Heinrich Hoffman was a key part in the making of the Hitler legend, the photographer who carefully crafted the image of the Führer as a godlike figure. Hoffmann published his first book of photographs in 1919, following his work as an official photographer for the German army.
In 1920 he joined the Nazi Party, and his association with Hitler began. He became Hitler's official photographer and travelled with him extensively. He took over two million photographs of Hitler, and they were distributed widely, including on postage stamps, an enterprise that proved very profitable for both men. Hoffmann published several books on Hitler in the 1930s, including "The Hitler Nobody Knows" (1933).
Hoffmann and Hitler were very close, and he acted not only as a personal confidante but also as a matchmaker; it is Hoffmann who introduced Eva Braun, his studio assistant, to Hitler. Unlike millions of others, Hoffmann survived the war and died in 1957, aged 72.
The book also includes a photograph of Adolf Hitler that so embarrassed him he banned it from being published. It shows the Führer in his lederhosen, striking a more "camp" than "commandant" pose as he awkwardly leans against a tree with his hands in his pockets.
I haven't had time yet to read Heinrich Hoffmann's "Hitler Was My Friend", as I'm still trying to finish the one about his kampfy chair.
