at the 12th annual German Folk Singers Festival in Breslau on 31 July 1937 in front of 500,000 listeners. 

On 14 September 1933 Hitler visited the town of Niefern-Öschelbronn. On September 10th a large fire had destroyed the village and only the school and the church were still standing. To get to the village Hitler flew from Berlin to Karlsruhe and took his car through Durlach and Pforzheim. Large crowds had gathered to see Hitler and excited children greeted him at the school.